Conflict In Romantic Relationships Research Articles

Affective responses, cognitive appraisals, and conflict tactics in late adolescent romantic relationships: Associations with attachment orientations.

Although research has linked late adolescent attachment difficulties with broad problems in romantic relationships, less work has focused on how these difficulties relate to precise problems in these relationships. In the current study, the authors examined associations between attachment orientations and coping with conflict in romantic relationships in a sample of college students (N = 357) by developing a path analytic model. Adolescents with more-insecure attachment orientations were predicted to report more negative affect during disagreements, less confidence in coping during arguments, and less optimal conflict tactics (e.g., more conflict escalation) than youth with more-secure representations. The predictions imbedded within the model were generally supported. Although more-avoidant and more-ambivalent adolescents reported less optimal conflict tactics than did more-secure adolescents, individual differences in the attachment process predicted differential affective-cognitive responses during these disputes. This study has implications for attachment research and interventions with adolescents.

Sex Differences and Perceptions of Conflict in Romantic Relationships

The purpose of the present investigation was to replicate and extend what is known about sex differences in conflict management behaviors. In particular, two main questions were addressed in two studies: (1) How do men and women perceive their own and their partner's conflict management behaviors? (2) Is there a relationship between relationship satisfaction and self-partner congruence of perceptions? Consistent with the past literature, the findings indicated that women perceived themselves to be significantly more negative-active in their conflict behaviors than men, whereas men perceived themselves as significantly more positive-passive in their conflict management interactions compared with women. Women showed a greater understanding of their partner's conflict management strategies; their perceptions of men as being more positive-passive, compared with women, were in accord with men's self-perceptions and with the independent judges' ratings of men's conflict behaviors. In addition, consistent with women's self-ratings, the independent judges evaluated women's conflict behaviors as significantly more negative-active when compared with men. The findings also revealed a positive association between understanding of partner's conflict management strategies and satisfaction.

Conflict Negotiation Tactics in Romantic Relationships in High School Students

To investigate how teenagers deal with conflict in romantic relationships, 869 high school students (mean age 16, range 14–19), experienced in romantic relations, completed a conflict tactic scale (adapted from Rands et al., 1981, and Straus, 1979). A principal components analysis revealed six factors, which in descending frequency of use were Compromise, Distraction, Avoidance, Overt Anger, Seeking Social Support, and Violence. Conflict tactics varied as a function of demographic characteristics. Specifically, older teens used Compromise more than younger; girls used Compromise and Overt Anger more and Distraction less than boys; African-Americans used Violence more and Compromise less than European-Americans, whereas Asian-Americans used Distraction and Avoidance more than European-Americans. To assess predictors of conflict tactics, teens also completed scales assessing self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965), immature and mature defense mechanisms (Araujo and Steiner, 1998, under review) and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors (Achenbach, 1966). Each of these was singly and jointly associated with the use of conflict tactics. In multiple regression analyses, the externalizing problem score best predicted Overt Anger and Violence in dealing with romantic conflict, the internalizing problem score best predicted Avoidance and Distraction; whereas the mature defense mechanism score was the best predictor of seeking Social Support and Compromise.

Relationship conflict: conflict in parent-child, friendship, and romantic relationships

Relationship conflict: conflict in parent-child, friendship, and romantic relationships

Review of Relationship Conflict: Conflict in Parent-Child, Friendship, and Romantic Relationships.

Review of Relationship Conflict: Conflict in Parent-Child, Friendship, and Romantic Relationships.