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<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News</span></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/a-35-day-study-of-couples-reveals-the-daily-interpersonal-benefits-of-sexual-mindfulness/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">A 35-day study of couples reveals the daily interpersonal benefits of sexual mindfulness</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 25th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study finds that being present and non-judgmental during sex is associated with greater sexual well-being, not only for oneself but for one’s partner as well. The research, which tracked couples over 35 days, suggests that the benefits of sexual mindfulness can be observed on a daily basis within a relationship. The findings were published in the scientific journal <em><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-025-02596-7" target="_blank">Mindfulness</a></em>.</p>
<p>Many individuals in established relationships report problems with their sexual health, such as low desire or dissatisfaction. Previous research has suggested that mindfulness, a state of present-moment awareness without judgment, could help address these issues. Researchers believe that cognitive distractions during sex, like concerns about performance or body image, can interfere with sexual well-being. Mindfulness may act as an antidote to these distractions by helping individuals redirect their attention to the physical sensations and emotional connection of the moment.</p>
<p>Led by Simone Y. Goldberg of the University of British Columbia, a team of researchers noted that most prior studies had significant limitations. Much of the research focused on general mindfulness as a personality trait rather than the specific state of being mindful during a sexual encounter. Additionally, studies often sampled individuals instead of couples, missing the interpersonal dynamics of sex. Finally, no research had used a daily diary design, which is needed to capture the natural fluctuations in a person’s ability to be mindful across different sexual experiences. Goldberg and her colleagues designed their study to address these gaps.</p>
<p>To conduct their research, the scientists recruited 297 couples who were living together. For 35 consecutive days, each partner independently completed a brief online survey every evening before going to sleep. This daily diary method allowed the researchers to gather information about the couples’ experiences in near real-time, reducing reliance on long-term memory which can be unreliable. The daily survey asked about each person’s level of sexual desire and any sexually related distress they felt that day.</p>
<p>On the days that participants reported having sex with their partner, they were asked additional questions. They completed a 5-item questionnaire to measure their level of sexual mindfulness during that specific encounter. This included rating their agreement with statements about their ability to stay in the present moment, notice physical sensations, and not judge their thoughts or feelings. They also answered questions to assess their level of sexual satisfaction with that day’s experience. This design allowed the researchers to analyze how a person’s mindfulness during sex on a given day related to their own and their partner’s sexual well-being on that same day.</p>
<p>The results showed a clear link between daily sexual mindfulness and sexual well-being for both partners. On days when individuals reported being more sexually mindful than their own personal average, they also reported higher levels of sexual satisfaction and sexual desire. At the same time, they reported lower levels of sexual distress. This demonstrates that fluctuations in a person’s ability to be mindful during sex are connected to their own sexual experience from one day to the next.</p>
<p>The study also revealed significant interpersonal benefits. On the days when one person was more sexually mindful, their partner also reported better outcomes. The partner experienced higher sexual satisfaction, increased sexual desire, and less sexual distress. This suggests that one person’s mental state during a sexual encounter has a direct and immediate association with their partner’s experience. The researchers propose that a mindful partner may be more attentive and responsive, which in turn enhances the other person’s enjoyment and sense of connection.</p>
<p>When the researchers analyzed the overall averages across the 35-day period, they found a slightly different pattern. Individuals who were, on average, more sexually mindful throughout the study reported greater sexual well-being for themselves. However, a person’s average level of sexual mindfulness was not linked to their partner’s average sexual well-being. This suggests that the benefit to a partner may be more of an in-the-moment phenomenon tied to specific sexual encounters, rather than a general effect of being with a typically mindful person.</p>
