Romantic attraction and conflict negotiation among late adolescent and early adult romantic couples

The dimensionality of the Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory across age and relationships

Close interpersonal conflicts between parents and children, marital or romantic partners, and between friends are common, and adjustment in youth and adults depends on how these conflicts are managed. While conflict management is important for relationships and adjustment, the structure of conflict management in adults or in youths has rarely been examined. Knowing how conflict management is structured, and whether this structure changes with age and relationships, is important to understanding what factors influence the development of conflict management skills, and how to intervene. In the current study, we explored the unidimensional vs. multidimensional structure of conflict management in family relationships, friendships and romantic relationships across adolescence and adulthood. The sample consisted of 497 Dutch adolescents (57% boys, Mage = 13.03, SD = 0.46, 11-15 years old) who were followed over 11 years in 9 measurement waves, and their parents, siblings, best friends (six waves), and romantic partner (three waves). First-order factor analyses (CFA) showed that the structure of conflict management is similar for adolescents and adults, across relationships. The results of second-order models, including the theoretical higher dimensions positive/negative conflict management and engagement/disengagement, showed no support for these higher dimensions. The results of bifactor models showed differences between adults and youths: while positive problem solving was part of the general factor of conflict management in adults, it was not part of this general factor in adolescents. The general factor was linked to increases in internalizing and externalizing problems, and with decreases in prosocial behavior. Overall, the bifactor models increased the interpretability and validity of the conflict management measure.

Women with mood disorders and couples conflict: menopause symptom improvement, after group therapy

OBJECTIVE

Although a public health crisis, intimate partner violence (IPV) has been understudied for middle-aged women with mood disorders during their perimenopausal and postmenopausal years. The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between IPV and hot flashes/night sweats (HF/NS) frequency and severity among women with mood disorders and to test whether the effect of cognitive behavioral group therapy on menopausal symptoms differs between those with and without IPV at baseline and post-test.

METHODS

Of 59 participants from a mood disorders outpatient clinic enrolled in the parent study, 24 experienced IPV. This study analyzed pretreatment and post-treatment data from the Revised Conflict Tactic Scale - Short Form-2, and HF/NS frequency and severity ratings on the Hot Flash Daily Diary using the McNemar chi-square test.

RESULTS

The presence of any type of violence at pretreatment was significantly (p < 0.01) linked to improvements in HF/NS frequency and severity. Women who showed improvements in negotiation skills had better outcomes in menopausal symptoms. Sexual coercion increased from one to three women.

CONCLUSIONS

Negotiation skills may help women with mood disorders to reduce HF/NS frequency and severity. More studies need to be conducted with a special focus on helping women in this population.

Does Gottman's Marital Communication Conceptualization Inform Teen Dating Violence? Communication Skill Deficits Analyzed Across Three Samples of Diverse Adolescents

Communication skill deficits are thought to contribute to teen dating violence (TDV), parallel to the inclusion of these throughout prevention curricula. Communication research among adolescents is highly underdeveloped, although a preliminary study utilizing Gottman's marital communication conceptualization found that a majority of negative communication behaviors predictive of marital distress were also associated with relationship aggression among primarily White college students. Our aim was to replicate this study with diverse samples of adolescents (50.3% Latino, 23.5% Black; M_age = 16.06). Urban high school youth, pregnant and parenting youth in residential foster care, and youth in urban after-school programs self-reported on their use of maladaptive and adaptive communication behaviors, relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment), and emotional, physical, sexual, relational, and threatening dating violence. Across samples, maladaptive communication and particularly flooding (i.e., the tendency to become overwhelmed, leave the argument) and the four horsemen (i.e., a cascading and negative communication sequence) were associated with higher likelihood of multiple types of TDV. Relationship quality was associated with decreased likelihood for TDV among high school and after-school youth samples, but with increased likelihood among youth in foster care. Results indicate that youth utilize a wide range of both adaptive and maladaptive communication behaviors, and that similar maladaptive patterns predictive of relationship distress in young adulthood and in marriage are also associated with distress in adolescents' dating relationships. Equipping youth with adaptive communication skills as part of a comprehensive approach to reducing TDV and enhancing healthy relationships is meaningful for diverse adolescents. Further research is warranted concerning youth's perceptions of relationship quality and risk of TDV.

