Perceived Relationship Quality Research Articles

Couples' Job Insecurity and Relationship Satisfaction in the Netherlands

AbstractObjectiveThe goal of this study is to estimate the effect of one's own and one's partner's job insecurity on relationship satisfaction, with attention to gender and educational differences in these effects. Second, we test whether the effects of individual job insecurity on individual relationship satisfaction depends on partner job insecurity.BackgroundResearch has established that job insecurity is negatively associated with relationship quality at the individual level, but little is known about how partner's job insecurity shapes individual perceptions of relationship quality. Although one's partner's job insecurity is expected to be negatively associated with relationship quality on average, it may be protective in cases in which individual job insecurity is also high. We expand spillover–crossover and family stress models to develop and test hypotheses about the independent and interactive effects of individual and partner job insecurity on relationship quality and further consider potential gender and educational differences in the independent effects of individual and partner job insecurity on individual perceptions of relationship quality.MethodDutch dyadic longitudinal panel data was used (Dutch Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences panels 2008–2015) composed of 11,536 observations of 3,668 individuals. Random and fixed effects models were estimated to study differences between individuals (random effects) and changes over time within individuals (fixed effects).ResultsMen and women were less satisfied with their relationship when they felt more job insecurity, and women were less satisfied when their male partner experienced job insecurity. Men's relationship satisfaction was less strongly related to job insecurity when his partner experienced job insecurity as well. Relationship satisfaction of higher educated men suffered less from job insecurity than that of lower educated men.ConclusionJob insecurity was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, and this association was dependent on gender and, among men, on partner's job insecurity and educational attainment. A dyadic and moderation perspective is important for understanding the relationship between employment and relationship quality.

Improving relationship quality in group care settings: The impact of implementing the CARE model

The current study examined the effects of implementing a new program model on the quality of relationships between direct care providers and residents in group care agencies. Children and Residential Experiences (CARE), an organization-wide program model that involves a range of structural change and staff-development activities, was implemented in 13 group care agencies in one Southeastern state. CARE implementation lasted three years and involved the application of six evidence-informed principles throughout the organization in order to create more therapeutic environments and improve the quality of care for children.We used a stepped-wedge design in which one cohort of agencies began CARE immediately and a second cohort waited 12 months before beginning, allowing them to serve as a comparison group during the waiting period. Children in each agency were surveyed annually about the perceived quality of their relationships with staff using a new instrument developed for this study. Results of a linear mixed model indicated that after accounting for clustering at the agency and cottage levels and controlling for several important covariates, child perceptions of relationship quality increased significantly in the three years after CARE implementation began. The strength of the CARE effect was stronger for residents with several previous placements, but did not differ by age, gender, race, length of stay, DSS referral, or problem behavior. Results provide evidence that supports the effectiveness of CARE as an intervention to help group care agencies improve the quality of children's daily interactions with caregiving staff, a critical aspect of their experience while living in care. The process requires a long-term commitment and an organization-wide focus on serving the best interests of children.

The Influence of a Family Business Climate and CEO–CFO Relationship Quality on Misreporting Conduct

This study answers Vazquez’s (J Bus Ethics 150(3):691–709, 2016) call for more research focused on the intersection between family firms and business ethics. We investigate two contextual factors potentially affecting the ethical reporting of chief financial officers (CFOs): a firm’s social ties to the controlling family and the CFOs’ perceived relationship quality with the CEO. We test our hypotheses by examining the financial reporting behavior of Chinese CFOs who work at (1) family or nonfamily businesses and in (2) private or public firms. Results of this study advance our understanding of social and contextual factors that may compromise CFOs' reporting behavior in family firms (Suh et al., J Bus Ethics, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3982-3 ). This research also suggests that failure to distinguish between public and private companies may bias the results of studies that examine family firms.

Understanding cross-cultural differences in affective teacher-student relationships: A comparison between Dutch and Chinese primary school teachers and students

The affective quality of teacher-student relationships (TSRs) has mostly been studied in Western contexts and little is known how findings generalize to Eastern contexts. Therefore, the present study examined measurement invariance, mean differences, and agreement in teachers' and students' perceptions of relationship quality between the Netherlands and China. The sample consisted of 789 primary school students (51% girls) and 35 teachers (80% female) from the Netherlands, and 587 primary school students (53% girls) and 14 teachers (93% female) from Zhejiang, China. Both teachers and students reported about the quality of their mutual relationships. Structural equation modeling showed that teachers' perceptions of closeness, conflict and dependency, as well as students' perceptions of closeness and conflict in the relationship, reached partially strong invariance. Chinese students perceived more closeness and less conflict with teachers than Dutch students. Chinese teachers also reported less conflict but comparable levels of closeness and dependency as Dutch teachers. Chinese teacher-student dyads had higher agreement on closeness but lower agreement on conflict than Dutch teacher-student dyads. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Using Instructional Coaching to Support Student Teacher-Cooperating Teacher Relationships