<p>The study also explored the role of gender in these associations. The connection between a person’s own daily sexual mindfulness and their own sexual well-being was stronger for women than for men. The researchers speculate that since women sometimes report higher levels of cognitive distraction during sex, the practice of mindfulness might offer a particularly powerful benefit for them. In contrast, the association between one person’s mindfulness and their partner’s sexual satisfaction was stronger when the mindful partner was a man.</p>
<p>These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the idea that being present and aware during sex is beneficial for couples. The study highlights that these benefits are not just personal but are shared within the relationship. By focusing on physical sensations and letting go of distracting or self-critical thoughts, individuals may not only improve their own sexual satisfaction but also contribute positively to their partner’s experience. This points to the potential of clinical interventions that teach mindfulness skills specifically within a sexual context.</p>
<p>The researchers acknowledged some limitations of their work. The participant sample was predominantly White and heterosexual, which means the results may not be generalizable to couples from other ethnic backgrounds or to same-sex couples. Future research could explore these dynamics in more diverse populations to see if the same patterns hold.</p>
<p>Another important point is that the study’s design is correlational, meaning it identifies a relationship between variables but cannot prove causation. It is not possible to say for certain that being more mindful causes better sexual well-being. The relationship could potentially work in the other direction, where a more positive sexual experience allows a person to be more mindful. Future studies using experimental methods, where mindfulness is actively manipulated, could help clarify the direction of this effect. Despite these limitations, the study provides a detailed picture of the day-to-day connections between mindfulness and sexual health in romantic partners.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-025-02596-7" target="_blank">Daily Sexual Mindfulness is Linked with Greater Sexual Well‑Being in Couples</a>,” was authored by Simone Y. Goldberg, Marie‑Pier Vaillancourt‑Morel, Marta Kolbuszewska, Sophie Bergeron, and Samantha J. Dawson.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/spouses-from-less-privileged-backgrounds-tend-to-share-more-synchronized-heartbeats/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Spouses from less privileged backgrounds tend to share more synchronized heartbeats</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 25th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>When people feel emotionally close, their bodies may start to act in tandem. A new study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109134" target="_blank">Biological Psychology</a></em> offers evidence that this alignment can reach the level of the heart. Researchers found that married couples from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to show synchronized heart rate patterns than couples from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. The findings suggest that social and economic conditions may shape not only how people relate to one another emotionally, but also how their bodies respond during social connection.</p>
<p>Previous research has shown that people from lower-income and lower-education backgrounds tend to emphasize relationships more than their more affluent peers. Studies suggest that individuals from these environments often rely more on their social networks for support, given that they face more external challenges such as financial strain and limited access to resources. This emphasis on social interdependence appears in how people think, feel, and behave. But until now, little was known about whether this tendency might also appear in physical processes, such as heart rate.</p>
<p>“Social connection is essential for human well-being and survival. And how we connect with others is shaped by the resources and opportunities we have. When socioeconomic resources are scarce, social relationships can become a refuge and a resource, taking on a particularly important role in people’s lives,” said Tabea Meier, a postdoctoral scholar affiliated with the University of Zurich, and <a href="https://haaselab.sesp.northwestern.edu/" target="_blank">Claudia Haase</a>, an associate professor at Northwestern University, the corresponding authors of the study.</p>
<p>“Prior research has shown that people from less privileged backgrounds tend to be more interdependent and attuned to others, for example, in experiencing greater empathy and compassion. This stands in contrast to the individualism that tends to dominate more privileged social contexts.”</p>
<p>“However, much less is known about whether this attunement to others goes beyond experiences and behavior—whether it shows up in people’s bodies or physiology. Our study of married couples examined this question by probing how socioeconomic status relates to physiological linkage – the way spouses’ heart rates rise and fall together when they interact. In moments of deep connection, people’s hearts can beat in sync.”</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers recruited 48 married couples living in the Chicago area, resulting in a sample of 96 individuals. The couples varied widely in terms of income and education. Some earned less than $20,000 per year, while others made over $150,000. Their education levels also ranged from less than high school to advanced degrees. The sample included people from several racial and ethnic backgrounds.</p>
