Identification, Similarity and Understanding in Female Same-Sex Couples: A Dyadic Study

Abstract

Research on female same-sex relationships has predominantly considered a single partner’s perspective on couple satisfaction, and has compared same-sex couples with heterosexual couples. Drawing upon Personal Construct Theory, this study explores how identification, acceptance, commonality and sociality (mutual understanding) between two female same-sex partners are associated with the couple’s satisfaction. Forty Italian women involved in same-sex relationships completed the Partnership Questionnaire and 160 repertory grids involving the exchange grid method. A mixed-method analysis was conducted. Higher couple’s satisfaction was associated with higher identification with the partner but not with higher commonality and sociality, partner acceptance was associated with higher scores in tenderness. Perceived similarity was higher than commonality and sociality, and partner’s acceptance was higher than identification with her. Qualitative analysis heightened the centrality of the participants’ experience when compared with the dominant prejudice with regard to homosexuality and the tension between autonomy and fusion. This study revealed the importance of identification and acceptance in terms of couple’s satisfaction.