Conflict resolution patterns and violence perpetration in adolescent couples: A gender-sensitive mixed-methods approach

This study used a sequential two-phase explanatory design. The first phase of this mixed-methods design aimed to explore conflict resolution strategies in adolescent dating couples, and the second phase to document, from both the perspective of the individual and of the couple, dyadic interaction patterns distinguishing youth inflicting dating violence from those who do not. A sample of 39 heterosexual couples (mean age 17.8 years) participated in semi-structured interviews and were observed during a 45 min dyadic interaction. At phase 1, qualitative analysis revealed three main types of conflict resolution strategies: 1) negotiating expectations and individual needs; 2) avoiding conflicts or their resolution; 3) imposing personal needs and rules through the use of violence. At phase 2, we focused on couples with conflictive patterns. Results indicate that couples who inflict violence differ from nonviolent couples by their tendency to experience conflicts when in disagreement and to resort to negative affects as a resolution strategy. In addition, while at an individual level, they show a tendency to withdraw from conflict and to use less positive affect, at a dyadic level they present less symmetry. Results offer important insights for prevention programs.

One-sided and mutually aggressive couples: Differences in attachment, conflict prevalence, and coping

This study investigated concurrent links between adolescent romantic couples' reports of aggression (relational and physical) and relationship functioning (e.g., attachment security, conflict prevalence, coping strategies, jealousy, and affiliative and romantic relationship quality) using a pattern-oriented approach. The sample included 194 romantic partner dyads (Mage=16.99 years for females and Mage=18.41 years for males). A hierarchical cluster analysis identified five distinct subgroups of dyads based on male and female reports of relational and physical aggression, ranging from nonaggressive couples (42%), to those characterized by aggressive females (18%), aggressive males (14%), physically aggressive females (20%), and mutually aggressive females and males (6%). Clusters in which one partner was perceived as either relationally or physically aggressive were characterized by higher rates of conflict, less adaptive coping, and more jealousy (particularly in males). The mutually aggressive couples showed the least adaptive relationship functioning, with high rates of conflict, a deficit in reflection and emotion regulation in conflict situations, and a lack of affiliative relationship qualities. The discussion focuses on the formative character of aggression in these early romantic relations, the aggravating impact of mutual aggression on relationship functioning, and the gender-specific functions of aggression in relationships characterized by unilateral aggression.

"Bad Romance": Links between Psychological and Physical Aggression and Relationship Functioning in Adolescent Couples

Assortative mating is an important issue in explaining antisocial, aggressive behavior. It is yet unclear, whether the similarity paradigm fully explains frequent displays of aggression in adolescents’ romantic relationships. In a sample of 194 romantic partner dyads, differences between female and male partners’ reports of aggression (psychological and physical) and different measures of relationship functioning (e.g., jealousy, conflicts, and the affiliative and romantic quality of the relationship) were assessed. A hierarchical cluster analysis identified five distinct subgroups of dyads based on male and female reports of psychological and physical aggression: nonaggressive couples, couples with higher perceived aggressiveness (both physical and psychological) by females, couples with higher aggressiveness perceived by males and mutually aggressive couples. A substantial number of non-aggressive dyads emerged. Of note was the high number of females showing one-sided aggression, which was, however, not countered by their partner. The mutually aggressive couples showed the least adaptive relationship functioning, with a lack of supportive, trusting relationship qualities, high conflict rates and high jealousy. The discussion focuses on the different functions of aggression in these early romantic relations, and the aggravating impact of mutual aggression on relationship functioning and its potential antisocial outcomes.

Mexican American Adolescent Couples Communicating About Conflict

Using observational methods on a small sample of committed Mexican American couples ( N=10, ages 15-17, M length of relationship = 26.5 months), we describe and categorize developmental and cultural communication patterns concerning the negotiation of conflict issues. Videotaped dyadic interactions were transcribed and qualitatively coded using iterative confirmatory and exploratory approaches. Quantitative indicators confirmed the categorization of couples into discourse styles, as well as elucidated the contexts and extent of overlap of developmental and cultural themes. Nine of ten couples had a serious discussion of relational conflict issues, lasting a majority of the time allotted (14 minutes). Five couples’ conversations were consumed by blaming/criticizing, interrupted by small stretches of one-sided taking of responsibility, suggestions, or voiced intentions for new behaviors to resolve the conflict. The remaining four couples enhanced their understanding of the relationship through mutual and respectful exploration of their chosen conflict issues. Culturally salient themes were identified, including adaptive machismo, familismo, and caballero care. The latter denoted bids for demonstration of care or affection from a girl on behalf of her partner, which together with discussion of family-oriented topics, contextualized the content of conflict discussions. Adolescent boys demonstrated adaptive machismo traits, elucidating how conflict negotiation itself was influenced by cultural values. Taken together, findings point to the importance of viewing Mexican American adolescents’ negotiation of conflict in light of cultural values including commitment to the relationship.