<p>Each couple participated in a three-hour lab session. After some initial procedures, they took part in two ten-minute conversations: one focused on a topic of conflict in their relationship, and another centered on a mutually enjoyable subject. During these conversations, the participants wore sensors that tracked their heart activity in real time. The researchers focused on a measure called “interbeat interval,” which is the amount of time between heartbeats. These second-by-second measurements allowed the team to assess how each spouse’s heart rate changed throughout the conversation.</p>
<p>The researchers analyzed how closely the spouses’ heart rate patterns mirrored each other. When both people’s heart rates sped up or slowed down together, this was called “in-phase linkage.” When one person’s heart rate increased while the other’s decreased, that was labeled “anti-phase linkage.” In both cases, stronger linkage meant a tighter correlation between spouses’ heart rate shifts. The team looked at how these two types of linkage were related to the couple’s socioeconomic background.</p>
<p>Across both conflict and pleasant conversations, couples from lower socioeconomic backgrounds showed higher in-phase linkage. In other words, their heart rates were more likely to change in the same direction. At the same time, they showed lower anti-phase linkage, meaning their heart rates were less likely to change in opposite directions.</p>
<p>This pattern suggests that less affluent couples tend to experience a stronger bodily connection during interpersonal interactions. Their heart rhythms moved more in unison, regardless of whether they were arguing or sharing positive memories. The difference was particularly strong for anti-phase linkage, which was much lower in lower-income and lower-education couples compared to their more privileged peers.</p>
<p>“When people connect, it’s not just their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can align – their bodies can, too,” Meier and Haase told PsyPost. “Our study found that couples’ socioeconomic backgrounds may shape how this connection unfolds at a physiological level. Specifically, the heart rates of spouses from less privileged backgrounds were more likely to change in the same direction (i.e., speeding up or slowing down together) and less likely to change in opposite directions (i.e., one speeding up while the other is slowing down) compared to those from more privileged backgrounds.”</p>
<p>These results held even after the researchers controlled for several other factors, including age and racial background. The effect was also more strongly tied to education than income, although both contributed to the findings.</p>
<p>Importantly, the level of synchrony did not appear to be linked to the emotional tone of the conversation or to how many times the couples used inclusive words like “we.” That suggests that the physiological linkage observed may be operating somewhat independently of what the spouses said or how they rated their emotions.</p>
<p>“These findings build on a long line of research showing that people from less privileged backgrounds tend prioritize relationships and are more attuned to those around them,” the researchers said. “Our study suggests, to our knowledge for the first time, that this connection may not only appear in feelings or behaviors, but also at a physiological level in the form of linked heart rates between spouses. It is a reminder that our social worlds live within us.”</p>
<p>There are a few caveats to consider. The sample size, although consistent with similar lab-based studies, was relatively small. It also focused on heterosexual married couples with children in the United States, which limits how broadly the results can be applied.</p>
<p>The study also did not look at how these heart rate patterns affect the couples over time. It remains unclear whether higher in-phase linkage leads to better relationship satisfaction, improved health, or other benefits. Some previous research suggests that synchrony may be helpful in many cases, but not always. For example, when couples are arguing, syncing up physiologically might sometimes make things worse by escalating conflict. On the other hand, moving in opposite directions might help one partner stay calm while the other is distressed.</p>
<p>“It is important not to oversimplify these results,” Meier and Haase explained. “Linked heart rates do not necessarily mean “better” or healthier relationships. Whether physiological linkage is beneficial or not may really depend on the context in which it occurs, for example, whether spouses are cracking up about an inside joke, are throwing harsh words at each other, or comforting each other in sadness. Future research can explore when and how different heart rate linkage patterns support or harm relationship satisfaction, well-being, and health.”</p>