ABSTRACT This study examines the perceptions of relationship quality and satisfaction held by student teachers and their cooperating teachers within the context of an instructional coaching framework-focused student teaching experience. Cooperating teachers operated as instructional coaches who then provided turn-around training for other cooperating teachers. Independent sample t-tests compared perceptions of the student teaching experience for student teachers and their cooperating teachers with two levels of training as measured by the Coaching Relationship Questionnaire. The instructional coach-trained cooperating teacher group showed advanced psychosocial mentoring, dyad satisfaction and dyad similarity as compared to the turn-around-trained cooperating teacher. However, regardless of training level, positive perceptions of the student teaching experience were reported. Additionally, elements of the instructional coaching framework that were found to be beneficial to cooperating teachers serving as coaches for student teachers were examined in light of the outcomes of the questionnaire. Based on findings, a model of training for cooperating teachers is considered.

Longitudinal dyadic analyses of emotion dysregulation and mother–child relationship quality in Chinese children with teacher‐reported oppositional defiant disorder

AbstractThis study examined whether and how mothers' and children's perceptions of mother–child relationship quality mediated associations between mothers' and children's initial emotion dysregulation and children's emotion dysregulation and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms 2 years later. The participants were 155 Chinese children with teacher‐reported ODD and their mothers derived from a three‐wave (2 years apart) longitudinal study. A multiple‐informant approach and a dyadic analysis approach (i.e., actor–partner interdependent modeling) were used. The results revealed that (a) mothers' and children's emotion dysregulation was significantly related to their own and their partners’ concurrent perceptions of relationship quality; (b) mothers' and children's perceptions of relationship quality from Wave 1 to Wave 2 were stable but were also interdependent, such that one's own perception of relationship quality at Wave 1 related to the partner's perception at Wave 2; and (c) relationship quality at the two waves interdependently mediated the associations between mothers' and children's emotion dysregulation at Wave 1 and children's emotion dysregulation and ODD symptoms at Wave 3. Implications for family intervention programs targeting maternal and child emotion dysregulation and strengthening mother–child relationship quality for children with ODD were discussed.

Brain mechanisms of social touch-induced analgesia in females

Supportive touch has remarkable benefits in childbirth and during painful medical procedures. But does social touch influence pain neurophysiology, ie, the brain processes linked to nociception and primary pain experience? What other brain processes beyond primary pain systems mediate their analgesic effects? In this study, women (N = 30) experienced thermal pain while holding their romantic partner's hand or an inert device. Social touch reduced pain and attenuated functional magnetic resonance imaging activity in the Neurologic Pain Signature (NPS)-a multivariate brain pattern sensitive and specific to somatic pain-and increased connectivity between the NPS and both somatosensory and "default mode" regions. Brain correlates of touch-induced analgesia included reduced pain-related activation in (1) regions targeted by primary nociceptive afferents (eg, posterior insula, and anterior cingulate cortex); and (b) regions associated with affective value (orbitofrontal cortex), meaning (ventromedial prefrontal cortex [PFC]), and attentional regulation (dorsolateral PFC). Activation reductions during handholding (vs holding a rubber device) significantly mediated reductions in pain intensity and unpleasantness; greater pain reductions during handholding correlated with greater increases in emotional comfort, which correlated with higher perceived relationship quality and (a trend toward) greater perceived closeness with the romantic partner. The strongest mediators of analgesia were activity reductions in a brain circuit traditionally associated with stress and defensive behavior in mammals, including ventromedial and dorsomedial PFC, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala/hippocampus, hypothalamus, and periaqueductal gray matter. Social touch affects core brain processes that contribute to pain and pain-related affective distress in females, and should be considered alongside other treatments in medical and caregiving contexts.

