Facebook plays a role in the development and maintenance of romantic relationships. Theoretically, individuals are motivated to use Facebook in their relationships to increase feelings of belongingness, which is a fundamental human need. Yet, past studies have neither examined the perceptions of Facebook's influence on increasing closeness in romantic relationships, nor simultaneously examined a wide range of Facebook behaviors that involve romantic partners. Using a belongingness/connection framework, 2 studies examined associations between romantic relationship-oriented Facebook activities, relationship satisfaction, and the perceived effects of Facebook on relationships. Study 1 (N ϭ 93) and Study 2 (N ϭ 255) both illustrated that relationship satisfaction was positively associated with publicly displaying one's relationship on Facebook but was negatively correlated with displaying more affection on Facebook than the participants normally display offline (excessive displays). Study 2 showed that public displays and private communication on Facebook were positively associated with the perception that Facebook had improved the relationship, and excessive displays of the relationship were perceived as beneficial only for those reporting low relationship satisfaction. Additionally, for those who experienced low levels of jealousy, monitoring was associated with perceptions that Facebook had helped their relationships. For those who experienced high levels of jealousy on Facebook, monitoring was unrelated to perceptions that Facebook improved the relationship. Findings provide evidence that feelings of disconnection from one's partner could motivate excessive relationship displays on Facebook and that the perceived effect of Facebook on romantic relationships depends on how Facebook is used, which could promote or hinder relationship quality. Public Policy Relevance StatementTo experience a sense of belonging, individuals engage in a wide range of behaviors on Facebook concerning their romantic relationships. The primary findings of this study show that public displays and private communication on Facebook increase closeness in romantic relationships, whereas other behaviors on Facebook, such as monitoring or excessive displays, can either promote or hinder closeness depending on jealousy or relationship satisfaction.

Repartnering has been linked to health benefits for mothers, yet few studies have examined relationship quality in this context. According to the divorce-stress-adaptation perspective, relationship quality may influence the relationship between maternal well-being and dating after divorce. The current study examines the consequences of dating, relationship quality, and dating transitions (breaking up and dating new partners) on maternal well-being (negative affect and life satisfaction). Using monthly surveys completed by mothers over a two-year period after filing for divorce, we examined changes in intercepts and slopes of dating status and transitions for maternal well-being while also testing the effects of relationship quality. Mothers entering high-quality relationships were likely to report boosts in well-being at relationship initiation compared to single mothers and mothers entering low-quality relationships. Mothers entering lower-quality relationships were likely to report lower levels of well-being than single mothers. Dating transitions were associated with increases in well-being. Implications for maternal adjustment are discussed.

Mothers dating after divorce is a dynamic process, where not all mothers date the same way after divorce. However, few studies have examined the different ways that mothers date after divorce, which should influence maternal well-being, risk behaviors, and the quality of their relationships. This study characterizes four different approaches to mothers' repartnering (referred to as repartnering histories): no dating, dating one partner monogamously, dating multiple partners serially, and dating multiple partners simultaneously. Each repartnering history is characterized by demographic variables, relationship quality, and maternal well-being. Implications of the study are discussed.

Individual and romantic partner religiosity are positively associated with marital quality. However, many studies focus on married couples, rather than examining dating relationships, and rely on single-item measures of religiosity. More importantly, few studies have examined the importance of relationship religiosity in the context of dating, despite the theoretical importance of this construct. Relationship religiosity is defined as participating in and discussing religiosity and spirituality with a current romantic partner. The goal of this study is to test relationship religiosity as a mediator between individual and partner religiosity for relationship quality of dating relationships using stringent measures of centrality of religiosity. Data for this study comes from 119 participants who were in dating relationships (74.8% female; mean age: 23.2 years). Participants completed a survey regarding their religiosity, their partners' religiosity, the religiosity of their relationships, and the quality of their dating relationships. Mediation analyses via linear regression showed that relationship religiosity fully mediated the relationship between individual religiosity and relationship satisfaction and fully mediated the relationship between partner religiosity and relationship satisfaction. However, relationship religiosity was not associated with commitment. Results from the study emphasize the importance of dyadic religious activities for dating couples. Further implications will be discussed.

This qualitative study examines undergraduate perspectives concerning the paucity of male students in family science courses. Two hundred and eighty‐eight students from three universities answered open‐ended questions concerning male enrollment in these courses. Although participants described a social stigma regarding women in family science, males believed that females are more likely to take family science courses because females are more concerned with family. Females believed that males are afraid or uncomfortable with family science topics. Participants believed that increasing awareness, gender‐targeted advertising, and dispelling stereotypes would promote male enrollment. Implications regarding gender balance in family sciences are discussed.