Measures Of Relationship Quality Research Articles

A critical review of relationship quality measures: Is a fresh start needed? An agenda to move forward

AbstractSocial relationships in and around work are a fundamental building block of organizational life. According to a number of relationship theories, the quality of those relationships is a critical aspect of their influence on a variety of employee and organizational outcomes. Relationship quality is, therefore, one of the most commonly studied constructs in management research. Our paper critically reviews the landscape of relationship quality measures used in management studies, identifying critical issues with how the construct has been conceptualized and measured. To help advance research on the subject and improve measurement, we identify and evaluate 21 relationship quality measures that have been developed for, or used in, management research. Overall, we find that the instruments used to measure relationship quality in management research have significant limitations associated with their conceptualizations and operationalizations. Many of these limitations stem from the fact that most of the measures used to assess the construct were not originally designed to measure relationship quality, which impedes research clarity and implications. We offer a future research agenda and several recommendations for the advancement of management research on relationship quality.

The roles of self-regulation and partner regulation on romantic relationship quality.

Research into self-regulation and partner regulation strategies has largely involved parallel lines of research, thus, it is difficult to determine the relative contribution of both forms of regulation when it comes to relationship outcomes. Therefore, the question remains as to which form of regulation is more strongly associated with relationship quality; is it more important to focus on adaptive self-regulation or adaptive strategies to regulate one's partner? The current research addresses this important gap by comparing the relative associations of adaptive self-regulation and adaptive partner regulation strategies on romantic relationship quality. A community sample of mixed gender couples (N=114) who were predominantly satisfied with their current relationships - but nonetheless still experienced relationship conflict - were administered self-report assessments of various self-regulation and partner regulation strategies as well as a measure of relationship quality. Couples also participated in a videotaped discussion of an unresolved relationship issue that was scored by trained coders for verbal and nonverbal indicators of self-regulation and partner regulation strategies. Actor-partner interdependence modeling revealed that for both men and women, adaptive self-regulation strategies were positively associated with their own evaluations of relationship quality as well as their partner's relationship quality. In contrast, engaging in adaptive partner regulation strategies was not significantly associated with men's or women's own, or their partner's relationship quality. Findings highlight the importance of focusing on self-regulation in relationships, as it is these strategies, over partner regulation strategies, that have more positive implications for the relationship quality experienced by typically satisfied couples.

Assessing Aspects of Social Relationships in Youth Across Middle Childhood and Adolescence: The NIH Toolbox Pediatric Social Relationship Scales.

Social relationships are a critical context for children's socioemotional development and their quality is closely linked with concurrent and future physical and emotional wellbeing. However, brief self-report measures of social relationship quality that translate across middle childhood, adolescence, and adulthood are lacking, limiting the ability to assess the impact of social relationships on health outcomes over time. To address this gap, this article describes the development and testing of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Pediatric Social Relationship Scales, which were developed in parallel with the previously-reported Adult Social Relationship Scales. Item sets were selected from the NIH Toolbox adult self-report item banks in the domains of social support, companionship, and social distress, and adapted for use in preadolescent (ages 8-11 years) and adolescent (ages 12-18 years) cohorts. Items were tested across a U.S. community sample of 1,038 youth ages 8-18 years. Classical test and item response theory approaches were used to identify items for inclusion in brief unidimensional scales. Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing resultant scales to established pediatric social relationship instruments. Internal reliability and concurrent validity were established for five unique scales, with 5-7 items each: Emotional Support, Friendship, Loneliness, Perceived Rejection, and Perceived Hostility. These brief scales represent developmentally appropriate and valid instruments for assessing the quality of youth social relationships across childhood and adolescence. In conjunction with previously published adult scales, they provide an opportunity for prospective assessment of social relationships across the developmental spectrum.