<p>“Our study is a first step and there are many open questions that we would love the research community to pursue. While we worked hard to recruit a diverse sample of couples from all walks of life from the U.S. Chicagoland area, larger samples will be needed, ideally not just from the US. There are many other open questions. For instance, how does physiological linkage predict how satisfied spouses from less or more privileged backgrounds are with their relationship over time? And what are the consequences for mental and physical health? We look forward to more research in this area that connects the macro and the micro.”</p>
<p>“Socioeconomic status can shape our everyday lives in powerful ways, including how we connect with loved ones,” the researchers added. “Psychological research on couples has traditionally focused mostly on white, middle-class couples. Findings from our study, along with others, highlight the importance of inclusive approaches in the study of social connection. The couples in our study allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of how emotional dynamics and social connection may differ across socioeconomic contexts, and we are grateful that they shared their time and insights with us.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109134" target="_blank">Connected at heart? Socioeconomic status and physiological linkage during marital interactions</a>,” was authored by Tabea Meier, Aaron M. Geller, Kuan-Hua Chen, and Claudia M. Haase. </p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/trigger-warnings-spark-curiosity-more-than-caution-new-research-indicates/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Trigger warnings spark curiosity more than caution, new research indicates</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 25th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>Trigger warnings are meant to help people emotionally prepare for or avoid potentially upsetting material. But new evidence from a week-long study of young adults suggests they often do neither. Instead, most people who encounter these warnings choose to view the content anyway. The findings also indicate that even individuals with trauma histories or mental health concerns are no more likely to avoid warned content than others. The results provide further support for the growing idea that trigger warnings, while widespread, may not function as intended in everyday digital life.</p>
<p>Trigger warnings are now common in both online and offline environments, appearing ahead of everything from social media posts to college course material. They are typically used to signal content that could be distressing, especially for those with past trauma or mental health challenges. Advocates argue that these warnings give vulnerable people the opportunity to prepare for or avoid harmful content.</p>
<p>But a growing body of lab-based studies has cast doubt on the idea that trigger warnings work in the way people hope. While many assume that warnings prompt avoidance, experiments have shown that most people choose to view the content anyway, and that warnings rarely reduce emotional distress. Until now, however, nearly all of this evidence came from controlled settings. Researchers had not yet studied how people actually respond to trigger warnings in their everyday lives.</p>
<p>The new study, published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102040" target="_blank">Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry</a></em>, aimed to fill that gap. The researchers set out to track when and how often people encounter trigger warnings on social media, whether they choose to view or avoid the associated content, and whether certain psychological traits—such as symptoms of posttraumatic stress or depression—are linked to different patterns of behavior.</p>
<p>“Over the past (almost decade) my research has been concerned with cutting through online debate about trigger warnings and examining them using an experimental framework. This work has found that in the lab, warnings about upcoming negative content do not reduce people’s emotional reactions to material, nor do they seem effective in deterring the majority of people from viewing negative content when given a neutral/non-distressing alternative,” said study author Victoria Bridgland, a lecturer at Flinders University. </p>
<p>“We were interested in seeing if these findings, particularly about avoidance, extend outside of lab environments. Participating in a lab study is inherently coercive, however participants have no obligation to watch or avoid negative content in daily life. However, aligning with lab findings, we found that the most common response to seeing trigger warnings online in daily life was to view the content, and the most common reason given was because of curiosity—which is also something we hear in lab.”</p>
<p>The study followed 261 young adults between the ages of 17 and 25 over a seven-day period. Participants reported their daily experiences with social media, including whether they saw any trigger warnings and what kind of content those warnings accompanied. They also recorded whether they chose to look at or avoid the content after seeing the warning.</p>