The relationship between passion for coaching and the coaches’ interpersonal behaviors: The mediating role of coaches’ perception of the relationship quality with athletes

According to Self-Determination Theory, sports coaches’ autonomy-supportive behaviors positively influence athletes’ different aspects, such as motivation, well-being, and performance, while controlling behaviors of coaches tend to diminish such variables. Although many researchers agree that autonomy-supportive coaching style should be promoted rather than a controlling style, there is scarce research investigating the antecedents of such behavioral styles. The aim of this study was to examine a model of potential determinants of coaches’ interpersonal behaviors by investigating the relationship between passion for coaching and their behavioral styles and verifying the mediating role of coaches’ perceived relationship quality with their athletes. A total of 172 coaches participated in the survey, and data sets were analyzed using structural model analysis. Results revealed that coaches’ harmonious passion positively predicted autonomy-supportive behaviors but negatively predicted controlling behaviors, and these pathways were mediated by coaches’ perception of the relationship with their athletes. The implications for coaches and researchers from those results are discussed.

The impact of relationship quality on life satisfaction and well-being in dementia caregiving dyads: findings from the IDEAL study

Objectives: The quality of the relationship between people with dementia and their informal caregiver maybe an important determinant of life satisfaction and well-being for both members of the dyad. Taking a dyadic perspective, the aim of this study was to examine whether self- and partner-rated relationship quality influences life satisfaction and well-being for both people with dementia and their caregivers.Design and methods: Using data from 1283 dyads in the Improving the Experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) cohort, we examined the impact of current relationship quality on life satisfaction and well-being in dementia caregiving dyads. Data were analysed using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) framework.Results: Self-rated relationship quality was associated with own life satisfaction and well-being for both people with dementia and caregivers. Partner-rated relationship quality did not influence own life satisfaction or well-being for either member of the dyad.Conclusion: This study is the first to use the APIM framework to explore the dyadic associations between relationship quality and life satisfaction and well-being in a large cohort of dementia caregiving dyads. The obtained findings suggest that the individual perception of the quality of the caregiving relationship held by each member of the caregiving dyad is an important factor for that member’s life satisfaction and well-being, while the partner’s perception of relationship quality is not. The findings highlight the importance of considering the individual perspective of both the person with dementia and the caregiver and enabling each to maintain positive perceptions of relationship quality.

Interpersonal relationship quality mediates the association between military-related posttraumatic stress and academic dysfunction among student veterans.

Large numbers of United States service members and veterans are enrolling in colleges and universities. Many are experiencing posttraumatic stress symptoms secondary to their military service, and these symptoms are associated with academic dysfunction. However, little is known about the mechanism(s) through which posttraumatic stress increases risk for academic difficulties. The goal of the current study was to evaluate perceived interpersonal relationship quality as a mediator of this association. The current study investigated the indirect effect of posttraumatic stress on academic dysfunction through three indices of perceived interpersonal relationship quality (i.e., family distress, family support, and social network support) in a clinical sample of 2,120 student service members and veterans. Participants were further divided into four groups based on relationship status and gender (i.e., partnered women, nonpartnered women, partnered men, and nonpartnered men), and moderation by group was examined. For all four groups, there were significant indirect effects of posttraumatic stress on academic dysfunction through greater family distress and lower social network support. Further, the overall indirect effect of posttraumatic stress on academic dysfunction was stronger for partnered women compared with the three other groups and was attributable to the stronger path from family distress to academic dysfunction for partnered women. Poor perceived relationship quality may be a modifiable risk factor for academic dysfunction among student service members and veterans experiencing military-related posttraumatic stress. Partnered women may be especially well-suited to interventions that enhance the interpersonal context of posttraumatic stress as a way to optimize academic outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Can Attachment Behaviors Moderate the Influence of Conflict Styles on Relationship Quality?

The current study uses a sample of married couples (N = 1718) to investigate the relationship between conflict styles and relationship quality as moderated by attachment behaviors. Results indicated that husbands’ and wives’ conflict style is significantly associated with their own perception of relationship quality, with more extreme styles being associated with decreases in relationship quality. Wives’ conflict style was a significant predictor of husbands’ relationship quality. Attachment behaviors moderated the negative relationship between conflict style and relationship quality but only for women and only at the trend level. The clinical applications of these findings are discussed.

Machine learning meets partner matching: Predicting the future relationship quality based on personality traits.

To what extent is it possible to use machine learning to predict the outcome of a relationship, based on the personality of both partners? In the present study, relationship satisfaction, conflicts, and separation (intents) of 192 partners four years after the completion of questionnaires concerning their personality traits was predicted. A 10x10-fold cross-validation was used to ensure that the results of the linear regression models are reproducible. The findings indicate that machine learning techniques can improve the prediction of relationship quality (37% of variance explained), and that the perceived relationship quality of a partner is mostly dependent on his or her own individual personality traits. Additionally, the influences of different sets of variables on predictions are shown: partner and similarity effects did not incrementally predict relationship quality beyond actor effects and general personality traits predicted relationship quality less strongly than relationship-related personality.

