Power of Prayer: Studies Find Prayer Can Lead to Cooperation, Forgiveness in Relationships

Praying for a romantic partner or close friend can lead to more cooperative and forgiving behavior toward the partner, according to a new study co-authored by a Florida State University researcher.

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Couples’ Thoughts During Disagreements Affect Relationship Satisfaction. Women are more likely than men to blame their partner, a new study also finds.

People who are unhappy in their romantic relationship spend more time during a disagreement thinking about how angry and frustrated they are, but happy couples coordinate their thoughts so that when one partner has many emotional thoughts, the other has few, according to a new study recently published online in the National Communication Association’s journal, Communication Monographs.

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EMBARGOED

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Immune Cells That Suppress Genital Herpes Infections Identified

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington scientists have identified a class of immune cells that reside long-term in the genital skin and mucosa and are believed to be responsible for suppressing recurring outbreaks of genital herpes. These immune cells also play a role in suppressing symptoms of genital herpes, which is why most sufferers of the disease are asymptomatic when viral reactivations occur. The discovery of this subtype of immune cells, called CD8αα+ T cells, opens a new avenue of research to develop a vaccine to prevent and treat herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2. Identifying these T cells’ specific molecular targets, called epitopes, is the next step in developing a vaccine.

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Tips for Combating Jealousy through Constructive Interpersonal Communication

Members of The National Communication Association who study interpersonal communication can provide insight into how couples express, and work through feelings of jealousy.

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Risk of Depression Influenced by Quality of Relationships

After analyzing data from nearly 5,000 American adults, U-M researchers found that the quality of a person’s relationships with a spouse, family and friends predicted the likelihood of major depression disorder in the future, regardless of how frequently their social interactions took place.

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Absorption Pharmaceuticals to Receive Patent for Premature Ejaculation Topical Medication

Absorption Pharmaceuticals announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has indicated that it will grant a patent related to the use of its topical medication, Promescent, for premature ejaculation (PE). The patent protects novel lidocaine-only eutectic formulation which enables maximum absorption of the anesthetic through the skin's outer layer and provides men with improved ejaculatory control while maintaining great sensory feeling.

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New IU Study: 'How' Often Is More Important Than 'Why' When Describing Breakups

Maybe rocker Greg Kihn was being prophetic in his 1981 hit, "The Breakup Song," with its chorus, "They don't write 'em like that anymore." An Indiana University professor's new paper looks at how people write to break up today, including through texts, emails and social media. According to a new research article by Ilana Gershon, associate professor of communication and culture in IU's College of Arts and Sciences, part of what makes the breakup stories she collected into American stories is that the medium seems so important to the message when breaking off relationships.

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New Study About Facebook and Romantic Relationships

A Western Illinois University faculty member who published a widely covered study about Facebook and narcissism last year has authored another study about Facebook and romantic relationships.

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Romantic Comedies Affect Beliefs About Relationships Less Strongly Than Expected

Romantic-comedy films are not a major source for developing unrealistic expectations about relationships among young adults, finds a new study to be published online this week in the National Communication Association’s journal Communication Monographs.

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