Conflict in romantic relationships: Personality traits and the amount of reported conflict between romantic partners

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay Rice ◽  
Sara Lowmaster ◽  
Charlotte Markey ◽  
Patrick Markey
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Romantic Partners

Self-other agreement in disgust sensitivity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Karinen ◽  
Joshua M. Tybur ◽  
Reinout E. de Vries
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Political Attitudes ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Disgust Sensitivity ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Moral Disgust ◽  
Sexual Disgust ◽  
Moral Condemnation

A broad literature indicates that pathogen, sexual, and moral disgust sensitivity relate to, among other things, political attitudes, moral condemnation, and symptoms of psychopathology. As such, instruments measuring disgust sensitivity have been widely used across subfields of psychology. Yet, surprisingly little work has examined whether self-reports in disgust sensitivity reflect systematic trait variation. Here, we present the first study to examine self-other agreement in pathogen, sexual, and moral disgust sensitivity. Romantic partners (n1 = 290), friends (n2 = 212) and acquaintances (n3 = 140) rated each other on these three domains of disgust sensitivity and on the HEXACO personality dimensions. Correlations between dyad partners’ self- and other-ratings were calculated to estimate the magnitude of self-other agreement. We found self-other agreement in all domains of disgust sensitivity (r’s of .36, .46, and .66 for moral, pathogen, and sexual disgust sensitivity, respectively), with this agreement only slightly inferred from personality perceptions (percentages mediated by HEXACO were 15%, 7%, and 33% for pathogen, sexual, and moral disgust sensitivity, respectively). These results suggest that pathogen, sexual, and moral disgust sensitivity reflect systematic trait variation that is detectable by others and distinct from broader personality traits.

scholarly journals We’re Not That Choosy: Emerging Evidence of a Progression Bias in Romantic Relationships

2021 ◽  
pp. 108886832110258
Author(s):  
Samantha Joel ◽  
Geoff MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Test Phase ◽  
Relationship Development ◽  
Cultural Narrative ◽  
Relationship Initiation ◽  
Relationship Decisions

Dating is widely thought of as a test phase for romantic relationships, during which new romantic partners carefully evaluate each other for long-term fit. However, this cultural narrative assumes that people are well equipped to reject poorly suited partners. In this article, we argue that humans are biased toward pro-relationship decisions—decisions that favor the initiation, advancement, and maintenance of romantic relationships. We first review evidence for a progression bias in the context of relationship initiation, investment, and breakup decisions. We next consider possible theoretical underpinnings—both evolutionary and cultural—that may explain why getting into a relationship is often easier than getting out of one, and why being in a less desirable relationship is often preferred over being in no relationship at all. We discuss potential boundary conditions that the phenomenon may have, as well as its implications for existing theoretical models of mate selection and relationship development.

scholarly journals Eroticism versus Nurturance: How Eroticism and Nurturance Differs in Polyamorous and Monogamous Relationships

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda Nicole Balzarini ◽  
Christoffer Dharma ◽  
SHaRe Lab ◽  
Taylor Kohut
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Primary Partner ◽  
Relationship Length

Romantic partners provide both erotic and nurturing experiences, though these may emerge more strongly in different phases of a relationship. Unlike individuals in monogamous relationships, those in polyamorous relationships can pursue multiple romantic relationships simultaneously, potentially allowing them to experience higher levels of eroticism and nurturance. This research examined eroticism and nurturance among individuals in polyamorous and monogamous relationships. As expected, polyamorous participants experienced less eroticism but more nurturance in their relationships with their primary partner compared to secondary. Furthermore, people in polyamorous relationships reported more nurturance with primary partners and eroticism with secondary partners compared to people in monogamous relationships. These findings suggest that polyamory may provide a unique opportunity for individuals to experience both eroticism and nurturance simultaneously.Keywords: polyamory; monogamy; nurturance; eroticism; relationship length

Meddling Friends and Family: Dark Tetrad Traits Predict Interference in Disliked Couples' Romantic Relationships

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Collisson ◽  
Jennifer Lee Howell ◽  
Jasmine Monleon
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Family Members ◽  
The Other

Certain disapproving friends and family may interfere in others’ romantic relationships by undermining commitment processes. In the current study, we assessed whether friends and family members’ scores on the Dark Tetrad, a constellation of socially aversive personality traits including narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism, predict relationship interference. In Study 1, 206 people selected a friend who was currently in a romantic relationship they disliked or disapproved of. They then indicated how often they interfered in the disliked couple’s relationship, completed measures of the Dark Tetrad, and additional measures of interest (e.g., gender, closeness to the target of interference). In Study 2, 180 people selected a family member who was currently or formerly in a disliked relationship, before completing the same measures. In both studies, overall dark personality and closeness to the friend or family member positively correlated with relationship interference. Additionally, when controlling for overall dark personality and the other dark tetrad traits, sadism specifically predicted interference with friends’ relationships; high narcissism and, surprisingly, low Machiavellianism predicted interference with family members’ relationships. Implications for dark personality traits and relationships are discussed.

scholarly journals Consistency between individuals' past and current romantic partners' own reports of their personalities

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (26) ◽  
pp. 12793-12797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoobin Park ◽  
Geoff MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Personality Profiles ◽  
Unique Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Average Person ◽  
Partner Similarity ◽  
The Individual

