(outlink) Elaboration Likelihood Model

The Elaboration Likelihood Model is a model of persuasion, one attempting to be all-encompassing. The description include (under "Variables", of all things) good summaries of the more well-known mini-theories of persuasion (e.g, reactance, congruity, classical conditioning), so even if the theory should turn out to be less than useful (it's been around since 1982 and I haven't heard of it), the summaries are good :)

(outlink) Assortative Mating and Marital Quality in Newlyweds: A couple-Centered Approach

Summary of the abstract: We chose mates based on similarity of attitudes and not based on similarity of personality; happiness comes from similarity of personality, and attitudes don't matter.

The original paper is here.

Assortative Mating and Marital Quality in Newlyweds:
A Couple-Centered Approach

Shanhong Luo and Eva C. Klohnen
University of Iowa

Using a couple-centered approach, the authors examined assortative mating on a broad range of variables in a large (N = 291) sample of newlyweds. Couples showed substantial similarity on attitude-related domains but little on personality-related domains. Similarity was not due to social homogamy or convergence. The authors examined linear and curvilinear effects of spouse similarity on self and observer indicators of marital quality. Results show (a) positive associations between similarity and marital quality for personality-related domains but not for attitude-related domains, (b) that similarity on attachment characteristics were most strongly predictive of satisfaction, (c) robust curvilinear effects for husbands but not for wives, (d) that profile similarity remained a significant predictor of marital quality even when spouses’ self-ratings were controlled, and (e) that profile-based similarity indices were better predictors of marital quality than absolute difference scores.

Update: Fixed link that somehow had ended up as just underlined text - thanks, Dan!

(outlink) Women become aroused as quickly as men

A new McGill University study that used thermal imaging technology for the first time ever to measure sexual arousal rates has turned the conventional wisdom that women become aroused more slowly than men on its head.

"Comparing sexual arousal between men and women, we see that there is no difference in the amount of time it takes healthy young men and women to reach peak arousal," said Dr. Irv Binik, psychology professor and founder and director of the Sex and Couple Therapy Service of Royal Victoria Hospital, which is part of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

Read the entire press release here ; paper coming in January. And one important point: While men and women get aroused as quickly from video, it is from quite different videos.