Partners In Romantic Relationships Research Articles

Maladaptive personality traits and older adult relationship satisfaction: A co-twin control approach to understanding associations.

Maladaptive personality traits have been implicated in romantic relationship dissatisfaction, but the etiology of those links and the degree to which they extend to other types of relationships are unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between maladaptive personality traits and satisfaction in various relationships using a co-twin control design to identify potential environmental contributions. The sample consisted of 1340 older adult twin participants from the Minnesota Twin Registry (Mage = 70.3) that completed the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Faceted Brief Form and Network of Relationships Inventory (Revised for Older Adults). Several maladaptive personality traits were phenotypically associated with relationship dissatisfaction, with detachment and negative affect having the largest effects. Further, within twin pair differences in detachment and negative affect were associated with greater relationship dissatisfaction, suggesting that observed associations were mediated partly by the unique environment, not solely the result of genetic and familial confounding. Both phenotypic and co-twin associations were strongest overall in the romantic partner relationship. These findings support the notion that maladaptive personality traits are implicated in interpersonal dysfunction across multiple domains.

Parent-couple satisfaction, parent depression, and child mental health in families with autistic children.

Within two-parent households, the parent-couple subsystem (marital or romantic partner relationship) is posited to shape the mental health of both parents and children. Autistic children and their parents have an elevated-risk for mental health problems. The present study longitudinally examined the mediating role of the quality of the parent-couple relationship in time-ordered pathways between changes in the mental health problems of autistic children and in parent depression symptoms at a within-family level. Using four time points of data collected on 188 families of autistic children (aged 5-12 years) across 3 years, the bidirectional associations between parent-couple relationship satisfaction, parent depressive symptoms, and child internalizing and externalizing mental health problems were investigated. Two multi-group (grouped by parent gender) complete longitudinal mediation models in structural equation modeling using Mplus software were conducted. Parent-couple relationship satisfaction mediated: (1) the association between higher parent depressive symptoms and higher child internalizing mental health problems 12 months later for both mothers and fathers, and (2) the association between higher child externalizing mental health problems and higher father depression symptoms 12 months later. Father depression symptoms mediated a pathway from lower parent-couple satisfaction to higher child internalizing mental health problems 12 months later, and mother depression symptoms mediated the pathway from higher child externalizing mental health problems to lower parent-couple satisfaction 12 months later. Findings highlight the bidirectional and complex ways that parent and child mental health and the quality of the parent-couple relationship are entwined across time in families of autistic children. Family-wide interventions that address the needs of multiple family members and family systems are best suited to improve the mental health of parents and autistic children.

Crossover of the dimensions of work-family and family-work conflict in couples: Protocol for a qualitative study.

Conflict between work and non-work is a bidirectional and a multidimensional construct that has garnered much attention from researchers and practitioners alike. Previously, studies with a dyadic design demonstrated that interrole conflict can cross over between partners in romantic relationships. The aim of the present study is to explore-from an individual and dyadic perspective-how partners perceive dimensions of interrole conflict (that is: time, strain, behaviour, and possibly others) and whether crossover between partners is dimension-dependent. This protocol outlines a qualitative interview study. Participants (N = 40) will be dual-earner couples that meet two inclusion criteria: both partners need to be professionally active, and the couples need to have lived together for at least a year. Interviews will be conducted separately with each partner. To analyse the data at the individual level we will use reflexive thematic analysis. To analyse the data at the dyadic level we will apply an adapted version of the framework method. We anticipate that findings of this study will have the potential to advance theoretical models depicting crossover processes and, more generally, the interface between work and family lives. Moreover, insights into how couples experience dimension-based interrole conflict will be important for the development of targeted interventions.

Mexican American Adolescents’ Conversations About Goals: The Centrality of Financial Aspiration to Career and Educational Pursuit

We explored Mexican American adolescents’ goals as discussed with a romantic relationship partner. Thirty-four Mexican American hetero-dating couples aged 15 to 17 ( M = 11.71 months dating) from an urban city in a Southwest border state participated in a video-taped discussion. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, we inductively coded for themes and found that youth prioritized career, education, family planning, travel, and relationship goals. We were sensitized to the centrality of financial aspiration to each of these themes, and further operationalized youth’s level of financial aspiration as either modest, ambivalent, or high. Applying this template, we analyzed the extent of fit of adolescents’ goals to their financial aspiration. Adolescents with modest financial aspiration evidenced clearer paths to goal-success compared to adolescents with high financial aspiration. Although adolescents with higher financial aspiration described parallel career choices, adolescents with more modest financial goals were more apt to describe clear steps to attaining their careers and additional pursuits. We recommend programing that provides the opportunity for adolescents to connect their financial aspiration to their preferred careers and lifestyle goals. Such programs should also include relationship and family-planning, as these are important to diverse youths and influence post-secondary education and career pursuit.