(304) Brain Mediators of Handholding Analgesia

Touch can have remarkable benefits in childbirth and during painful medical procedures. But does social touch influence pain neurophysiology, i.e., the brain processes linked to nociception and primary pain experience? And what other brain processes beyond primary pain systems mediate their analgesic effects? In this study, thirty women experienced thermal pain while holding their romantic partner's hand or an inert pneumatic device. Handholding reduced pain and attenuated fMRI activity in the Neurologic Pain Signature (NPS)—a multivariate brain pattern sensitive and specific to somatic pain—and increased connectivity between the NPS and both somatosensory and ‘default mode’ regions. Brain correlates of touch-induced analgesia included reduced activity in (a) regions targeted by primary nociceptive afferents (e.g., posterior insula, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); and (b) changes in regions associated with affective value, meaning and attentional regulation, including lateral and medial prefrontal (PFC) and orbitofrontal cortices. Activation reductions significantly mediated reductions in pain intensity and unpleasantness, which were in turn correlated with greater emotional comfort during handholding and higher perceived relationship quality. The strongest mediators of analgesia were activity reductions in a brain circuit traditionally associated with stress and defensive behavior in mammals as well as pain modulation, including ventromedial and dorsomedial PFC, rostral ACC, amygdala/hippocampus, hypothalamus and PAG. In conclusion, social touch affects core brain processes that contribute to pain and pain-related affective distress, and should be considered alongside other treatments in medical and caregiving contexts.

Relationship quality and sense of coherence in dementia: Results of a European cohort study.

Quality of life of people with dementia and their family carers is strongly influenced by interpersonal issues and personal resources. In this context, relationship quality (RQ) and sense of coherence (SOC) potentially protect and promote health. We aimed to identify what influences RQ in dyads of people with dementia and their carers and to examine differences in their perspectives. Cross-sectional data were used from the Actifcare cohort study of 451 community-dwelling people with dementia and their primary carers in eight European countries. Comprehensive assessments included the Positive Affect Index (RQ) and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC). Regression analyses revealed that RQ as perceived by people with dementia was associated with carer education, stress, and spouse caregiving. RQ as perceived by carers was associated with carer stress, depression, being a spouse, social support, reported neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, and carer SOC. Neuropsychiatric symptoms and carer stress contributed to discrepancies in RQ ratings within the dyad. The only factor associated with both individual RQ ratings and discrepancies was carer stress (negative feelings subscore). No significant differences in the overall perception of RQ were evident between spouses and adult children carers, but RQ determinants differed between the two. In this European sample, carer SOC was associated with carer-reported RQ. RQ determinants differed according to the perspective considered (person with dementia or carer) and carer subgroup. A deeper understanding of RQ and its determinants will help to tailor interventions that address these distinct perspectives and potentially improve dementia outcomes.

Longitudinal Linkages between Older and Younger Sibling Depressive Symptoms and Perceived Sibling Relationship Quality

The sibling relationship has an important impact on children’s emotional functioning, but it is yet unclear whether and how sibling relationship quality affects adolescent depressive symptoms over time. This study contributes to existing knowledge by examining the relative importance of three aspects of sibling relationship quality (i.e., support, conflict and power balance) on the one hand and sibling depressive symptoms on the other hand in predicting adolescent depressive symptoms over time. Additionally, this study examined whether these influence patterns were moderated by perceived sibling relationship quality and by dyadic gender composition. Across six annual waves, 412 Dutch adolescents (57% boys; Mage = 12.34 years) and their older siblings (47% boys; Mage = 15.36 years) reported on depressive symptoms and sibling relationship quality. Cross-lagged panel analyses showed that only sibling depressive symptoms and not perceived relationship quality predicted adolescent depressive symptoms one year later. This effect was not moderated by sibling relationship quality or gender composition. These results indicate that sibling depressive symptoms may be a risk factor for adolescent depressive symptoms.

