The impact of stress on fluctuations in relational humility as couples transition to parenthood

Abstract

The transition to parenthood involves a variety of stressors that can influence how partners perceive each other's character. When partners view each other as humble, this tends to increase commitment and relationship quality. In the present study, we expected that greater stress over the transition to parenthood would reduce relational humility. Participants consisted of heterosexual married couples (N=69 couples; N=138 individuals) followed from three months prior to childbirth until 21months after childbirth. A latent growth curve model demonstrated that higher initial levels of stress in couples were associated with a greater decrease in relational humility. The results suggest that individuals who are more stressed perceive their partners as increasingly less humble across the transition into parenthood.