We examined whether interpersonal closeness increases salivary progesterone. One hundred and sixty female college students (80 dyads) were randomly assigned to participate in either a closeness task with a partner versus a neutral task with a partner. Those exposed to the closeness induction had higher levels of progesterone relative to those exposed to the neutral task. Across conditions, progesterone increase one week later predicted the willingness to sacrifice for the partner. These results are discussed in terms of the links between social contact, stress, and health.

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This study tested the hypothesis that implicit power motivation (nPower), in interaction with power incentives, influences activation of brain systems mediating motivation. Twelve individuals low (lowest quartile) and 12 individuals high (highest quartile) in nPower, as assessed per content coding of picture stories, were selected from a larger initial participant pool and participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study during which they viewed high-dominance (angry faces), low-dominance (surprised faces) and control stimuli (neutral faces, gray squares) under oddball-task conditions. Consistent with hypotheses, high-power participants showed stronger activation in response to emotional faces in brain structures involved in emotion and motivation (insula, dorsal striatum, orbitofrontal cortex) than low-power participants.

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Purpose The objective of this longitudinal study was to assess the prevalence of medical use, medical misuse, and nonmedical use of opioid medication among adolescents who participate in organized sports. Methods Data for this study were taken from the Secondary Student Life Survey (SSLS). A total of 1,540 adolescents participated in three waves of data collection occurring between the 2009–10 and 2011–12 school years, with 82% of the baseline sample completing all three waves. Results Using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models to analyze the longitudinal data, it was found that male adolescents who participated in organized sports during each wave of the SSLS had higher odds of being prescribed an opioid medication (i.e., medical use) during the past year (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.23, 2.82), higher odds of past-year medical misuse of opioid medication due to taking too much (AOR = 10.5, 95% CI = 2.42, 45.5), and higher odds of past-year medical misuse of opioid medication in order to get high (AOR = 4.01, 95% CI = 1.13, 14.2) when compared to males who did not participate in organized sports during the study period. Among females, no association was found between participation in organized sports and medical use, medical misuse, and nonmedical use of opioid medication. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that adolescent males who participate in sports may have greater access to opioid medication, putting them at greater risk to misuse these controlled substances.

Objective: Campus climate surveys related to sexual violence have become commonplace on college campuses. Despite what their name implies, these surveys have lacked both a clear definition of climate and conceptualization of how climate shapes sexual violence. Moreover, these surveys have largely focused on individual attitudes and behaviors, paying limited attention to campus-level factors that could be targeted to strengthen campus response and prevention efforts. Methods: Drawing on research related to sexual violence and climate assessment in other fields, we propose a comprehensive definition of climate comprising five dimensions-behavioral, perceived, felt, structural, and historical climate. Using this multidimensional framework, we identify aspects not currently assessed by existing climate assessments that have the potential to inform a more comprehensive assessment of climate as it relates to sexual violence. Results: Current climate assessments focus mostly on behavioral climate and perceived climate, with less attention to felt, structural, and historical climate. Addressing these additional climate dimensions would allow institutions to identify and track factors that result in disproportionate burden of sexual violence among students with marginalized identities and help identify prevention targets at the outer levels of the social ecology. Conclusion: A more comprehensive climate assessment may empower institutions to enact programs or policies, foster community norms, grapple with complicated histories, and otherwise endeavor to change their climate to one that effectively prevents and responds to sexual violence.

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