Associations Between Attention to Warning Signs, Marital Confidence, and Interactional Problem Solving Among Emerging Adult Couples in Mainland China

Abstract

Inertia theory has been exclusively applied to couples in Western cultures. The current study examined the applicability of inertia theory to emerging adult couples in urban China ( n = 200 couples) using the transition and risk model which proposes that partners can reduce their risk of future distress by evaluating information relevant to the quality and stability of the relationship prior to making decisions about the relationship’s future. This evaluation of the relationship may increase the likelihood that individuals will act in ways to support their choice (e.g., relationship maintenance behaviors). Results indicated that men’s and women’s attention to the warning signs of a dangerous relationship (a type of relationship information) was related to their constructive problem solving (a relationship maintenance behavior) directly and indirectly through marital confidence. Theoretical implications and suggestions for cross-cultural intervention and research are provided.