Perceived religiosity of romantic partners moderates the relationship between self-reported religiosity and mate retention behaviors

People frequently engage in mate retention behaviors to prevent a romantic partner's infidelity or relationship defection. Because many religions strongly emphasize commitment and fidelity in relationships, religious beliefs may facilitate mate retention behaviors. However, previous research has not investigated how perceptions of romantic partners' religious beliefs are related to religiosity and mate retention behavior. A sample of adults (n = 680) involved in long-term, committed relationships completed an online survey assessing self-reported religiosity, perceptions of partners' religiosity, and mate retention behaviors. Results indicated that self-reported religiosity is associated with cost-inflicting and benefit-provisioning behavior, and that the association between religiosity and benefit-provisioning mate retention depended on perceptions of partners' religiosity and participant sex. Specifically, religious individuals who perceived their partners as less religious performed more benefit-provisioning behaviors, and religious women performed more cost-inflicting behaviors when they perceived their partners as highly religious. These findings corroborate and extend upon previous cross-cultural research by contextualizing the link between religiosity and mate retention.

Antecedents and consequences of interpersonal electronic surveillance in romantic relationships

ABSTRACT The proliferation of communication technologies and the growth of social networking sites provide new avenues for electronic surveillance of romantic relationship partners. This study evaluated attachment dimensions and romantic jealousy as complementary explanations for interpersonal electronic surveillance in romantic relationships. In addition, this study investigated the moderating effect of dyadic trust on the link between interpersonal electronic surveillance and relationship satisfaction. Three hundred and twenty-one individuals currently involved in romantic relationships with active social media accounts completed measures assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance; cognitive and emotional jealousy; interpersonal electronic surveillance; dyadic trust; and relationship satisfaction. Results indicated partial support for a statistical model in which jealousy mediated the associations between attachment and interpersonal electronic surveillance. In addition, findings supported the moderating role of dyadic trust on the association between interpersonal electronic surveillance and relationship satisfaction.

A daily diary study of the romantic partner relationship dynamics associated with anger and other posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to negative relationship outcomes, but the relational processes that link specific PTSD symptoms to these outcomes over granular periods are not well understood. The current study used a daily diary methodology to investigate the associations between specific PTSD symptoms (i.e., anger, avoidance, reexperiencing, hyperarousal, and numbing) and proximal indices of relationship functioning (i.e., accommodation behaviors, disclosure, intimacy). Participants were members of 64 couples, each comprising a male service member (SM) and female romantic partner (RP), who completed daily assessments of PTSD symptoms and indices of relationship functioning for 2 weeks. The results suggest a somewhat unique role of anger on relationship dynamics: Although mean levels of PTSD symptom clusters were associated with negative relationship outcomes at the bivariate level, daily fluctuations in anger were uniquely related to accommodation behaviors and SM- and RP-reported intimacy in multilevel models, Bs = -0.08-0.50). These findings highlight the importance of considering the differential role of specific PTSD symptoms, like anger, in dyadic interventions for PTSD; several strategies for doing so in the context of contemporary evidence-based treatments are discussed.

The Qualities of Romantic Relationships and Emotional Creativity of Hetero- and Homosexual Couples Representatives - Do They Love Differently in the Female Sexual Minority?

Studies of the characteristics of hetero- and homosexual couples relationships are fragmentary. Modern Ukrainian society remains insufficiently aware of this issue, which leads to the stigmatization of a person because of his sexual orientation. The purpose of our study was to determine the relationship between emotional creativity and the quality of love relationships in hetero- and homosexual couples. The sample consisted of 20 heterosexual and 20 homosexual female couples (60 women and 20 men) aged 18-40. R. Sternberg's "Triangular Scale of Love", J. Avrill's questionnaire "Emotional Creativity", S. Khedrik's and K. Khedrik's "Psychological Types of Love" questionnaire, T. Rumyantseva's "Circle of Relationships" projective method (2006) were used for diagnosis. It was found out that regardless of sexual orientation, partners in romantic relationships are characterized by the same pronounced emotional creativity and have the similar quality of love relationships. It was determined that love-friendship prevails in all pairs, they also have partially symbiotic relationships, which are more pronounced in some heterosexual couples. Homosexual couples are characterized by more symmetrical relationships, although, as in heterosexual couples, there is a reaction of alienation in response to an attempt to build a symbiotic relationship by another partner. The revealed connections of emotions novelty with love obsession in lesbians and love pragmatism in heterosexual couples indicate the specificity of this emotional creativity component manifestation depending on the sexual orientation of the couples.