<p>To explore whether psychological traits influenced avoidance behavior, participants completed several standardized assessments at the beginning of the study. These included measures of trauma exposure, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and general well-being. The researchers also asked whether participants had a tendency to deliberately seek out reminders of traumatic experiences, a behavior sometimes referred to as self-triggering.</p>
<p>The researchers wanted to see whether people who had higher levels of psychological distress were more likely to avoid warned content, as trigger warning advocates often suggest. They also looked at how frequently participants encountered these warnings and what motivated their decision to view or avoid the content.</p>
<p>Nearly half of the participants reported seeing at least one trigger warning during the week. Among those who did, the average number of warnings seen was about four. The most common platforms for encountering these warnings were Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, and the most frequent content types were violent or aggressive material, depictions of physical injury, and sexually explicit content.</p>
<p>When asked how they responded to the warnings, the overwhelming majority said they chose to look at the content. On a scale from “never looked” to “always looked,” most people leaned heavily toward viewing. In fact, only around 11 percent reported consistently avoiding warned material throughout the week, while more than a third said they always approached it. When asked why they looked, more than half cited curiosity—the desire to know what was being hidden—as their main motivation.</p>
<p>The results were not a surprise. “We have known for some time from lab experiments that trigger warnings don’t seem to increase rates of avoidance, and we also know that people are morbidly curious and often self-expose themselves to negative material (even when it serves no real benefit),” Bridgland told PsyPost.</p>
<p>The researchers found no evidence that people with higher psychological vulnerability were more likely to avoid the content. Participants with greater posttraumatic stress symptoms, for example, were just as likely to view the material as those with fewer symptoms. This pattern held across several mental health measures, including depression, anxiety, and a history of trauma exposure.</p>
<p>Interestingly, people who did see trigger warnings tended to score higher on mental health symptom scales and lower on general well-being. The authors suggest that this could be because such individuals spend more time in online spaces where trigger warnings are common, or because the warnings feel more personally relevant and memorable to them. But even within this group, the presence of a warning did not increase the likelihood of avoidance.</p>
<p>The content people chose to avoid, when they did avoid it, varied widely. Some said they were simply uninterested, while others avoided it because it involved specific types of content they preferred not to see, such as animal cruelty or depictions of death. A small number of participants reported avoiding material that felt emotionally overwhelming or clashed with their current mood. Still, these decisions were the exception rather than the rule.</p>
<p>“I’d like for people to be conscious consumers of negative material online and be wary of extremes,” Bridgland said. “For example, if you are someone who finds they often need to avoid <em>or</em> becomes overly distressed or triggered by online content or someone who is deliberately searching for and binge consuming negative content in high volumes which is leading to distress—this is likely a sign that there is some underlying issue that likely warrants therapeutic attention. In either of these cases, be aware that a trigger warning may not be serving a beneficial function.”</p>
<p>As with all research, there are some limitations. First, the study did not measure emotional reactions after viewing the content, so it remains unclear whether the warnings helped people feel more prepared or less distressed. Prior research, however, suggests that trigger warnings tend not to influence emotional responses much, if at all.</p>
<p>Another limitation is that people might behave differently depending on the specific context or type of content. For example, someone might avoid a warning about sexual assault but not one about medical procedures. The study also didn’t capture real-time responses, so there may be subtle moment-to-moment factors—such as mood or fatigue—that influence decisions to view or avoid warned content.</p>
<p>“I’d like to clarify that me and my research team aren’t advocating that we should ban trigger warnings, but we just want people to be aware of the lack of benefits they provide,” Bridgland explained. “This way people can take other precautions to safeguard their mental health online.”</p>
