The Covid-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for individuals as well as for relationships. Current research shows that individuals experienced loneliness, financial worry, and anxiety in association during the stay-at-home order. The most current research indicates that stress caused by the pandemic increased conflict and lowered the marital satisfaction level of some couples, whereas couples with less conflict had higher levels of marital satisfaction (Lebow, 2020). A well-developed lovemap (all of the information one knows about their partner) allows couples to maintain satisfaction levels when experiencing pivotal life transitions (Gottman & Silver, 2015). Considering the Covid-19 pandemic a pivotal life transition, did the presence of a strong love map allow for couples to maintain their satisfaction levels specifically during the stay-at-home order? The purpose of this study is to test the association between love map strength and marital satisfaction during the stay-at-home order by expanding on the theory of love maps. For this study individuals who were in a marital relationship during the stay-at-home order will be asked to complete altered versions of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, as well as the Love Map questionnaire in order to test for this association. The results will potentially inform how to maintain marital satisfaction during pivotal life transitions.

While birth control has been available to women for over 50 years, a major reason many women stop using hormonal contraception (HC) is the side effects such as negative mood alteration. Previous research has investigated mood changes during menstruation cycles via survey responses primarily. This study will address the relationship of hormone level fluctuation while taking HC as HC is meant to regulate hormones that typically change throughout the menstrual cycle. This study specifically examines the inactive week of conventional contraceptives to see whether a person’s estradiol levels change from typical levels while using HC and the effect, whether negative or positive, during the inactive week of the participants’ HC. Data will be collected through surveys and saliva collection. Participants (ages 18-25) were asked to fill out the PANAS (positive and negative affect schedule) Monday through Thursday, and then the DEQ (discrete emotions questionnaire) on Fridays for a more accurate analysis. During the inactive week of the participants’ HC, saliva will be collected on day-21, day-24, and day-2 of the next month. Participants will repeat this for month-2. Saliva will be put into an estradiol assay. The levels of estradiol that are measured and survey responses will be assessed through a two-way repeated ANOVA to see if there is a relationship. The importance of understanding what the cause of mood changes is important to further the innovation of drug manufacturing to improve the quality of life of individuals taking HC.

Moral judgements are what we believe to be right and wrong, and often these judgments are in relation to the socio-cultural events that happen in our life. One would think that social groups who encounter similar situations would have similar moral judgment, or the opposite if there were contrasting experiences. Generations, for example, are differentiated by common experiences, such as social, economic, cultural, and political events that happen in their cohort. Because of contrasting socio-cultural events that happen in their life, each generation has become distinct from one another. For example, the emergence of technology, which became a construction of character for Generation Z and young millennials, versus September 11 and the falling of the Berlin wall shaping Generation X and older millennials. Previous research has studied both generational differences and how people reason about morality, but there is a gap about whether there is a difference in moral decision-making between generations. In this project, I examine how Generation X, the Millennial generation, and Generation Z react to a forced two choice alternative survey (altruistic or egoistic) of everyday moral dilemmas. My hypothesis is that there will be generational differences, and because Generation Z and Millennials are becoming less conservative, more narcissistic and self-focused, they will choose more egotistical choices than their Generation X.