Pressure to not feel bad among (different-sex) romantic partners: prevalence, and correlates.

Western society generally highly values happiness. As a result, people sometimes experience pressure not to feel negative emotions. In this study, we comprehensively investigated this pressure, and how it manifests itself, in adult romantic relationships. Specifically, we first examined when, how often and how intensely people experience pressure not to feel bad from their romantic partners (94 different-sex couples). Additionally, we investigated (both between- and within-person) how this pressure is related to context (presence of, contact and or conflict with a partner), emotional processes (i.e. experienced sadness and anxiety, emotion suppression, and how their partner perceived their affect), and relationship well-being. Using experience sampling methodology data (6/14 reports per day over one week) we found that although participants generally did not experience strong pressure from their partner, they experienced some feelings of pressure about 50% of the time. Furthermore, within-person predictors associated with negative processes/emotions (i.e. negative emotions, conflict, emotion suppression) were related to the momentary frequency (odds) and/or intensity of perceived pressure not to feel bad. At the between-person level, individuals who experience more sadness, anxiety and reported suppressing their emotions more often tended to experience more and/or stronger pressure. Only weak associations with relationship well-being were found.

Coping with sexual violence as a post-assault formed couple: A dyadic phenomenological interview analysis.

Increasing evidence shows that survivors of sexual violence frequently experience relationship difficulties following their victimization. Little is known regarding how couples which formed post-assault cope with the impact of the prior assault. Hence, the aim of the current study was to gain insight into post-assault formed couples' experiences in coping with the impact of sexual violence. To this end, an interview study was conducted with five female survivors and their male partners who began their romantic relationship post-assault. A dyadic phenomenological interview analysis revealed that sexual victimization is a dyadic stressor but is not always considered as such by the couple. In addition, disclosure is described as a potential bonding experience. Flexibility and creativity from both partners are required as they adapt to the post-assault impact. In addition, meaningful communication and considering the perspective of one's partner seemed to be key to dyadically cope successfully. The current study also identified challenges couples had to manage, including caregiver burden and role confusion. Results suggest that interventions supporting couples in their continuous efforts toward mutual understanding can foster trust and growth.

The predictive significance of attachment script assessment hyperactivation and deactivation: evidence of associations with romantic relationship functioning.

This study examined the significance of a novel coding system for evaluating hyperactivation, deactivation, and anomalous content in the Attachment Script Assessment for romantic relationship functioning. In a sample of 208 couples (69% White, Mage 28.7 years), we tested whether ASA hyperactivation and deactivation were associated with theoretically relevant correlates, including observed behavior, parasympathetic reactivity, self-reported affective reactivity to conflict, and relationship satisfaction. Exploratory analyses examined associations of secure base script knowledge (SBSK) and anomalous content with these outcomes. ASA hyperactivation and deactivation were associated with behavioral, physiological, and self-reported functioning in theory-consistent ways. Anomalous content was not associated with romantic functioning. SBSK was associated with satisfaction, but this was not robust to covariates. Findings support the predictive validity of the hyperactivation and deactivation dimensions and suggest that these scales complement SBSK, enabling researchers to assess a wider range of behavioral and physiological indicators associated with distinctive forms of attachment insecurity.

Road Blocks or Building Blocks? A Qualitative Study on Challenges and Resilience in Romantic Relationships of Youth Exposed to Family Violence.

Romantic relationships are an important part of many people's lives and at least partly shaped by experiences during childhood. Youth exposed to family violence during childhood are more likely to experience difficulties in their later romantic relationships. However, a more holistic perspective on the romantic relationships of youth with a history of family violence is lacking. Using both theoretical and inductive thematic analysis, this qualitative study explored challenges as well as positive experiences within romantic relationships of youth exposed to family violence during childhood. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 18 youth aged between 16 and 20 years, who were reported to child protection services. The narratives reflected that youth experienced challenges related to support, connection, trust, boundary setting, emotion regulation and conflict resolution. Furthermore, family violence during childhood seemed to be important in the emergence of these challenges, consistent with theoretical mechanisms described in observational learning theory and attachment theory. However, youth also described positive experiences in their romantic relationships and demonstrated an ability to learn from others (e.g., their current romantic partner) how to communicate effectively or solve problems. Therefore, with the right social or professional support, at-risk youth may be able to overcome these challenges.

