Relationship difficulties and "technoference" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched many aspects of people's lives around the world, including their romantic relationships. While media outlets have reported that the pandemic is difficult for couples, empirical evidence is needed to test these claims and understand why this may be. In two highly powered studies (N = 3271) using repeated measure and longitudinal approaches, we found that people who experienced COVID-19 related challenges (i.e., lockdown, reduced face-to-face interactions, boredom, or worry) also reported greater self and partner phone use (Study 1) and time spent on social media (Study 2), and subsequently experienced more conflict and less satisfaction in their romantic relationship. The findings provide insight into the struggles people faced in their relationships during the pandemic and suggest that the increase in screen time - a rising phenomenon due to the migration of many parts of life online - may be a challenge for couples.

Sexting during confinement in Spain: Prevalence, motivations and predictor variables

SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in the mandatory isolation of the entire population, reducing the opportunities for casual sexual encounters or between partners who do not live together. However, it is plausible to assume that other forms of sexual contact like sexting are occurring. This research aimed to analyse the behaviours and motivations to engage in sexting and to examine some predictors of mental health and loneliness that could be associated with sexting during confinement. The sample consisted of 510 participants: 280 emerging adults and 230 adults. The results showed higher prevalence of sexting behaviours among emerging adults (vs. adults) and among males (vs. females). Moreover, emerging adults reported more motivations to engage in sexting. Finally, the analysis revealed that loneliness would predict engagement in sexting by emerging adults. These findings could have implications for the implementation of sexual education programmes aimed at achieving adequate social interactions associated with sexting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) El SARS-CoV-2 ocasiono el aislamiento obligatorio de toda la poblacion, reduciendo las oportunidades de las relaciones sexuales casuales o entre parejas no convivientes. No obstante, es viable asumir que se estan produciendo otras formas de contacto sexual, como el sexting. El proposito de esta investigacion fue analizar los comportamientos y motivaciones involucradas en el sexting y examinar algunos predictores de salud mental y soledad que podrian estar asociados con el sexting durante el confinamiento. La muestra consistio en 510 participantes: 280 jovenes y 230 adultos. Los resultados mostraron una mayor prevalencia de comportamientos de sexting entre los jovenes (frente a los adultos), y entre los hombres (frente a las mujeres). Mas aun, los jovenes reportaron mas motivaciones para practicar el sexting. Finalmente, el analisis revela que la soledad seria un factor de prediccion para la participacion de los jovenes en el sexting. Estos hallazgos podrian tener implicaciones para la puesta en practica de programas de educacion sexual destinados a alcanzar interacciones sociales adecuadas relacionadas con el sexting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Assessment of the effects of health and financial threat on prosocial and antisocial responses during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of empathic concern.

This research aims to elucidate the connection of perceived health and financial threat linked to the COVID-19 pandemic with the willingness to engage in prosocial and antisocial behaviors, while also testing the potential mediating role of empathic concern. During the lockdown period, a sample of Spanish community members (N = 702) filled in a multi-measure online survey. Our results revealed that (a) COVID-19 health (but not financial) threat predicted a greater tendency to express prosocial actions, (b) none of these forms of COVID-19 threat predicted antisocial inclinations, and (c) empathic concern mediated the effects of COVID-19 health threat on both prosocial and antisocial tendencies. Findings speak to the ongoing debate about whether individuals most psychologically impacted by the pandemic would tend to respond in a more prosocial or antisocial manner.