Attachment,sexual experience,and sexual pressure in romantic relationships: A dyadic approach

The goal of this research was to extend the previously documented associations between attachment style and sexual experiences in samples of adolescents and college students to adult couples in committed romantic relationships. A sample of 273 French‐Canadian heterosexual couples aged 18–35 years completed measures of attachment‐related anxiety and avoidance, sexual coercion, and sexual experiences in their relationships. Avoidant attachment was related to two strategies for limiting intimacy in sexual relationships: avoidance of sexual encounters and avoidance of sexual fantasies about one’s partner (the latter for women only). Anxious attachment appeared to interfere with comfortable intimacy, especially among men, who viewed their partner as avoiding sex and who applied more insistent pressure to have sex.     

The components of love: Romantic attraction and sex role orientation

Hypotheses derived from both Erich Fromm and the feminist literature linking sex role orientation to type of love experienced were tested in a sample of 123 heterosexual dating couples Five components of love were identified through factor analysis romantic dependency, communicative intimacy, physical arousal, respect, and romantic compatibility Type of love was related to sex role orientation (p 01), with traditionals characterized by romantic dependency and romantic compatibility, while nontraditionals emphasized communicative intimacy Sex differences showed females being more emotionally expressive in then love than males and scoring higher on communicative intimacy (p's < 01)     

Optimism in close relationships: How seeing things in a positive light makes them so

Does expecting positive outcomes--especially in important life domains such as relationships--make these positive outcomes more likely? In a longitudinal study of dating couples, the authors tested whether optimists (who have a cognitive disposition to expect positive outcomes) and their romantic partners are more satisfied in their relationships, and if so, whether this is due to optimists perceiving greater support from their partners. In cross-sectional analyses, both optimists and their partners indicated greater relationship satisfaction, an effect that was mediated by optimists' greater perceived support. When the couples engaged in a conflict conversation, optimists and their partners saw each other as engaging more constructively during the conflict, which in turn led both partners to feel that the conflict was better resolved 1 week later. In a 1-year follow-up, men's optimism predicted relationship status. Effects of optimism were mediated by the optimists' perceived support, which appears to promote a variety of beneficial processes in romantic relationships.     

Adolescents' romantic relationships and the structure and quality of their close interpersonal ties

Several interpersonal theories suggest that adolescents' romantic relationships are associated with distinct patterns of social experience. In this study, 1,049 adolescents indicated whether they had a boy/girlfriend and the temporal duration of the relationship. They described the structure of their peer networks and the quality of their relationships with a parent/adult and best friend. Adolescents with a boy/girlfriend reported larger networks, more opposite-sex friends, and more nonschool friends. Adolescents with longer romantic relationships reported more social support with the boy/girlfriend than did adolescents with short-term romantic relationships. Temporal duration also moderated the salience of the romantic relationship. Those of short duration were viewed less favorably than friend and parent/adult relationships, whereas those of longer duration were viewed more favorably. Finally, continuity in perceived quality was evident between romantic and other relationships. Overall, the results support the view that romantic relationships are embedded within adolescents' ongoing social experience and show important links to the structure and quality of their relationships with parents and with peers.     

Beyond global sociosexual orientations: a more differentiated look at sociosexuality and its effects on courtship and romantic relationships

Sociosexuality is usually assessed as the overall orientation toward uncommitted sex, although this global approach may mask unique contributions of different components. In a large online study (N = 2,708) and a detailed behavioral assessment of 283 young adults (both singles and couples) with a 1-year follow-up, the authors established 3 theoretically meaningful components of sociosexuality: past behavioral experiences, the attitude toward uncommitted sex, and sociosexual desire (all measured by a revised version of the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory). Discriminant validity was shown with regard to (a) their factorial structure, (b) sex differences, (c) many established correlates of sociosexuality, and (d) the prediction of observed flirting behavior when meeting an attractive opposite-sex stranger, even down to the level of objectively coded behaviors, as well as (e) the self-reported number of sexual partners and (f) changes in romantic relationship status over the following year. Within couples, the 3 components also showed distinct degrees of assortative mating and distinct effects on the romantic partner. Implications for the evolutionary psychology of mating tactics are discussed.     