Dealing with couple infidelity in romantic relationships: A group intervention feasibility study.

The extent to which group therapy benefits individuals who have experienced couple infidelity remains unexamined. In this study, a brief group intervention for individuals who experienced couple infidelity was designed, and the feasibility of the intervention was evaluated (i.e., acceptability; implementation; measurements' performance and, limited-efficacy testing). The final sample was composed of 20 women and 4 men (M = 29.95 years, SD = 12.3). Twenty-four completed pre and post assessments and 20 of these completed the follow-up assessment. At pre, post, and follow-up, participants responded to a questionnaire packet that included measures of depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms, relationship self-efficacy, centrality of event, cognitive fusion, and decision to forgive. Also, follow-up interviews were conducted. The closed group intervention consisted of eight 90-min weekly sessions. The group therapy process component was based on solution-focused therapy. Psychoeducation component included mindfulness, reflection on personal values, factors that contribute to infidelity, and forgiveness. Session rating scores indicated an overall high acceptance of the intervention, its contents, and goals. Interview reports showed that dealing with thoughts and emotions, understanding infidelity, and forgiveness were the most helpful contents. Group support and processes were also positively valued. Repeated-measures MANOVA results indicated statistically significant decrease in symptoms, cognitive fusion, and importance of the event, as well as an increase in self-efficacy. Measurement instruments showed adequate reliability. These results indicate that a group treatment may be an alternative format to help individuals deal with psychological consequences of couple infidelity, when couple therapy is not possible.

Risky Alcohol Use and Romantic Relationships Among College Students: A Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Risky alcohol use is frequent among college students and can be associated with functional outcomes. Bidirectional associations have been shown between alcohol use and the stability of romantic relationships, though little is known about the longitudinal association between risky alcohol use and romantic relationships in college and about college students' perceived stress regarding one's love life. Objectives: The present study aims to explore these relationships both cross-sectionally and at one-year follow-up. METHOD: Data were drawn, from the French portion of the World Mental Health International College Student Survey initiative (WMH-ICS). First-year college students who completed an online survey (n = 1,624) and a second survey at one-year follow-up (n = 727) were included. Current romantic relationship status and stress regarding one's love life, past-year risky alcohol use, lifetime presence of DSM-5 mental health disorders and sociodemographic correlates were assessed. RESULTS: Risky alcohol use was cross-sectionally associated with dating in multivariate models adjusting for lifetime mental disorders (aOR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.31-2.20), and in particular with unsteady relationships (aOR = 2.87, 95%CI = 2.01-4.10), but was no longer associated with both one year later. Risky alcohol use was, however, not associated with severe perceived stress regarding one's love life in multivariate models adjusting for lifetime mental disorders in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, while it was associated in bivariate models for both analyses. CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend our understanding of the association between excessive drinking and romantic relationship patterns among college students underlying the importance of comorbid disorders.

Motivations for Endogamous Relationship Preferences.

People tend to select romantic partners who belong to the same social group as themselves (i.e., endogamy). However, there is limited research on the proximal psychological motivations for choosing endogamous relationship partners. The purpose of this research was to develop a measure of motivations for endogamous relationship preferences and to assess whether such motivations were associated with actual dating experiences and attitudes toward endogamy across four common social categories: race and/or ethnicity, religion, social class, and education. Data from an online sample of participants (Study 1, n = 341) were used to generate items assessing motivations for endogamous relationship preferences. This initial set of items was administered to a new sample of participants (Study 2, n = 193) to establish the component structure of the measure and to examine whether the motivational components were associated with participants' past exogamous dating experiences as well as the perceived importance of dating within one's own racial and/or ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and educational group. Endogamy motivations characterized by intergroup prejudice were the strongest and most consistent correlates of endogamous relationships and the perceived importance of endogamy. Study 3 (n = 332) replicated the component structure of the measure and the general pattern of associations documented in Study 2, and provided evidence for the measure's construct validity. The overall findings suggest that intergroup prejudice partially explains preferences for endogamous relationships.