Verbroken relaties tussen gescheiden vaders en hun volwassen kinderen

Broken Ties Between Divorced Fathers and Their Adult Children A View from Both Sides of the Relationship Few studies have examined the long-term impact of parental separation on father-child relationships. Moreover, most studies have focused on continuous measures of contact, involvement, and relationship quality. This study focuses on the problem of broken ties, the situation where a relationship no longer exists between father and child. Using unique new survey data collected among adult children (N = 3,062) and their fathers (N = 1,522) in the Netherlands in 2017, we study the prevalence, determinants, and effects of broken ties from both sides of the dyad. We find that about one fifth of adult children no longer had contact with their father when there was a separation in youth. The risk of losing contact was associated with a combination of traditional gender roles in marriage and high levels of interparental conflict. The associations of broken ties with social well-being were modest for children but strong for fathers. Separated fathers who lost contact with their children had lower social well-being than other separated fathers. Moreover, when asked directly, a large majority of these fathers felt that the separation was responsible for the deterioration of the relationships with their children.

Close TIES in relationships: A dynamic systems approach for modeling physiological linkage

We explore complex dynamic patterns of autonomic physiological linkage (i.e., statistical interdependence of partner’s physiology; PL), within the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (SNS and PNS), as potential correlates of emotional and regulatory dynamics in close relationships. We include electrodermal activity (EDA) as an indicator of SNS activation and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as an indicator of regulatory and/or homeostatic processes within the PNS. Measures of EDA and RSA were collected in 10-second increments from 53 heterosexual couples during a mixed-emotion conversation in the laboratory. We used the R statistical package, rties (Butler & Barnard, 2019), to model the dynamics of EDA and RSA with a coupled oscillator model and then categorized couples into qualitatively distinct profiles based on the set of parameters that emerged. We identified two patterns for EDA and three patterns for RSA. We then investigated associations between the PL patterns and self-report measures of relationship and conversation quality and emotional valence using Bayesian multilevel and logistic regression models. Overall, we found robust results indicating that PL profiles were credibly predicted by valence and relationship quality reported prior to the conversations. In contrast, we found very little evidence suggesting that PL patterns predict self-reported conversation quality or valence following the conversation. Together, these results suggest that PL across autonomic subsystems may reflect different processes and therefore have different implications when considering interpersonal dynamics.

Genetic sensitivity predicts long-term psychological benefits of a relationship education program for married couples.

Relationship education programs have proven effective in promoting relationship quality and preventing divorce among married couples. However, according to theories of Environmental Sensitivity, people differ for genetic reasons in their sensitivity to environmental influences with some more affected by both negative and positive experiences, including psychological interventions. Here we test in two studies whether the positive effects of the established Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP) are moderated by two different polygenic scores (PGS) for environmental sensitivity, one based on nine established candidate genes and one based on several thousand variants across the genome, derived from recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) results. Analyses were conducted in a randomized controlled study on PREP (N = 242) and then repeated in an independent replication trial (N = 183). Several significant PREP-X-PGS interactions indicated moderation of long-term treatment effects across the two studies, most of them involving the genome-wide score. Generally, higher genome-wide genetic sensitivity was associated with stronger intervention effects on almost all measures of relationship quality across the follow-up period. Findings provide further evidence that people differ substantially in their response to the positive effects of psychological intervention as a function of individual differences in genetic sensitivity, with more sensitive participants potentially benefitting more from relationship education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Family relationship quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: The value of adolescent perceptions of change

IntroductionAdolescents typically spend decreasing amounts of time with family members, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed this pattern for many youth. The objective of the current study was to better understand adolescents' perceived change in family relationship quality, and how these perceptions were related to psychosocial functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for more traditional measures of family relationship quality. Understanding how adolescents perceived change in relationship quality with family members during the pandemic offers novel insight into adolescents’ relationships with their families and psychosocial functioning during this period. MethodA sample of Canadian adolescents (N = 605, ages 14 to 18, 53% girls), was employed to examine patterns of adolescents’ perceived change in relationship quality with parents and siblings since the start of the pandemic, accounting for relationship quality, pandemic-related characteristics, and demographic variables. ResultsFour latent profiles were identified: youth who perceived (1) low change, (2) improvement only, (3) moderate instability and (4) high instability in relationship quality. Higher perceived instability was associated with poorer functioning, with youth who reported only improvement reporting the highest overall level of functioning. ConclusionsAdolescent perceptions of change in relationship quality were heterogeneous, and contribute to psychosocial functioning over and above their general evaluations of relationship quality. In particular, youth who perceive considerable change in their relationships with siblings and parents may require additional support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mental health trajectories of male prisoners and their female (ex-)partners from pre- to post-release.