The Emerging Field of Adolescent Romantic Relationships

Romantic relationships are central in adolescents' lives. They have the potential to affect development positively, but also place adolescents at risk for problems. Romantic experiences change substantially over the course of adolescence; the peer context plays a critical role as heterosexual adolescents initially interact with the other sex in a group context, then begin group dating, and finally have dyadic romantic relationships. Adolescents' expectations and experiences in romantic relationships are related to their relationships with their peers as well as their parents. Although research on adolescents' romantic relationships has blossomed in the past decade, further work is needed to identify the causes and consequences of romantic experiences, examine the diversity of romantic experiences, and integrate the field with work on sexuality and adult romantic relationships.     

Conflict with friends,relationship blindness,and the pathway to adult disagreeableness

The ability to form and maintain relationships with friends and romantic partners is a major developmental task for adolescents. Disagreeable youth are likely to struggle with this task, yet little is known about how they maintain their oppositional style from adolescence to adulthood. The current study examines the long-term implications of disagreeableness in a diverse sample of 164 adolescents assessed repeatedly across a 10-year period along with their friends and romantic partners. Disagreeableness at age 14 and 15 was assessed in observation with friends. Disagreeableness was then examined as a predictor of both future relationship quality with friends at age 16 and romantic relationships at age 21. The results indicate that although disagreeable youth do not report any relationship struggles, both their friends and romantic partners see their relationships as being low in quality. Findings suggest a developmental process by which disagreeable adolescents maintain their oppositional style through a mechanism of relationship blindness, as they simply are unable to see the relationship issues that their friends and partners clearly perceive.     

Sexual orientation identity and romantic relationship quality in same-sex couples

Research suggests that the well-being of members of stigmatized groups is related to the ways that individuals understand, evaluate, and respond to their devalued collective identity. The present study extends this line of inquiry by investigating collective identity in the context of romantic relationship functioning, focusing on same-sex couples as a type of stigmatized relationship. In this cross-sectional study, the authors examined four identity-related variables (internalized homonegativity, stigma sensitivity, identity confusion, and identity superiority) in a sample of 274 female and 187 male same-sex couples. Results provided evidence of identity similarity between partners, particularly for internalized homonegativity and identity superiority. Each of the identity variables was associated with relationship quality, and actor effects of identity on quality were more common than partner effects. Perceived identity similarity mediated some of the links found between identity and quality and was positively associated with relationship quality regardless of actor identity.     

Suppression sours sacrifice: emotional and relational costs of suppressing emotions in romantic relationships

What happens when people suppress their emotions when they sacrifice for a romantic partner? This multimethod study investigates how suppressing emotions during sacrifice shapes affective and relationship outcomes. In Part 1, dating couples came into the laboratory to discuss important romantic relationship sacrifices. Suppressing emotions was associated with emotional costs for the partner discussing his or her sacrifice. In Part 2, couples participated in a 14-day daily experience study. Within-person increases in emotional suppression during daily sacrifice were associated with decreases in emotional well-being and relationship quality as reported by both members of romantic dyads. In Part 3, suppression predicted decreases in relationship satisfaction and increases in thoughts about breaking up with a romantic partner 3 months later. In the first two parts of the study, authenticity mediated the costly effects of suppression. Implications for research on close relationships and emotion regulation are discussed.     

Romantic Commitment and the Perceived Availability of Opposite-Sex Persons: On Loving the One You're With1

This article reports a study that examined whether perceptions of the availability of members of the opposite sex are related to commitment to romantic relationships among students at two colleges. Analyses of students' anonymous questionnaire responses reveal that students who perceived that there were relatively few members of the opposite sex on their college's campus were more committed to their romantic relationship, considered their relationship to be more attractive, and invested more in it compared with other students. These relations involving the perceived opposite-sex ratio did not vary as a function of the length of the romantic involvement or the students' gender, race, or college. The perceived opposite-sex ratio was significantly related to the actual opposite-sex ratio, but the latter was not significantly related to commitment, investments, or perceived attractiveness of the relationship. Considering the sample as a whole, the students overestimated the availability of opposite-sex persons. It is concluded that perceptions of the availability of persons of the opposite sex may affect the dynamics of relationships between men and women. Implications of the findings for social exchange theories are discussed.     