Attribution Theory, Bystander Effect and Willingness to Intervene in Intimate Partner Violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a crime that is afflicted by a current or previous romantic relationship partner. One in four women has experienced IPV at least once in their lifetime, with physical and psychological consequences. IPV cases tend to go largely unnoticed and under-reported, with low rates of intervention by bystanders. This cross-sectional correlational study investigated whether a combination of attribution theory and the bystander effect could predict the willingness of strangers to intervene in IPV. There were two models tested. The first model examined attitudes towards the victim, while the second one examined attitudes towards the perpetrator. The relationship between perceived responsibility and willingness to intervene was hypothesized to be mediated by sympathy and anger, with the number of bystanders as a moderator to mediating pathways (sympathy towards victim and anger towards perpetrator). A convenience sample of 278 Australian residents aged 18-years and older was presented in a vignette depicting an IPV incident occurring in public. Participants completed measures about the vignette in an online questionnaire. Model testing was conducted using MPlus; confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the measurement models. After controlling potential covariates, moderated mediation models of victim and perpetrator were analyzed. Attribution theory was a significant predictor in willingness to intervene (f² = .23, p < .001), but the bystander effect was not. Both attitudes towards victim and perpetrator accounted for unique variance in willingness to intervene in IPV, highlighting the importance of examining both. Findings indicate that psychoeducation campaigns aimed at reducing victim-blaming and promoting intervening behavior could be an effective means of preventing IPV.

Narcissism and intelligence among couples: Why are narcissistic women perceived as intelligent by their romantic partners?

The compatibility between partners in romantic relationships has been found for various characteristics, including intelligence. Theoretically, this phenomenon implies that people are able to discern the intelligence of themselves and others. In practice, however, the accuracy of such estimations is influenced by various factors, such as personality traits. Grandiose narcissism has been found to be the strongest personality predictor of self-overestimated intelligence, however, it remains to be determined whether the self-perceived bias generalises to people close to the narcissist, such as their romantic partners. In the current study, in a sample of 150 heterosexual couples, we examined whether grandiose narcissism was associated with self and partner's estimation of intelligence. Additionally, we measured participants' objective intelligence (Raven's test) and relationship satisfaction. First, we found that narcissism was associated with the overestimation of intelligence. Second, narcissistic women overestimated the intelligence of their partners. Furthermore, narcissistic women were perceived as highly intelligent by their partners, even after controlling for objective intelligence. Finally, we found support for assortative mating for narcissism. Thus, intelligence seems to be an important attribute in the way how narcissistic women perceive their partners, as well as how partners view the intelligence of narcissistic women.

Use and Benefit of Dyadic Coping for Couple Relationship Satisfaction in Parents of Children with Autism.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for unsatisfying and conflict-ridden couple relationships (i.e., marital or romantic partner relationships). There is a critical need to identify the couple-level processes that contribute to this risk. The current study examined the use of dyadic coping, defined as the appraisals and behaviors that partners in relationships use and receive to manage stressors, and to examine whether dyadic coping mediated the association between parenting stress and couple relationship satisfaction in parents who have a child with ASD and in parents who do not have a child with ASD. In total, 184 couples that had a child with ASD (aged 5-12 years) and comparison group of 183 couples who have a child without a neurodevelopmental condition participated in the study. A multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that parents of children with ASD reported less positive and more negative dyadic coping than did parents in the comparison group. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that dyadic coping mediated the association between parenting stress and couple relationship satisfaction. Findings have important implications for programs aimed at enhancing parent couple relationship in families of children with ASD.

Reactivity and recovery in romantic relationships following a trauma analog: Examination of respiratory sinus arrhythmia in community couples.