Demographic homophily, communication and trust in intra-organizational business relationships

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how employees of an organization build and maintain successful business relationships by analyzing major antecedents of relationship quality and relationship commitment. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors develop a conceptual framework and formulate hypotheses regarding the relationships between demographic homophily, interpersonal communication, trust and dependent variables of perceived relationship quality and relationship commitment. This paper tests hypotheses presented in this study with the help of a structural equation model, based on a data sample from South Korea. Findings Unlike common thinking, demographic homophily does not directly increase the perceived relationship quality. The authors find a significant direct effect of interpersonal communication on relationship commitment but no effect of commitment on perceived relationship quality. Both seem to play independent roles but are positively influenced through the emergence of trust. Research limitations/implications By applying demographic homophily and interpersonal communication as antecedents and trust as mediator and main driver, the authors research effects on perceived intra-organizational relationship commitment and perceived relationship quality. In detail, the authors confirm the hypothesized centrality of trust in intra-organizational relationships between demographic homophily, interpersonal communication and dependent variables of perceived relationship quality and relationship commitment. Nevertheless, the authors surprisingly find neither significant evidence that demographic homophily increases the perceived quality of a relationship, nor does it lead to higher communication intensity directly, even in an environment (i.e. Korea), where it would be expected. Practical implications Based on the findings of this study, there are several practical implications. Understanding the interpersonal relationship characteristics in an intra-organizational setting enables managers to optimize organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Intra-organizational relationships between employees’ are highly dependent on mutual trust as an indicator for relationship quality and relationship commitment. Organizations can also benefit from the understanding of the mechanisms of demographic homophily and interpersonal communication for the establishment of interpersonal trust as well. Originality/value Research about the effect of demographic homophily and interpersonal communication and the central role of trust in an intra-organizational approach to business relationships on perceived relationship quality and relationship commitment is scarce. The mutual testing of the effects and interaction of established constructs like demographic homophily, interpersonal communication and trust on perceived relationship quality and commitment constitutes the main contribution of this study to the literature on management and business relationships. The insights of this study about interpersonal bonding help companies to establish long-term business relationships.

Integrativni model kvaliteta odnosa sa korisnicima u oblasti visokog obrazovanja - istrazivanje u Srbiji

The objective of this study is to examine the formation of relationship quality and its consequences in higher education setting. The study draws on extant literature in service businesses and proposes teachers' customer orientation as an antecedent to relationship quality, encompassing trust and satisfaction, and relationship continuity and word-of-mouth (WOM) communication as consequences of students' perceptions of relationship quality. Structural equation modelling was applied to analyse survey data collected on a convenience sample of 236 students attending a small public faculty in Serbia. The results show that trust and satisfaction mediate the impact of teachers' customer orientation on relationship continuity and WOM. Both trust and satisfaction emerged as direct positive determinants of WOM, whereas the impact of trust on relationship continuity is mediated via student satisfaction. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed and future research directions are provided.

Желбата да се застане зад лидерот: перципирање на квалитетот на односот на примерните следбеници со лидерот

Желбата да се застане зад лидерот: перципирање на квалитетот на односот на примерните следбеници со лидерот

The influence of electronic word of mouth on Instagram users: An emphasis on consumer socialization framework

The present study aimed at exploring the extent to which users model their behavior—as well as their brand attitudes, their perception of relationship quality, their use of Instagram, and the number of brands they follow—on other users. This distinction can help marketers and social media experts discover the most likely perspectives of brand management. The statistical population was composed of the users of the Instagram social network, out of which 384 individuals were sampled by convenience non-probable technique. The hypotheses were tested by the logistic regression analysis. The results show that peer communications, brand attitude, brand relationship quality, and Instagram usage influence the manifestation of eWOM in the Instagram social network. The paper is concluded with some recommendations to marketers in the context of the Instagram social network.

Impact of group assertiveness-based sexual training on the quality of marital relationships among female university students.

BACKGROUND:Sexual assertiveness plays a crucial role in the quality of sex, as well as in investigating and treating sexual problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of assertiveness-based sexual training on the quality of marital relationships of married female students.METHODS:This quasi-experimental study was done in southeastern Iran in the academic year of 2017. A total of 80 married women were chosen from university students through convenience sampling, and they were assigned to the intervention (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. Data were collected using the Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory. For the intervention group, assertiveness-based sexual counseling was provided in four sessions (90–120 min each session). The posttest was performed 12 weeks after the last counseling session. Independent t-test and covariance analysis were employed to analyze data using SPSS version 21 software.RESULTS:After the intervention, the two groups revealed a significant difference in their respective mean total score of the quality of various dimensions of marital relationships (P = 0.0001). This indicates that assertiveness-based sexual counseling has improved this mean total score in the intervention group compared to the control group.CONCLUSION:Given the positive impact of assertiveness-based sexual training on the quality of students' marital relationships, the integration of sexual training with focus on assertiveness in usual sexual counseling will help therapists to improve the quality of marital relationship from the perspective of women.