Romantic Partners’ Group-Based Identity Accommodation as a Predictor of Older Adults’ Romantic Relational Satisfaction and Depressive Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Shared Identity with Third-Party Family Members

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study’s purpose was to examine if older adults sharing a group identity with third-party family members moderated how older adults’ perceptions of receiving accommodation to the group identity from their romantic partner predicted older adults’ romantic relational satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Two-hundred and seventy-four older adults (M Age = 62.70 years) completed a self-report survey about their romantic partner’s communication. Perceptions of the romantic partner’s group-based identity accommodation significantly predicted romantic relational satisfaction and depressive symptoms when older adults did not share their identity with third-party family members. These associations were attenuated when older adults shared their identity with third-party family members. Ways to continue probing how dynamics in the larger family may influence the implications of accommodation are offered.