There are high rates of mental disorders among prisoners. Prisoners are also likely to have difficulties with intimate relationships, perhaps related to the imprisonment, but their mental health may be relevant. There is a dearth of research on intimate relationship qualities and mental health of offenders and their partners over time. To explore mental health and relationship trajectories among men in prison, and their partners, before the men's release, through a time 6 months post-release, and then again 8 years later, and to test associations between relationship quality and mental health. Data stem from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded longitudinal 'Families and Imprisonment Research' (FAIR) project on paternal imprisonment and family resilience. Inclusion criteria for the study were men serving a short- to medium-term prison sentence who were within 4 months of release; with a current or ex-partner with whom they have at least one child; and for whom there were data on mental health and relationship factors during imprisonment, and at 6 months and 8 years post-release. Similar data were also obtained for their (ex-)partners. The main sample comprised 39 men and 39 women who were in the same 'family set' for the first two waves, and after 8 years, 26 men and 30 women were retained. Just over 40% of the men and their (ex-)partners each disclosed that they had a mental health problem preceding his release. Proportions fluctuated slightly over time, with some dissonance between self-perceived disorder and self-ratings on a symptoms rating scale. Twenty-nine couples sustained their relationship during the transition between prison and release, but after 8 years, only four remained together. There was little evidence of association between measures of mental health and relationship quality among either the men or their partners. The findings challenge assumptions about the extent to which partners can play fully supportive roles in a former prisoner's transition from institutional life back into the community, as partners are also likely to be experiencing difficulties during this time. Thus, former prisoners and their families should be afforded equal access to support and assistance during offender rehabilitation.

Hormonal Contraception and Sexuality: Causal Effects, Unobserved Selection, or Reverse Causality?

Many of the women who take hormonal contraceptives discontinue because of unwanted side effects, including negative psychological effects. Yet scientific evidence of psychological effects is mixed, partly because causal claims are often based on correlational data. In correlational studies, possible causal effects can be difficult to separate from selection effects, attrition effects, and reverse causality. Contraceptive use and, according to the congruency hypothesis, congruent contraceptive use (whether a woman’s current use/non-use of a hormonal contraceptive is congruent with her use/non-use at the time of meeting her partner) have both been thought to influence relationship quality and sexual functioning. In order to address potential issues of observed and unobserved selection effects in correlational data, we studied a sample of up to 1,179 women to investigate potential effects of contraceptive use and congruent contraceptive use on several measures of relationship quality and sexual functioning: perceived partner attractiveness, relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and diary measurements including libido, frequency of vaginal intercourse, and frequency of masturbation. No evidence for substantial effects was found except for a positive effect of hormonal contraceptives on frequency of vaginal intercourse and a negative effect of hormonal contraceptives on frequency of masturbation. These effects were robust to the inclusion of observed confounders, and their sensitivity to unobserved confounders was estimated. No support for the congruency hypothesis was found. Our correlational study was able to disentangle, to some extent, causal effects of hormonal contraceptives from selection effects by estimating the sensitivity of reported effects. To reconcile experimental and observational evidence on hormonal contraceptives, future research should scrutinize the role of unobserved selection effects, attrition effects, and reverse causality.