<p>“Since it seems hard to improve antecedent based strategies to help people cope with negative content (as various recent studies have tried to “improve” trigger warnings with no success), I’m exploring ways we can help people after they are exposed. This will also help in the case where shocking/traumatic content exposure happens without warning (which is a common experience online).”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102040" target="_blank">‘I’m always curious’: Tracking young adults exposure and responses to social media trigger warnings in daily life</a>,” was authored by Victoria M.E. Bridgland, Ella K. Moeck, and Melanie K.T. Takarangi.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/study-finds-stronger-fitness-in-countries-with-greater-gender-equality/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Study finds stronger fitness in countries with greater gender equality</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 24th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101098" target="_blank">Journal of Sport and Health Science</a></em> provides evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness tends to be higher in countries with greater gender equality and higher levels of human development. The findings suggest that social conditions and national policies may shape people’s access to physical activity and their ability to maintain physical health.</p>
<p>There is strong scientific agreement that being physically active helps prevent disease and supports long-term health. Regular movement improves cardiorespiratory fitness, which refers to the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the muscles during activity. Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are linked with a lower risk of death from all causes, including heart disease and cancer.</p>
<p>However, researchers have long suspected that fitness levels are not solely determined by individual choices. Factors such as where people live, their income, access to safe outdoor spaces, social support, and even national policies may influence how active they can be. Gender may also play a role. In many societies, women face more barriers to physical activity than men, including caregiving responsibilities, fewer sports opportunities, or concerns about safety.</p>
<p>Despite these observations, the relationship between fitness levels and broader societal factors has not been studied in depth. Previous research has focused mostly on children or used indirect measures of fitness. The current study aimed to close this gap by examining how cardiorespiratory fitness in adults relates to two specific indicators: the Human Development Index, which includes education, income, and life expectancy, and the Gender Inequality Index, which measures disparities between men and women in areas such as health, political power, and the labor market.</p>
<p>The researchers reviewed thousands of studies and selected 95 that included direct measurements of peak oxygen uptake, a key marker of cardiorespiratory fitness, in healthy adults. This measurement, often referred to as VO2peak, is collected during a maximal exercise test in which participants exert themselves on a treadmill or bicycle while their breathing is analyzed. These tests are considered the gold standard for measuring fitness.</p>
<p>The final dataset included over 119,000 adults, with roughly 58 percent men and 42 percent women. The participants came from a diverse group of countries including the United States, Brazil, Germany, China, and Japan. Each study was matched with the relevant Human Development Index and Gender Inequality Index scores for the country and year in which data were collected.</p>
<p>The researchers found that fitness tends to decrease with age and that, on average, women had lower VO2peak values than men. However, when comparing countries, they noticed a pattern: adults in countries with higher levels of human development and lower levels of gender inequality had higher fitness levels.</p>
<p>The relationship between development and fitness was especially pronounced among women. Women living in countries with high human development scores had higher VO2peak levels across all age groups. For men, this trend was mainly observed in those under 40 years old. This suggests that women may benefit more from living in supportive and equitable societies when it comes to maintaining physical fitness.</p>
<p>A similar pattern emerged when looking at gender inequality. In countries with less gender inequality, both men and women had higher cardiorespiratory fitness, but the effect was again stronger for women. The difference was most notable among women under 40. Young women living in countries with low gender inequality had fitness levels that were on average 6.5 mL/kg/min higher than those in countries with high gender inequality. This difference is large enough to matter for health, as even small increases in VO2peak are linked with reduced risks of chronic disease and early death.</p>
<p>These results suggest that policies and social structures that promote equality and development may indirectly support better health by enabling more people, especially women, to engage in regular and vigorous physical activity.</p>