Strengths, Struggles, and Strategies: How Adults with Serious Mental Illness Navigate Long-Term Romantic Relationships.

Married individuals and those in committed romantic relationships generally report having better mental health outcomes than their single or divorced counterparts. However, studies of romantic relationships for adults with mental illness have often ignored rewarding aspects of romantic relationships and have focused primarily on relationship difficulties. In this study, 23 adults with serious mental illness in long-term romantic relationships described their relationship strengths and struggles in small focus group discussions. Content analysis was used to characterize themes from participant accounts. Overall, participants described deep emotional bonds with their partners, a mutual willingness to work on their relationship, and good communication skills as relationship strengths. Mental health symptoms and internalized stigma were identified as major contributors to relationship struggles. Participants spontaneously identified intentional strategies that they used to navigate mental health challenges in their relationship that included self-directed, partner-directed, and couple-directed actions. Implications of findings for research and practice are discussed.

The romantic relationships of adopted adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: There is a gap in the literature on the romantic relationships of adopted adolescents. To address this issue, the present study has three aims: (1) to explore differences between adopted and non-adopted adolescents in terms of their involvement in and the length of their romantic relationships; (2) to explore the quality of these relationships; and (3) to analyze associations between affective relationships and well-being in both groups. METHOD: The sample comprised 276 adopted (64.5% girls; mean age 16.3 years, 73.9% international adoptees) and 276 non-adopted (48.3% girls; mean age 16.3 years) adolescents, all of whom participated in the Spanish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. RESULTS: Similar romantic relationship rates and lengths were found among adoptees and non-adoptees, as well as between international and domestic adoptees. Adoptees reported more emotional support and conflicts in their romantic relationships than their non-adopted peers. Finally, associations between the quality of the romantic relationships and well-being were similar for both groups, with more conflicts being linked to lower levels of well-being, and more emotional support and affection correlating with higher levels of well-being. DISCUSSION: The data suggest more similarities than differences between adopted and non-adopted adolescents. However, although this indicates that romantic relationships are yet another example of recovery for adopted boys and girls, further research is required, with larger and more diverse samples from multiple countries, to explore the differences observed in more detail.

Insecure attachment and support-seeking during COVID-19: a sequential mixed methods investigation.

The COVID-19 pandemic led many couples to stay at home together with minimal contact with others. As social distancing measures reduced contact with outside households, many partners could seek support only from one another. In two studies using a sequential mixed methods design, we investigated support-seeking behaviors in romantic relationships during COVID-19. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews (n = 48) showed differences in how and why partners seek support with an initial consideration of the role of attachment. We identified the following themes: direct support-seeking, indirect support-seeking, (in)dependence, and gender dynamics. In the quantitative study (n = 588), high COVID-19 worry, high attachment anxiety, and low attachment avoidance were associated with more support-seeking. Interestingly, we also found that when COVID-19 worry was high, individuals high in attachment avoidance were more likely to report seeking support. The paper provides a unique insight into the impact of COVID-19 on support-seeking behaviors in romantic relationships.

Behavioral pathways from sibling relationships in adolescence to romantic partnerships in adulthood.