Validating the Couple Relationship Skills Inventory

AbstractObjectiveWe tested the validity of the factor structure and reliability of a new research‐informed comprehensive inventory of key relationship skills predictive of couple quality, the Couple Relationship Skills Inventory (CRSI).BackgroundThe CRSI is based on the National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Model, an evidence‐derived framework developed as a guide for couple relationship education content. For internal consistency in assessing the effectiveness of programming for couples and for general use in practice and research with couples, an important next step is the design and validation of a comprehensive measure of these core behavioral/attitudinal skills.MethodThe analytic (or “training”) sample of ethnically and economically diverse adults included 824 (independent) men and women and two cross‐validation samples (n = 763 and n = 470).ResultsBayesian confirmatory factor analysis of individual measurement models informed refinement to a 32‐item, nine‐factor (seven‐subscale) measure and indicated excellent fit of the model to the data. Reliabilities for the full scale and the subscales were good to excellent. Cross‐validation study fit statistics and reliabilities were similar, and measurement invariance across samples was validated. Further, support for internal discriminant validity was implied by small to moderate covariances among the factors and concurrent and predictive validity was evidenced (i.e., significant associations among CRSI scores and measures of relationship quality and family harmony).ImplicationsThis measure provides an efficient assessment of core relational skills critical for healthy couple quality and may prove useful in practice and for future studies of couple relationships and couple relationship education.

Assessing Self-Efficacy and Communication Regarding Sexual Agreements among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the USA: Development and Validation of Two Novel Scales.

HIV disproportionately impacts men who have sex with men (MSM) in the USA. Building upon research on relationship constructs unique to MSM couples’ HIV-prevention needs, we developed two new scales measuring sexual agreement self-efficacy (SASE) and importance of sexual agreement communication (ISAC). Following qualitative item development, we used two large independent samples of MSM couples (N1 = 441, N2 = 388) to conduct scale validation. Exploratory factor analyses indicated both SASE and ISAC to be unidimensional with 7 and 5 items (eigenvalues = 5.68 and 3.50), respectively, with strong factor loadings. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded satisfactory model fit for SASE (CFI = 0.99; SRMR = 0.03) and ISAC (CFI = 0.99; SRMR = 0.05). Reliability was high for SASE (ω = 0.92) and ISAC (ω = 0.84). Predictive validity analysis revealed a protective association between higher scores on both scales and the outcomes of sexual risk behavior and agreement breaks. Convergent and discriminant validity analyses demonstrated associations in the expected directions between these scales and multiple measures of relationship quality. Therefore, SASE and ISAC are two brief, valid, and reliable scales that can facilitate more in-depth explorations of sexual agreements in MSM and thereby contribute greatly to improving our understanding of and ability to intervene on sexual agreements to improve health and relationship outcomes.

Head Start Teachers’ Views on the Family-Teacher Relationship: A Research-to-Practice Summary

This study looked at Head Start teachers’ relationships with families. The purpose of the research was to document home-school relationships from the perspective of teachers and to understand the teacher characteristics that may predict how teachers perceive their relationships with families. The study used a national sample of Head Start teachers and a questionnaire called the Family Provider/Teacher Relationship Quality measure. Results suggest that teachers’ job satisfaction, caregiving beliefs, and depressive symptoms all predicted how they viewed relationships with families. These results point to the importance of continuing to support teachers’ psychological wellbeing and their developmentally appropriate beliefs, as these may promote positive relationships with families.

Curvilinear associations between pornography use and relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and relationship stability in the United States

While scholars have increasingly explored associations between pornography use and relationship quality, this research has been limited by various methodological and conceptual problems. One specific limitation noted by previous scholars is the assumption that such associations are always linear. Using a national sample of 3750 individuals in committed relationships from the United States and detailed measurement of both pornography use and relationship quality, curvilinear associations between pornography use and relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and relationship stability were explored. Curvilinear associations were found between pornography use alone and relationship satisfaction and stability, as well as between pornography use with one's partner and sexual satisfaction and relationship stability. Most of these effects were small in magnitude. In the case of associations with sexual satisfaction and relationship stability, these relationships became more negative at higher levels of pornography use. The one exception was the association between pornography use alone and relationship satisfaction which became weakly positive at higher levels of pornography use. Biological sex moderated relationships between pornography use and relationship stability in that most associations were significant only for males. Results provided strong evidence for curvilinear associations between pornography use and relationship quality indicators.