<p>Although this study includes one of the largest datasets of directly measured VO2peak values ever compiled, it is not without its limitations. The researchers were only able to include studies that used standardized testing methods and reported data by age and sex. This meant that many large population studies that estimated fitness indirectly had to be excluded. While this choice improved the reliability of the results, it also limited the diversity of countries included.</p>
<p>Most of the data came from countries with medium to high development levels. There was a lack of data from countries with low development scores, which makes it difficult to understand the full range of global fitness patterns. Additionally, many of the studies did not provide information on participants’ race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. These gaps are important because they could affect how fitness relates to social inequality in different contexts.</p>
<p>The authors suggest that future research should aim to collect more data from underrepresented populations and countries. They also recommend investigating how specific social policies, such as workplace fitness programs or community sports initiatives, might improve cardiorespiratory fitness, especially for women and vulnerable groups.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101098" target="_blank">Human development and gender inequality are associated with cardiorespiratory fitness: A global systematic review of VO2peak</a>,” was authored by Nicolas J. Pillon, Joaquin Ortiz de Zevallos, Juleen R. Zierath, and Barbara E. Ainsworth.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/experts-warn-of-an-intimate-authenticity-crisis-as-ai-enters-the-dating-scene/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Experts warn of an ‘intimate authenticity crisis’ as AI enters the dating scene</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 24th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>Many dating app companies are enthusiastic about incorporating generative AI into their products. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bumble-founder-ai-dating-apps-b2545136.html">Whitney Wolfe Herd</a>, founder of dating app Bumble, wants gen-AI to “help create more healthy and equitable relationships”. In her vision of the near future, people will have AI dating concierges who could “date” other people’s dating concierges for them, to find out which pairings were most compatible.</p>
<p>Dating app Grindr is developing an <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/grindr-aims-to-build-the-dating-worlds-first-ai-wingman-8039e091">AI wingman</a>, which it hopes to be up and running by 2027. Match Group, owner of popular dating apps including Tinder, Hinge and OK Cupid, have also <a href="https://mtch.com/ai-principles/">expressed keen interest</a> in using gen-AI in their products, believing recent advances in AI technology “have the power to be transformational, making it more seamless and engaging for users to participate in dating apps”. One of the ways they think gen-AI can do this is by enhancing “the authenticity of human connections”.</p>
<p>Use of gen-AI in online dating is not just some futuristic possibility, though. It’s already here.</p>
<p>Want to enhance your photos or present yourself in a different style? There are plenty of <a href="https://www.profilebakery.com/en/tinder-ai-photos/?srsltid=AfmBOoociZLYJjIoxi6_HW1XHGH4QP7DsTaS0DBvMe4Y1xfh115m_0M2">online tools</a> for that. Similarly, if you want AI to help <a href="https://www.lovegenius.io/">“craft the perfect, attention-grabbing bio”</a> for you, it can do that. AI can even help you with <a href="https://www.yourmove.ai/">making conversation</a>, by analysing your chat history and suggesting ways to reply.</p>
<h2>Extra help</h2>
<p>It isn’t just dating app companies who are enthusiastic about AI use in dating apps either. A recent <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a46574186/ai-dating/">survey</a> carried out by Cosmopolitan magazine and Bumble of 5,000 gen-Zers and millennials found that 69% of respondents were excited about “the ways AI could make dating easier and more efficient”.</p>
<p>An even higher proportion (86%) “believe it could help solve pervasive dating fatigue”. A surprising 86% of men and 77% of the women surveyed would share their message history with AI to help guide their dating app conversations.</p>
<p>It’s not hard to see why AI is so appealing for dating app users and providers. Dating apps seem to be losing their novelty: many users are reportedly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/nov/28/gen-z-breaking-up-with-dating-apps-ofcom">abandoning</a> them due to so-called “dating app fatigue” – feeling bored and burnt out with dating apps.</p>
<p>Apps and users might be hopeful that gen-AI can make dating apps fun again, or if not fun, then at least that it will make them actually lead to dates. Some AI dating companions claim to get you <a href="https://roast.dating/">ten times more dates</a> and better dates at that. Given that <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2016/07/15/158803/how-tinder-feedback-loop-forces-men-and-women-into-extreme-strategies/">men tend to get fewer matches</a> on dating apps than women, it’s also not surprising that we’re seeing more enthusiasm from men than women about the possibilities AI could bring.</p>