Sibling relationships in adolescence provide rich and relevant socializing opportunities for developing early adult romantic relationships, but much less is known regarding the effect of siblings on future romantic partnerships. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, we investigated the association between observed positive behaviors (warmth, support, positive communication), sibling pairs during adolescence (7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grades), and the same observed behaviors between adult romantic partners nearly two decades later (M age = 31 years old). In structural equation models (SEMs), we tested four dyadic pathways of interest: (1) individual behavioral continuity; (2) evocative partner effects; (3) sibling modeling; and (4) sibling-to-partner matching. In multiple group analyses, we also investigated gendered socialization effects for different sibling dyads (i.e., brother-brother; sister-sister; and mixed-sex sibling pairs). Results showed strong continuity from adolescent behavior toward their sibling to the same behavior toward their romantic partner in early adulthood, but there was no evidence for sibling modeling effects nor for sibling matching. We also found significant differences between sister-sister sibling dyads compared to brother-brother and mixed-sex sibling dyads for the evocative pathway. Findings highlight the "long view" of positive adolescent behavior in sibling relationships for shaping future romantic partnerships in adulthood.

"It's an ongoing discussion about desire": Adults' strategies for managing sexual and affectionate desire discrepancies in romantic relationships.

Desire discrepancies are a common source of relationship conflict and one reason adults may seek couples counseling. Within romantic relationships, adults individually experience sexual and affectionate desire, but also experience desire relative to their partner. If desire discrepancies exist, partners may attempt to resolve these discrepancies. Thus, we examined adults' strategies for managing sexual and affectionate desire discrepancies. Our sample consisted of 300 adults (45% women; Mage = 29.5; 86.3% LGBTQ+) who were in a romantic relationship and reported a desire discrepancy. Thematic analysis revealed five strategies for managing desire discrepancies: alternative behaviors, communication, doing nothing, engaging in behaviors anyway, and giving control to a specific partner. Adults reported similar strategies for resolving sexual and affectionate desire discrepancies. Perceived effectiveness and strategies varied by whether adults thought that their discrepancies were problematic. Our findings hold implications for clinicians approaching problematic desire discrepancies, and suggest strategies that may promote effective resolutions.

The mediating role of social media addiction and phubbing in basic psychological needs in relationships and relationship satisfaction.

This study aimed to examine the mediating role of phubbing and social media addiction in the correlation between satisfaction levels of basic psychological needs in romantic relationships and relationship satisfaction. The participants were 958 students from various universities in Türkiye. The research utilized demographic information form for personal information of the participants, the Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs in Romantic Relationships Scale, the Generic Scale of Phubbing, the Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form, and the Relationship Satisfaction Scale. It was concluded in the research that social media addiction and phubbing had a mediating role in the correlation between the needs for love/belonging ß = 0.05, power ß = 0.03, and freedom ß = -0.08 and the relationship satisfaction. The bootstrapping method performed in the study showed that indirect effect of the need for fun on the relationship satisfaction was significant, but in the Sobel test, social media addiction and phubbing was not found to have a mediating role in this correlation (p > 0.05). It was concluded that phubbing had a mediating role for all needs other than the need for fun in the correlation between satisfaction of basic psychological needs in romantic relationships and social media addiction. Finally, social media addiction was found to have a mediating role in the correlation between phubbing and relationship satisfaction. These findings were discussed in line with the literature. As shown by the findings, it was observed that satisfaction of basic psychological needs in romantic relationships affected the relationship satisfaction, and social media addiction and phubbing had a mediating role in that correlation.

Feeling loved in mixed-gender adolescent romantic relationships in the face of daily stress and support: A dyadic diary study.