Alcohol use affects sleep duration among military couples

Alcohol misuse and sleep disorders are highly comorbid, prevalent among service members and their romantic partners, and affected by relationship interdependence. As most military health research focuses on either service members or their spouses, the current study examined dyadic effects of alcohol use on sleep cycle duration in dating and married military couples (N = 149 dyads), using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Person-level results from a series of multilevel path models showed partial support for our focal hypothesis implicating high alcohol use in shortened average sleep duration for the service members and their romantic partners. Specifically, partners of service members who drank more regularly had shorter average sleep durations, as did female service members who drank more alcohol per drinking occasion. At the couple-level, a partner effect indicated that service members’ lower depressive symptoms were associated with their partner’s shorter average sleep durations. In addition, when service members reported relatively high alcohol-related problems, their partner tended to have a shorter average sleep duration. In contrast, when service members’ partners reported relatively high alcohol-related problems, they had a longer average sleep duration. This suggests the consequences of problematic alcohol use for service members’ partners depended on each dyad member’s drinking patterns. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of viewing military couples as a dyadic unit in research studies and clinical interventions.     

The complementarity of behavioral styles among female same‐gender romantic couples

This study extended previous research on complementarity through the examination of female same‐gender romantic dyads. One‐hundred and forty‐four women (72 couples) completed interpersonal circumplex ratings of their romantic partner and a relationship measure of love and harmony. Results indicated that high levels of relationship quality were reported by participants who were warm and submissive or who had partners who possessed these characteristics. Additionally, members of female same‐gender couples tended to complement each other in terms of dominance but not warmth. However, consistent with past research stressing the unique importance female same‐gender couples tend to prescribe to relationship equality, dyads that contained members who were equivalent in terms of dominance tended to experience high levels of relationship quality.     

Adolescents' use of affiliative and aggressive strategies during conflict with romantic partners and best-friends

Objective: Developmental theory suggests romantic relationships present unique demands when adolescents transition from the interaction patterns of same-sex friendships to cross-gender interactions. A possible response is to incorporate behaviours of the other gender: girls adopting aggressive strategies and boys adopting affiliative ones. The goal of this study is to explore this hypothesis by comparing conflict resolution among romantic couples and same-sex best friends. Method: Observational methods were employed with 37 female best friends, 22 male best friends and 37 romantic couples. Of the romantic couples, 35 also were observed with a best friend. Affiliative and aggressive behaviours were tabulated during two conflict tasks. Results: Female best friends were more affiliative than male best friends and romantic partners; these latter dyads were more aggressive than the female best friends. Within group comparisons indicated that boys and girls decreased their affiliative behaviours, especially verbal humour, and increased their aggressive behaviours, especially teasing, when observed with the romantic partner compared to the best friend. Decomposing the romantic dyad, girlfriends displayed relatively more aggressive behaviours than their boyfriends, and boyfriends exhibited more affiliative behaviours. Conclusions: Findings shed light on gendered shifts in patterns of interaction as adolescents transition from same-sex friendships to romantic relationships.     

Prospective effects of interparental conflict on child attachment security and the moderating role of parents' romantic attachment.

This study investigated the impact of parents' observed conflict behavior on subsequent child attachment security, both as a main effect and as moderated by parents' romantic attachment. Participants were 80 heterosexual couples involving men from the Oregon Youth Study and their first-born children. The authors used hierarchical linear modeling to predict child security with each parent. Interparental psychological aggression predicted lower child security with father, regardless of romantic attachment. If the father was insecure, interparental positive engagement predicted lower child security with him. If either the mother or father was avoidant, interparental withdrawal did not predict lower child security, though it did for more secure parents. Results are discussed in terms of implications of attachment-(in)congruent behavior for parents' emotional availability.     

Negotiated nonmonogamy and male couples

One issue that has the potential to confound family or couples therapists working with male couples is the issue of nonmonogamy. For many therapists, sexual nonexclusivity challenges fundamental clinical assumptions that "affairs," or extra-relationship sex or romantic involvements, are symptoms of troubled relationships and are always a form of "sexual acting out." This article explores the issue of sexual exclusivity and nonexclusivity within male couples. In order to achieve both clinical and cultural competency in work with male couples, therapists need to challenge their cultural biases regarding monogamy.     