<p>Talk of gen-AI in connection to online dating gives rise to many ethical concerns. We at the <a href="https://www.ethicaldatingonline.com/about">Ethical Dating Online Network</a>, an international network of over 30 multi-disciplinary academics interested in how online dating could be more ethical, think that dating app companies need to <a href="https://www.ethicaldatingonline.com/open-letter">convincingly answer these worries</a> before rushing new products to market. Here are a few standout issues.</p>
<h2>Pitfalls of AI dating</h2>
<p>Technology companies correctly identify some contemporary social issues, such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/16/who-declares-loneliness-a-global-public-health-concern">loneliness</a>, anxiety at social interactions, and concerns about dating culture, as hindering people’s dating lives.</p>
<p>But turning to more technology to solve these issues puts us at risk of <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2019/07/22/1375667/social-de-skilling-automation-in-the-era-of-smart-machines">losing the skills we need</a> to make close relationships work. The more we can reach for gen-AI to guide our interactions, the less we might be tempted to practise on our own, or to take accountability for what we communicate. After all, an AI “wingman” is of little use when meeting in person.</p>
<p>Also, AI tools risk entrenching much of dating culture that people find stressful. Norms around <a href="https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2024-02-13/what-does-banter-in-dating-app-bios-mean">“banter”</a>, attractiveness or <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a25918157/tinder-flirting-banter-tips/">flirting</a> can make the search for intimacy seem like a competitive battleground. The way AI works – learning from existing conversations – means that it will reproduce these less desirable aspects.</p>
<p>Instead of embracing those norms and ideals, and trying to equip everyone with the tools to seemingly meet impossibly high standards, dating app companies could do more to “de-escalate” dating culture: make it calmer, more ordinary and help people be vulnerable. For example, they could rethink how they charge for their products, encourage a culture of honesty, and look at alternatives to the “swiping” interfaces.</p>
<p>The possibility of <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/ai-catfishing-dating-apps-chatgpt-b2531460.html">misrepresentation</a> is another concern. People have always massaged the truth when it comes to dating, and the internet has made this easier. But the more we are encouraged to use AI tools, and as they are embedded in dating apps, bad actors can more simply take advantage of the vulnerable.</p>
<p>An AI-generated photo, or conversation, can lead to exchanges of bank details, grooming and <a href="https://www.kent.police.uk/police-forces/kent-police/areas/kent-police/campaigns/sexual-extortion-sexploitation/">sexual exploitation</a>.</p>
<p>Stopping short of fraud, however, is the looming intimate authenticity crisis. Online dating awash with AI generated material risks becoming a murky experience. A sincere user might struggle to identify like-minded matches on apps where use of AI is common.</p>
<p>This interpretive burden is annoying for anyone, but it will exacerbate the existing frustrations women, more so than men, experience on dating apps as they navigate spaces full of with timewasting, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277539517305101?casa_token=ritsX3rmnGAAAAAA:tTRLaPhcOdqTk0FX5-JQLr6wHjBY1iI10qXQjR_XvFTdVeFnDd5tqxibRpgCq4TZwj7j2xvH1Q">abuse</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15248380231162969">harassment</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0959353517720226?casa_token=ilWoQfDLGd4AAAAA%3AGBqLqfajvGTNzlFPDzSvViK3JZzyq92jI7buqjUWkM7_A1UWgD4hLbQ21EN8dN0ZXWZVTeVF_VX6-g">unwanted sexualisation</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, women might worry that AI will turbo-charge the ability of some men to prove a nuisance online. Bots, automation, conversation-generating tools, can help some men to lay claim to the attention of many women <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/lifestyle/i-used-chatgpt-to-score-over-5k-tinder-matches-now-im-engaged/">simultaneously</a>.</p>
<p>AI tools may seem like harmless fun, or a useful timesaver. Some people may even wholeheartedly accept that AI generated content is not “authentic” and love it anyway.</p>
<p>Without clear guardrails in place, however, and more effort by app companies to provide informed choices based on transparency about how their apps work, any potential benefits of AI will be obscured by the negative impact it has to intimacy online.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/254666/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1"><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
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<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-can-be-your-wingman-when-online-dating-but-should-you-let-it-254666">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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