A profound developmental experience is the emergence of adolescent romantic relationships and first feelings of love. However, the daily nature of feeling loved in adolescents' everyday lives is poorly understood. We investigated how daily stress severity was associated with adolescents' levels of feeling loved and whether romantic partner support moderated these associations. Furthermore, we investigated this for non-interpersonal and interpersonal stressors. N = 97 mixed-gender adolescent romantic couples (age M = 16.38, SD = 1.02) from an ethnically diverse sample (42.2% Hispanic/Latino/a/x, 44.7% White) participated in dyadic diary assessments twice a week for 12 consecutive weeks. Both partners independently completed open-ended questions about a daily stressor, indicating stress severity, perceived partner support, and feeling loved. Daily stressors were coded for non-interpersonal and various types of interpersonal stressors. Results from the dyadic multilevel model showed that days with lower than average support from a romantic partner amplify the adverse effects of stress severity on feeling loved, especially when the partner is involved in the stressor. We discuss the spillover of stress in romantic relationships and the stress-buffering functions of adolescent romantic partner support. Adolescent romantic partners are potentially essential regulators of stress, increasing adolescents' feelings of love. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Romantic love is central in adolescents' lives; we showed that adolescents generally feel loved by romantic partners. Feeling loved fluctuates daily as adolescents feel less loved on stressful days. However, when adolescents perceive their partner as supportive, there is no association between stress and feeling loved. Partner support is protective for feeling loved. The current study provides essential insights into when adolescents and why adolescents feel loved.

Variation in emotion dynamics over time is associated with future relationship outcomes.

Romantic relationships are defined by emotion dynamics, or how the emotions of one partner at a single timepoint can affect their own emotions and the emotions of their partner at the next timepoint. Previous research has shown that the level of these emotion dynamics plays a role in determining the state and quality of the relationship. However, this research has not examined whether the estimated emotion dynamics change over time, and how the change in these dynamics might relate to relationship outcomes, despite changes in dynamics being likely to occur. We examined whether the magnitude of variation in emotion dynamics over time was associated with relationship outcomes in a sample of 148 couples. Time-varying vector autoregressive models were used to estimate the emotion dynamics for each couple, and the average and standard deviation of the dynamics over time was related to relationship quality and relationship dissolution 1-2 years later. Our results demonstrate that certain autoregressive and cross-lagged parameters do show significant variation over time, and that this variation is associated with relationship outcomes. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of accounting for change in emotion dynamics over time, and the relevance of this change to the prediction of future outcomes.

"I felt so powerful to have this love in me": A grounded theory analysis of the experiences of people living with and recovering from eating disorders while in diverse romantic relationships.

Romantic partners have the potential to influence attitudes and behaviors related to body image and disordered eating. However, the role that romantic relationships can play in eating disorder (ED) recovery has not been comprehensively investigated. The present study aimed to explore the ways that people living with and recovering from EDs experience their romantic relationships, with the specific objective of developing a novel theoretical framework, grounded in the experiences of people in diverse romantic relationships, to guide future research on the topic. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 66 people (45 cisgender women, 11 cisgender men, 9 nonbinary people, and 1 transgender man) living with and recovering from EDs while in romantic relationships. Our grounded theory analysis yielded a theoretical model of ED management in romantic relationships, revealing that Individual and Relationship Characteristics intersected with Relationship-Related Stressors and were navigated using Eating Disorder and Relationship Management Strategies. Combined with Partner Support and Tensions, these management strategies were related to Relationship and Mental Health Outcomes, which affected and were affected by Future Concerns. Future researchers should continue to build on, expand, and modify this model and further explore the role of romantic relationships in the experience of people living with EDs.

Setting Appropriateness and Romantic Relationship Initiation Success.

Does the setting in which a relationship initiation attempt occurs matter to its success? Identical initiations could yield differential success if enacted in different settings. Data from five independent samples highlight the role settings play in the perception of (hypothetical) relationship initiation attempts and (expectations of) their success. Study 1a sourced a wide variety of settings for real-world relationship initiations. A separate sample rated the identified settings on initiation appropriateness (Study 1b). Study 2 tested the appropriateness and associated outcomes of initiation settings while varying aspects of the interpersonal context (initiator attractiveness, Study 2a; initiator familiarity, Study 2b; sexual nature of proposition, Study 2c). Irrespective of initiator attractiveness, familiarity, or type of proposal, perceptions of initiations' success were impacted by the settings' appropriateness. This work is the first to empirically test whether perceptions and outcomes of initiation attempts differ as a function of the setting in which they occur.

