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Although it is generally accepted that Ig heavy chains (HC) are selected at the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) checkpoint, the characteristics of a functional HC and the role of pre-BCR assembly in their selection have remained elusive. We determined the characteristics of HCs that successfully passed the pre-BCR checkpoint by examining transcripts harboring VH81X and JH4 gene segments from JH+/− and λ5−/−mice. VH81X-JH4-HC transcripts isolated from cells before or in the absence of pre-BCR assembly had no distinguishing complementarity-determining region 3 traits. In contrast, transcripts isolated subsequent to passage through the pre-BCR checkpoint had distinctive complementarity-determining regions 3 of nine amino acids in length (49%) and a histidine at position 1 (73%). Hence, our data define specific structural requirements for a functional HC, which is instrumental in shaping the diverse B cell repertoire.

Sexual arousal is thought to be the result of the processing of sexual cues at two levels: conscious and unconscious. Whereas numerous studies have examined the affective and motivational responses to supraliminal (consciously processed) sexual cues, much less is known regarding the responses to subliminal (processed outside of one's awareness) sexual cues. Five studies examined responses to subliminal sexual cues. Studies 1–3 demonstrated increases in adults' positive affect following exposure to subliminal sexual cues compared to control cues. Study 4 demonstrated that the positive affect resulting from exposure to subliminal sexual cues increased motivation to further engage in a neutral task. Study 5 provided evidence suggesting that the affect and motivation found in Studies 1–4 were associated with motivation to engage in sex specifically, rather than a general approach motivation. The implications of these findings for the processing of subliminal sexual cues and for human sexuality are discussed.

Casual sexual relationships (CSRs) are common among young adults. Although it is a widely discussed topic in the popular media, little empirical work has examined the expectations related to communication within these relationships. Moreover, few studies have made comparative examinations across various relationship types. Through two studies, we first identified the differences in communication, satisfaction, and commitment across relationship types. Then we examined communication frequency as a regulator of satisfaction and commitment across relationship types. In Study 1, participants responded to a hypothetical relationship scenario depicting either a committed relationship (CR), friends with benefits (FWB), or a booty call/fuck buddy relationship (BC/FB); they indicated how committed and satisfied they would feel as well as how frequently they would communicate with the partner. Participants in Study 2 reported on these variables in their most recently terminated relationship. Overall, we found the highest frequencies of commitment and communication in CRs; BCs/FBs and other similar CSRs had the lowest. FWBs often fell between the other two categories. Satisfaction did not differ reliably across relationship types. A serial mediational analysis revealed that the more a relationship was considered to be a CR, the more partners communicated, which was associated with more satisfaction and, in turn, commitment. Our findings highlight the distinctions between expectations within FWB relationships, compared to other relationships types, suggesting that they fall somewhere between CRs and other CSRs on commitment and relational expectations. In addition, the results support the idea that individuals intentionally regulate their communication to maintain the expected level of commitment within a relationship.

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Attachment theory (e.g., Bowlby, 1969Bowlby, /1982 and the large body of research it has generated (e.g., Cassidy & Shaver, 2008;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007a) grew out of Bowlby's psychoanalytic training and practice, and it involves a creative integration of psychoanalytic object relations theories with cognitive and developmental psychology, cybernetic systems theory, and primate ethology (Bowlby, 1969(Bowlby, /1982(Bowlby, , 1973(Bowlby, , 1980. Despite this initial richness, the theories on which Bowlby based his work have developed and changed substantially, and new methods and conceptualizations (e.g., neuroscience, cultural psychology) have emerged. These changes and developments placed attachment under a different light, shifting the type of questions people ask about attachment. In this chapter, we summarize recent developments in attachment research and theory, focusing specifically on the three themes underlying this volume-neuroscience, culture, and evolution-to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of attachment. Although we focus on attachment, we hope readers can use this as an example of how the three approaches may be combined to guide relationship research. We begin with a working definition of attachment.

Ghosting involves terminating communication, including through technological mediums, as a means of ending a relationship. Despite attention from popular media, empirical examinations of this breakup strategy are sparse. Using a correlational design, we examined the defining features of ghosting including its associations with other breakup tactics, whether it is an exclusively unilateral strategy, and the role of social media unfollowing in its implementation. A convenience sample of primarily undergraduate students (n = 260) completed an online survey describing recent breakups, indicating the disengagement tactics used, social media unfollowing, and the extent to which the breakups involved ghosting. Findings indicated that ghosting is extremely common, it was used to terminate more than half of participants' recent relationships. Most participants had experienced a breakup involving ghosting as either the disengager and/or the recipient. Ghosting was found to involve less open confrontation, more avoidance/withdrawal and de‐escalation tactics. Contrary to previous research, ghosting can occur bilaterally, with partners ghosting each other. Social media unfollowing is an important aspect of ghosting. Relationships ended via ghosting have fewer post‐breakup connections than those ended through other strategies. Typically, ghosters initiate social media unfollowing. Findings provide insight into how ghosting should be conceptualized and measured in future explorations.

Do people use ideal standards to evaluate and regulate their best friends? The current research examines whether the Ideal Standards Model captures dynamics in friendships, and what role attachment orientations play in these dynamics. Greater discrepancies between perceptions of best friends and ideal standards (low ideal-perception consistency) on the warmth/trustworthiness (Studies 1–3) and status/resources (Study 2) dimensions were associated with greater regulation attempts of best friends on these dimensions. Low ideal-perception consistency on the attractiveness/vitality dimension was not associated with regulation on this dimension (Study 2). Additionally, all studies illustrated that attachment avoidance was associated with lower ideal-perception consistency and, in turn, greater regulation attempts. By contrast, attachment anxiety was associated with higher regulation attempts of best friends, not because of lower ideal-perception consistency, but because of greater relationship maintenance motivations (Study 2) and an acute sensitivity to daily reductions in ideal-perception consistency (Study 3).