Do people have a “type” when it comes to their romantic partners’ personalities? In the present research, we used data from a 9-y longitudinal study in Germany and examined the similarity between an individual’s ex- and current partners using the partners’ self-reported personality profiles. Based on the social accuracy model, our analyses distinguished similarity between partners that was attributable to similarity to an average person (normative similarity) and resemblance to the target participant himself/herself (self-partner similarity) to more precisely examine similarity from partner to partner (distinctive similarity). The results revealed a significant degree of distinctive partner similarity, suggesting that there may indeed be a unique type of person each individual ends up with. We also found that distinctive partner similarity was weaker for people high in extraversion or openness to experience, suggesting that these individuals may be less likely to be in a relationship with someone similar to their ex-partner (although the individual difference effects were not mirrored in an alternative analytic approach). These findings provide evidence for stability in distinctive partner personality and have important implications for predicting future partnering behaviors and actions in romantic relationships.

scholarly journals Maximizing Tendencies in Marriage: Accentuating the Implications of Readily Observable Partner Characteristics for Intimates’ Satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1468-1481
Author(s):  
Juliana E. French ◽  
Andrea L. Meltzer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Relationship Outcomes ◽  
Partner Characteristics ◽  
Potential Alternative ◽  
Over Time

People differ in their tendencies to labor over decisions and to make choices that maximize their outcomes—a difference known as maximization. Here, we used two independent, 3-year longitudinal studies of newlywed couples to demonstrate that this individual difference in decision making has important implications for romantic relationships. Consistent with the idea that maximizers are more likely to compare their current romantic partners to potential alternative partners’ readily observable qualities, such as their physical attractiveness and status, results demonstrated that intimates’ maximization moderated the implications of these sex-differentiated variables for marital satisfaction. Specifically, maximizing men who had attractive (vs. unattractive) wives were more satisfied at the start of their marriages. Likewise, maximizing women who had high (vs. low) status husbands experienced less steep declines in satisfaction over time. These findings demonstrate that maximization has important implications for long-term romantic relationships by accentuating the effects of readily observable partner qualities on relationship outcomes.

scholarly journals Romantic Relationship Churn in Early Adolescence Predicts Hostility, Abuse, and Avoidance in Relationships Into Early Adulthood

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 1195-1225
Author(s):  
Emily L. Loeb ◽  
Jessica Kansky ◽  
Rachel K. Narr ◽  
Caroline Fowler ◽  
Joseph P. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Early Adolescence ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Developmental Pathway ◽  
Close Friendships

This study examined early adolescent romantic “churning,” defined here as having a large number of boyfriends/girlfriends by age 13, as a problematic marker likely to predict hostility, abuse, and avoidance during conflict in later relationships. A sample of 184 adolescents was followed through age 24 to assess predictions of hostility, abuse, and avoidance during conflict from early romantic churning. Controlling for gender and family income, romantic churning at age 13 predicted relative decreases in peer preference and relative increases in conflict and betrayal in close friendships from ages 13 to 16, as well as higher observable hostility and self- and partner-reported abuse in romantic relationships by age 18 and greater avoidance during conflict with romantic partners by age 24. Findings remained after accounting for attachment security, social competence, and friendship quality in early adolescence, suggesting that early romantic churning may uniquely predict a problematic developmental pathway.

scholarly journals Using Multiple Methods to Evaluate Associations Among Externalizing Psychopathology, Personality, and Relationship Quality: A Replication and Extension

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 480-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhila N. Wildey ◽  
M. Brent Donnellan ◽  
Kelly L. Klump ◽  
S. Alexandra Burt
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Relationship Adjustment ◽  
Prior Work ◽  
Multiple Methods ◽  
Externalizing Psychopathology

The current study evaluated associations among externalizing psychopathology, personality, and relationship quality in a sample of 794 couples. Personality and psychopathology were assessed using dimensional measures, and relationship attributes were assessed with both self-report and observer reports of videotaped interactions. Results were consistent with prior work (i.e., Humbad, Donnellan, Iacono, & Burt, 2010) such that greater externalizing psychopathology remained a significant predictor of lower relationship adjustment, while controlling for personality traits. Importantly, dimensional measures of externalizing psychopathology showed stronger associations with relationship adjustment when compared to symptom count measures used in Humbad et al. (2010). These results highlight the importance of replication and extension studies, the usefulness of dimensional measures of psychopathology, and the value of multiple methods of assessment to increase confidence in the robustness of associations between pathological attributes of personality and features of romantic relationships.

scholarly journals Longitudinal changes in emerging adults’ attachment preferences for their mother, father, friends, and romantic partner

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomo Umemura ◽  
Lenka Lacinová ◽  
Petr Macek ◽  
E. Saskia Kunnen
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Multiple Regression ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Time Points ◽  
The Family ◽  
Latent Difference Score

Only a few studies have longitudinally explored to whom emerging adults prefer to turn to seek closeness, comfort, and security (called “attachment preferences”), and previous studies on attachment preferences in emerging adults have focused only on the beginning of romantic relationships but not on the end of relationships. Czech emerging adults ( M = 21.47; SD = 1.48) completed the questionnaire of attachment preferences at two time points, Wave 1 (Summer 2013) and Wave 2 (Summer 2014). Latent difference score analyses revealed that emerging adults who were not in a romantic relationship in Wave 1 but started a romantic relationship between the two waves ( n = 97) and those who had a romantic partner in both waves ( n = 379) were both more likely to increase their attachment preference for the romantic partner and decrease their preference for friends, whereas those who did not start a relationship ( n = 185) were not. Emerging adults who were in a romantic relationship in Wave 1 but were not in Wave 2 ( n = 69) decreased their preference for the partner and increased their preference for friends. In all the groups, attachment preferences for the mother, for the father, or for the family did not change. Multiple regression analyses further revealed that for those who had a romantic partner in both waves, their length of romantic relationship was associated with changes in attachment preferences for romantic partners and for friends.

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