Perceived Impacts of Partners' Other Relationships on Oneself in Consensual Nonmonogamy.

Existing research suggests a number of both costs and benefits to oneself that can occur as a result of partners' other relationships in consensual nonmonogamy (CNM), but such costs and benefits have not previously been systematically cataloged. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we present themes derived from semi-structured interviews with 51 individuals (63% white, 55% nonbinary/genderqueer/non-cisgendered, and 77% LGBQ) who have practiced CNM, describing the costs and benefits to themselves that they perceive as a result of their partners' other relationships. Themes describing costs include experiencing difficult feelings (e.g., jealousy), having less with a partner (e.g., less of a partner's time) than one would like, difficulties or conflict within one's own relationship, and difficulties or conflict as a result of interactions between metamours (individuals who share a partner). Themes describing benefits include experiencing positive feelings (e.g., compersion), benefiting from a partner getting needs met in other relationships, strengthening of or pleasurable interactions within one's own relationship, enjoyable or beneficial relationships or interactions between metamours, and personal growth as a result of sharing partners with others. We note that these costs and benefits roughly mirror each other, suggesting that they may reflect the positive and negative sides of some fundamental aspects of CNM. Each of our themes also contains a rich range of elements that suggest avenues for future research. Our results suggest that CNM relationships are complex and multi-faceted, and that further research could fruitfully examine the circumstances that influence whether individuals experience their partners' other relationships positively or negatively.

Adolescents' relationships with parents and romantic partners in eight countries.

INTRODUCTION: Creating romantic relationships characterized by high-quality, satisfaction, few conflicts, and reasoning strategies to handle conflicts is an important developmental task for adolescents connected to the relational models they receive from their parents. This study examines how parent-adolescent conflicts, attachment, positive parenting, and communication are related to adolescents' romantic relationship quality, satisfaction, conflicts, and management. METHOD: We interviewed 311 adolescents at two time points (females = 52%, ages 15 and 17) in eight countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States). Generalized and linear mixed models were run considering the participants' nesting within countries. RESULTS: Adolescents with negative conflicts with their parents reported low romantic relationship quality and satisfaction and high conflicts with their romantic partners. Adolescents experiencing an anxious attachment to their parents reported low romantic relationship quality, while adolescents with positive parenting showed high romantic relationship satisfaction. However, no association between parent-adolescent relationships and conflict management skills involving reasoning with the partner was found. No associations of parent-adolescent communication with romantic relationship dimensions emerged, nor was there any effect of the country on romantic relationship quality or satisfaction. CONCLUSION: These results stress the relevance of parent-adolescent conflicts and attachment as factors connected to how adolescents experience romantic relationships.

Romantic relationships attenuated competition between lovers: evidence from brain synchronization.

Competition is an essential component of social interaction and is influenced by interpersonal relationships. This study is based on social exchange theory and explores the relationship between brain synchronization and competition in the binary system of romantic relationships through electroencephalogram hyperscanning technology. The results found that females had a greater win rate in the romantic and friend groups. During the early stage (0-200 ms), when the competitive target appeared, the stranger group exhibited greater interbrain synchronicity in the Alpha frequency band. However, during the later stage (600-800 ms), the romantic group showed higher Alpha band interbrain synchrony when the competitive target appeared. Significant interbrain synchronizations were observed in the Theta frequency band of the stranger and friend groups at 400-600 ms and 800-1000 ms. Moreover, these interbrain synchronizations were significantly positively correlated with the winning rates of females in the competition. These findings suggest a close relationship between interpersonal coordination and interbrain synchronization. Furthermore, romantic relationships reduce participants' willingness to compete, affecting their attention regulation, emotional processing, and goal orientation, thus influencing competition. This study investigated the impact of romantic relationships on competition, providing a theoretical foundation for promoting the positive and healthy development of romantic relationships.