Toward a Comprehensive Assessment of Relationships with Teachers and Parents for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities.

This study proposes a multi-informant (youth, teachers, and parents) measure of relationship quality with adults for youth with intellectual disabilities (ID). A sample of 395 youth with mild (49.15%) and moderate (50.85%) ID, aged 11-22 (M = 15.82) was recruited in Canada (French-speaking, N = 142), and Australia (English-speaking, N = 253). Results support the reliability, factor validity, discriminant validity (in relation to sex, ID level, country, and comorbidity), convergent validity (depression, anxiety, aggressiveness, and prosocial behaviors), and one-year longitudinal stability of the measure. Youth self-reports provide a complementary perspective on relationship quality with adults relative to teachers' or parents' reports, whereas teachers and parents seem unable to differentiate their own perspective from that of the target youth.

A single-item measure of childhood relationship quality and association with adult health and health behaviours.

Adverse childhood experiences are known to relate positively to various health risks and adverse health behaviour in adult life, although the precise mechanisms are still debated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a single-item measure of the quality of childhood relationships with family and household members might show a similar association. We measured the overall quality of relationships with family and household members during the first 18 years of life. A one-dimensional question scored 0-10 (N=4983) was included in the ongoing SIBS Iceland Patient Association's national 'Life and Health' public health prevention project among adults. Relationship quality was then assessed against measures of health and health behaviour using 21 validated scales. A lower childhood relationships score was associated with a higher risk of all 21 suboptimal health and health behaviour outcomes in adulthood, with adjusted effect sizes measured by standardised betas (magnitude 0.111-0.284), variance explained (1.3-8.5%) and per-point adjusted odds ratios (1.10-1.30). The strongest associations were found with measures of social and mental health, followed by physical health, alcohol and tobacco use, sleeping problems, financial sustenance, physical pain and aerobic fitness. Odds were found to match well with pooled odds ratios presented in a systematic review of 37 adverse childhood experiences studies. This may indicate that a one-dimensional relationships question is a useful substitute in surveys in which a traditional multi-question adverse childhood experiences scale cannot be accommodated. Further investigations are recommended to investigate the applicability of a single adverse childhood experiences question.

Mindfulness-Based Couple Interventions: A Systematic Literature Review.

Over the past decades, mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to improve individual health and well-being in clinical and nonclinical settings. More recently, secular contemplative trainings were adapted to the couple context as research showed satisfying couple relationships to be one of the strongest predictors of physical and mental health. Mindfulness-based interventions hence seem to be a promising treatment in couple counseling and therapy in both clinical and nonclinical settings. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to provide an overview of the emerging literature in the field of mindfulness-based interventions for couples and other dyads. Overall, sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. To summarize the heterogeneous quantitative literature regarding individual outcomes, mindfulness interventions for couples seem to increase mindfulness, self-compassion, well-being, and quality of life. Additionally, we found initial evidence of beneficial effects on relieving psychopathological symptoms and psychobiological stress measures. Measures of relationship quality were the predominant dyadic outcome. Based on these studies, we cautiously conclude that mindfulness trainings can enhance relationship quality. Practitioners should be aware that mindfulness-based interventions for couples can potentially improve the perceived relationship quality between partners and the individual burden. Future studies should expand the field, particularly with regard to other contemplative practices for couples such as compassion interventions.

Power in romantic relationships: How positional and experienced power are associated with relationship quality

Power dynamics have been described as being constitutive of romantic relationships and can impact outcomes such as relationship quality. Yet, in relationships nowadays, power may be less important than in the past due to changes in gender roles and society’s expectations. We analyzed four power characteristics and their effects on a multidimensional measure of relationship quality using an actor-partner interdependence model framework with 181 heterosexual couples. There was usually a balance of power in the couples with respect to a personal sense of power but an imbalance in positional power. We found actor and partner effects: Personal sense of power and satisfaction with power predicted actors’ and partners’ relationship quality. By contrast, positional power, the general power motive, and the balance of power were not associated with relationship quality. There were hardly any differences in actor or partner effects between men and women. Apparently, it is not objective, positional power but subjective, experienced power that is relevant to overall relationship quality. Furthermore, what matters most for satisfaction with the relationship is not the balance of power but rather the perceived personal level of power. Future research may extend these findings by using domain-specific power measures and behavioral power indicators.