Emotion regulation has important implications for individual and relationship health. Psychophysiological responses, such as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), can serve as a key indicator of emotion regulation processes subsequent to a stressor and may be the process by which couples confer health benefits. Moreover, partners in romantic relationships can mutually impact physiological states both during times of stress and times of support. The current study examined physiological reactivity through RSA during a laboratory stress-induction (i.e., stressful-film trauma analog) and recovery within the context of a romantic relationship. Sex, relationship health, and individual mental health indicators were examined as moderators of reactivity and recovery. Forty-five (n=90 individuals) community couples, primarily White (n=75, 83.3%), heterosexual (n=63, 70.0%), and dating (n=67, 74.4%), were examined. Both partners' RSA were measured continuously through a series of baseline tasks, a stressful-film task, and a post-film interaction task. Reactivity and recovery trajectories were moderated by sex, study task (i.e., baseline, film, and post-film), and individual mental health (ps<.05). Repeated-measures actor partner interdependence modeling analyses revealed a strong self-regulatory (i.e., actor) effect across all tasks as well as co-regulation (i.e., partner effects) during the post-film interaction task. Findings provided some evidence of stress transmission to the non-exposed partner. This study offers initial evidence of self- and co-regulation following a laboratory stress-induction and potential predictors and moderations of the set point and stability of these regulatory dynamics. Implications and future directions are discussed.

An Analysis of Romantic Partnership Dynamics in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Case Files

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is the commercial sexual exploitation of a minor citizen or legal resident within the United States. Previous research suggests that although DMST is often discussed as though it is a uniform phenomenon, traffickers may use different tactics and exploit different victim vulnerabilities depending upon their established relationships with those who are at-risk for trafficking. The purpose of this qualitative study, therefore, is to explore the relationship patterns and dynamics that emerge between DMST victims and their romantic partner traffickers. This study utilizes the secondary case files of 38 domestic minors who were trafficked for sex by their romantic partners in one state in the United States between 2012 and 2017. The study is conceptualized according to the principles of directed content analysis and multiple case study design and relies heavily on previous research findings related to victim-trafficker relationship typology. The authors conducted two rounds of coding before applying themes to the case files. The analysis revealed that DMST victims trafficked by romantic partners are often influenced by environmental circumstances, such as gang involvement and family systems involvement. Romantic partner traffickers use specific recruitment tactics to entrap their victims, and exercise methods such as caregiving, sexual violence, and psychological violence to maintain control over their victims. Study results provide a significant extension to the anti-trafficking field's understanding of DMST and the romantic partner relationships that underpin it. The results suggest that anti-trafficking advocates should screen at-risk adolescents for gang involvement, family involvement in the sex industry. They should also educate at-risk adolescents about DMST as a potential component of teen dating violence.

Discrimination, family emotional climate, and African American health: An application of the BBFM.

The Biobehavioral Family Model (BBFM) is a biopsychosocial model of health that has been substantiated across multiple studies. However, the findings of those studies are limited given the lack of representation of Black/African American individuals in the samples. Discrimination is a chronic and pervasive stressor for many African American families, yet little is known about connections between discrimination, family relationships, and health. Using Data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) Milwaukee project (n = 592), this study tested the pathways of the BBFM with a sample comprised only of African American individuals Additionally, it tested how discrimination influenced the pathways of the BBFM. Results of model testing found that family support (above and beyond romantic partner relationship quality and family strain) was a key factor in respondents' mental and physical health and that family support mediated the association between discrimination and mental health. The findings suggest the importance of including discrimination when examining family health pathways for African Americans and exploring the influence of relationships beyond the romantic partnership when examining health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Romantic Relationships and Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents With ADHD

Objective: Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to (a) describe the romantic and sexual relationships of adolescents with ADHD and (b) examine how ADHD-related impairments (e.g., social skill deficits and emotion dysregulation [ED]) are associated with romantic relationship outcomes in this group. Method: Adolescents with ADHD (N = 171; 80% male; 70% White) responded to questions about their romantic and sexual relationship experiences and ED. Parents provided ratings of ADHD symptoms, ED, and social skills. Results: Adolescents with ADHD reported high rates of romantic relationship turnover and low rates of physical intimacy. More severe self-reported ED was associated with increased likelihood of engaging in romantic relationships, having more romantic relationship partners, increased likelihood of engaging in sexual intercourse, and increased likelihood of engaging in unprotected sex. Conclusion: Early intervention programs that alter the developmental trajectory of romantic relationships among individuals with ADHD may benefit from targeting ED among these youth.

Longitudinal associations between relationship quality and maternal depression among low-income African American and Hispanic mothers.