Longitudinal associations between hostility in adolescents' family relationships and friendships and hostility in their romantic relationships.

This study examined longitudinal predictors of hostility in adolescents' romantic relationships. The sample included 110 adolescents and their parents from 72 families. Observational measures of parents' marital hostility and parent-child hostility and self-reports of hostility in close friendships were collected when adolescents ranged from 14 to 16 years old. Three years later, when they were 17 to 19 years old, adolescents reported on the hostility in their romantic relationships. Results indicated that hostility in parents' marital relationships and in adolescents' friendships accounted for independent variance in hostility in adolescents' later romantic relationships. Results highlight the importance of both family relationships and friendships for predicting hostility in adolescents' romantic relationships over time.     

Minority Stress and Same‐Sex Relationship Satisfaction: The Role of Concealment Motivation

Most lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people want a stable, satisfying romantic relationship. Although many of the predictors of relationship outcomes are similar to those of heterosexual couples, same‐sex couples face some additional challenges associated with minority stress that also impact upon relationship quality. Here, we investigate the association between minority stressors and relationship quality in a sample of 363 adults (M age = 30.37, SD = 10.78) currently in a same‐sex romantic relationship. Internalized homophobia and difficulties accepting one's LGB identity were each negatively associated with relationship satisfaction via heightened concealment motivation. We also examined the protective role of identity affirmation on relationship quality, finding a direct positive relationship between the two variables. Minority stressors were negatively associated with couple relationship satisfaction via heightened concealment motivation. The finding that identity affirmation directly predicted increased couple satisfaction also highlights the important role of protective factors in same‐sex couple relationships.     

Dynamics of perceived social network support for same‐sex versus mixed‐sex relationships

Individuals in mixed‐sex (n = 248) and same‐sex (n = 159) romantic relationships completed several online questions for each member of their social network, including the member's perceived support for their romantic relationship. Those in same‐sex relationships perceived less support for their relationship, but only from family members, not from friends. Levels of relationship support were lower among subjectively more distant network members than among closer network members. As hypothesized, associations between perceived support for the relationship and relationship, mental, and physical well‐being were weaker for those in same‐sex compared to mixed‐sex relationships. Principles of social network management and attributional ambiguity were used to explain the findings.     

Initial Validation of Measures of Sanctification in Same‐Sex Romantic Relationships and Sexual Behavior

Researchers have created reliable and valid scales of the sanctification of romantic relationships and sexual behavior of opposite‐sex couples. The goal of the present study is to assess the reliability and validity of sanctification measures within same‐sex romantic relationships. Measures of sanctification and relationship adjustment were given to 256 persons in same‐sex romantic relationships living in the United States. Both sanctification measures had Cronbach alpha values above 0.80. Sanctification related to relationship adjustment in expected ways. Controlling for demographic variables, general religiosity, and self‐perceived spirituality, the sanctification of a same‐sex romantic relationship was associated with greater investment in the partnership, emotional intimacy toward one's partner, and relationship satisfaction. Sanctifying same‐sex sexual behavior related to more frequent sex and more positive emotions toward sex, after controlling for demographic variables, general religiosity, and perceived spirituality. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

青少年浪漫关系倾向发展特点及其与相关影响因素的关系

采用内隐关系评估测验（IRAP）、单类内隐联想测试（SC-IAT）和问卷法,对204名12～18岁青少年进行研究,考察青少年浪漫关系发展特点,内隐态度、父母依恋及同伴依恋对青少年浪漫关系倾向的预测作用。结果表明：（1）青少年浪漫关系发生倾向存在显著的年级差异,高一年级是青少年浪漫关系发展的敏感时期。（2）青少年浪漫关系内隐态度存在显著的年级差异,随年龄增长,青少年对浪漫关系的支持性增加,但在高三年级略有下降。（3）青少年浪漫关系发生倾向与母亲依恋及同伴依恋呈极其显著负相关。青少年母亲依恋程度在一定程度上可以预测其浪漫关系的发生。