Internalized Consensual Non-Monogamy Negativity and Relationship Quality Among People Engaged in Polyamory, Swinging, and Open Relationships.

Drawing on an internalized homonegativity and minority stress framework, the present study sought to address whether people engaged in consensual non-monogamy (CNM) internalize stigma toward their relationship style, and if internalized CNM negativity is associated with poorer relationship quality and functioning. We recruited a community sample of 339 people engaged in CNM (open, swinging, or polyamorous relationship) with at least two concurrent partners. Participants completed a newly developed measure of internalized CNM negativity (which assessed personal discomfort, social discomfort, and public identification) and four measures of relationship quality for each partner. Regression analyses showed that personal discomfort with CNM (e.g., wanting to change one's relationship style or endorsing CNM as unnatural) was associated with lower satisfaction with romantic and sexual relationship agreements, global relationship satisfaction, and commitment (but not sexual satisfaction) in both concurrent relationships. The other two dimensions of internalized CNM negativity, social discomfort and public identification, were not related to relationship quality with either partner. These findings provide support for the notion that prevailing mononormativity (idealization of monogamy in society) can become applied to the self and negatively impact relationship quality. Understanding the processes in which broader societal stigma toward CNM can become internalized and affect well-being provides a new direction for research at the intersection of public health, psychology, and sexuality.

Trajectories of socio-emotional functioning in early-stage dementia: implications for the individual with dementia and their family carer

Background and objectives Changes in socio-emotional functioning in people living with dementia (PLWD) are common; however, little is known about the broader effects these may have on wellbeing. This study examined socio-emotional functioning over time and associations with the wellbeing of PLWD and their family carers. Method One hundred and one individuals with a diagnosis of dementia and their respective carers completed the Social Emotional Questionnaire (assessing emotion recognition, empathy, social relationships and social behaviour) alongside measures of dementia severity, cognition, mood, stress, and relationship quality. Sixty-six dyads were reassessed on the same measures at 12 months post-baseline, and 51 dyads again at 20 months post-baseline. Results When rated by the PLWD, there was no change in socio-emotional functioning over time; however, carers reported a significant decline over time. For both carers and the PLWD, poorer wellbeing measures were indicative of worse socio-emotional functioning at Time 1, though only dementia type, quality of life and relationship quality impacted upon the trajectory of socio-emotional decline over time. Conclusions Changes in social and emotional functioning are evident early in the course of dementia and worsen within 20 months. Both carer characteristics and those of the PWLD affected reporting of social and emotional functioning. These data are useful for guiding the provision of appropriate education and care.

The Couple Flourishing Measure.

Couple satisfaction has been extensively investigated, but little attention has been paid to the nature and assessment of high-quality, flourishing couple relationships. Particularly, current measures of relationship quality are insensitive at the upper end of the continuum, which in turn hinders progress toward understanding and facilitating flourishing couple relationships. Drawing on concepts developed in positive psychology, we proposed a theoretical framework of couple flourishing that incorporates hedonic and eudemonic components. Items to assess these aspects of couple flourishing were generated and administered online to a sample of 1,116 participants. Using combined methods of classical test theory and item response theory (IRT), we selected the most informative items to form 4-, 8-, 16-item versions of a Couple Flourishing Measure (CFM). IRT analyses show that the CFM discriminated variation at the upper range of relationship quality better than widely used measures of relationship satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that couple flourishing was related to, but distinguishable from, relationship satisfaction. In an independent sample of 330 participants, we replicated the unifactorial structure of the CFM, and the distinguishability of couple flourishing from couple satisfaction. This research offers new insight into the concept of relationship flourishing. The sensitivity of the CFM at the high end of relationship quality makes it possible to test for predictors of relationship flourishing and evaluate interventions that seek to enhance flourishing.