This examination of 237 African American and Hispanic mothers of young children explored the longitudinal linkages between romantic partner relationship quality and maternal depressive symptoms among low-income ethnic minority populations. Most studies to date have largely focused on majority non-Hispanic White populations, as well as married partner dyads, and few have utilized longitudinal designs. At 3 time points, participants completed a series of questionnaires including the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) for partner relationship quality and a revised version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-R) Scale for maternal depressive symptoms during home-visit interviews. Both concurrent and prospective correlations were significant and negative, indicating a higher level of relationship quality was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. After adjusting for potential confounders, partner relationship quality was prospectively associated with maternal depressive symptoms but not vice versa. This pattern did not differ by maternal ethnicity. The findings of this study support and contribute to the limited research conducted to date to uncover patterns and influences of associations between romantic partner relationship quality and depressive symptoms in representative samples of ethnic minority populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Parent-adolescent conflict and young adult romantic relationship negativity: Genetic and environmental influences.

Prior work indicates that aspects of interpersonal relationships are heritable, including negativity within parent-adolescent relationships as well as romantic relationships during adulthood. There have not, however, been systematic studies to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on relationship dynamics with parents as they relate to romantic partner relationship dynamics. Thus, the present study examined genetic and environmental influences on associations between parent-adolescent conflict and young adult reports of negativity with a romantic partner using a longitudinal twin/sibling design. We found that genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental factors contributed to conflict in parent-adolescent relationships and that genetic and nonshared environmental factors uniquely contributed to negativity in the romantic partnership during young adulthood. The longitudinal association between parent-adolescent conflict and romantic relationship conflict was explained entirely by genetic influences shared by the 2 constructs. These findings have implications for understanding interpersonal functioning across different relationship types, spanning multiple developmental periods. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender Differences in the Association Between Romantic Relationships and Relapse Among Individuals in Early Recovery in Oxford House

ABSTRACTAlthough clear gender differences exist in the effect of romantic relationships on substance use, little empirical evidence is available about whether romantic relationships affect recovery differently for men and women. To test potential gender differences in associations of romantic partner relationships with relapse among Oxford House residents. Self-reported presence or absence of a romantic relationship among Oxford House residents ages 18–59 (N = 306) in early recovery was assessed at baseline and 4 months later, beginning in 2001. Odds of relapse over 8 months was assessed by the interaction of presence of romantic relationship at each occasion and gender. Relapse was most common among men in a relationship at baseline and follow-up and women not in a relationship at either occasion, occurring with significantly greater odds than women in a relationship at both times, after adjusting for days of sobriety at baseline (adjusted odds ratio [ORadjusted] = 3.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.29, 9.51]; ORadjusted: 3.35; 95% CI [1.24, 9.10]). These findings provide initial empirical understanding of gender differences in the influence of romantic relationships in early recovery.

Maternal attachment avoidance is linked to youth diurnal cortisol slopes in children with asthma

ABSTRACTPrior evidence suggests that an individual’s attachment orientation is linked to the health and health-related biology of his/her romantic relationship partners. The current study examined whether this effect extends to parent–child relationships. Specifically, we investigated the association between maternal attachment anxiety and avoidance and diurnal cortisol of offspring. In a sample of 138 youth with asthma and their primary caregivers, caregivers reported their attachment orientations, and their children (aged 10–17) supplied four saliva samples per day over four days to assess diurnal cortisol patterns. Growth curve analyses revealed no links to caregiver attachment anxiety, but caregiver attachment avoidance was significantly associated with children’s diurnal cortisol slopes, such that greater attachment avoidance predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes. Maternal warmth did not mediate this link. These results support the possibility that an individual’s adult attachment orientation may “get under the skin” of family members to influence their health-related biology. Future research should seek to determine the causal direction of this association and mechanisms of this effect.

Close relationships and depression: A developmental cascade approach.

Previous research has shown that problematic parent-child, peer, and romantic partner relationships are associated with an increased likelihood for major depressive disorder (MDD). Less research has evaluated the developmental unfolding of how these interpersonal relationship features are both an antecedent versus a consequence of MDD symptoms from adolescence through young adulthood. These gaps were evaluated using a large community sample (N = 1,127; 54% female, 96% white) via a developmental cascade model. Results showed support for significant antecedent effects, as greater parent-child relationship problems at ages 11 and 17 predicted rank-order increases in MDD symptoms at ages 14 and 20. Supporting a developmental cascade of problematic social relationships, greater parent-child relationship problems at ages 11 and 14 also predicted greater subsequent rank-order increases in antisocial peer affiliation at ages 14 and 17. Greater affiliation to antisocial peers at age 20 predicted greater rank-order increases in romantic relationship problems at age 24, which in turn predicted greater MDD symptoms at age 29. Cross-effects were generally small (βs ≤ .16), illustrating other factors may be relevant to the development or consequences of MDD. Nonetheless, findings support the importance of efforts to strengthen social support networks to offset risk as well as potentially treat depression.