Relationship Satisfaction Across the Transition to Parenthood: The Impact of Conflict Behavior

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Björn Huss ◽  
Matthias Pollmann-Schult
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Conflict Behavior ◽  
Transition To Motherhood ◽  
Differential Vulnerability ◽  
Relationship Conflicts ◽  
Differential Exposure ◽  
Vulnerability Hypothesis ◽  
The Impact

The transition to parenthood is often accompanied by declines in relationship satisfaction. Using longitudinal data from six waves of the German family panel pairfam ( N = 1,739), the authors tested whether these declines are driven by increases in and more intense forms of conflict (differential exposure hypothesis) and by a greater sensitivity to relationship conflicts after the transition to parenthood (differential vulnerability hypothesis). The analyses showed strong support for the differential exposure hypothesis among women and partial support among men. Across the transition to motherhood, women experience increases in conflict that account for decreases in relationship satisfaction. The findings showed no support for the differential vulnerability hypothesis, as neither men’s nor women’s relationship satisfaction becomes more sensitive to relationship conflicts across the transition to parenthood.

Mom-and-Pop Narcissism: The Impact of Attention Seeking and Grandiosity on Couples' Experience of the Transition to Parenthood

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haran Sened ◽  
Eran Bar-Kalifa ◽  
Rony Pshedetzky-Shochat ◽  
Marci Gleason ◽  
Eshkol Rafaeli
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Parental Satisfaction ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Narcissistic Personality Disorder ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Narcissistic Personality ◽  
First Child ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Various studies have demonstrated associations between personality disorders and relationship satisfaction. The authors examine the associations between attention seeking and grandiosity, both features of narcissistic personality disorder, and relationship satisfaction before and after the transition to parenthood. The authors then expand their analysis to parental satisfaction and postpartum depression (PPD). Nonclinical couples (N = 103 couples) expecting their first child completed measures of grandiosity, attention seeking, and relationship satisfaction before birth, and of relationship satisfaction, parental satisfaction, and PPD symptoms 3 months afterward. Attention seeking was associated with less parental satisfaction and more PPD symptoms, and with less prepartum relationship satisfaction for participants' partners. For men, attention seeking was also associated with prepartum relationship satisfaction. Grandiosity was associated with a decrease in relationship satisfaction after birth, although, surprisingly with fewer PPD symptoms for participants’ partners. The authors discuss how these findings might be related to changes in social support and work–life balance during the transition to parenthood.

Relationship Satisfaction, Conflict and Psychological Distress: The Impact of Combat Deployment to Afghanistan on the Romantic Partners of Australian Army Personnel

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Turner ◽  
Danuta Chessor
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Combat Deployment ◽  
The Impact

Coping with psychological suffering after combat deployment has been identified across a diverse range of wars and countries as having the potential to negatively influence the long-term wellbeing of female partners of veterans. The aim of the study was to explore whether romantic partners of veterans (N = 97) suffered higher levels of psychological distress and destructive relationship conflict, lower relationship satisfaction and perceived social support when compared to female Australians in the civilian population (N = 87). Australian participants completed an anonymous online survey, and overall means were calculated for each group and compared using independent samples t tests. Results from the study indicated strong support for all research hypotheses in the expected directions. Research findings suggest that Australian females romantically involved with Afghanistan War veterans are more vulnerable to experiencing relationship dysfunction and are at an increased risk of impaired psychological health in the Australian population.

Relationship and Sexual Functioning During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mylène Lachance-Grzela
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Functioning ◽  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
First Child ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

There has been much debate among researchers in couple and family psychology on whether and how much the transition to parenthood affects partners’ conjugal life. This chapter provides a literature review aimed at determining what is currently known about relationship functioning and sexual functioning during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Most existing research on the subject reveals that the birth of a first child is associated with a decline in relationship satisfaction and sexual functioning. Recent data from prospective studies suggest that the transition from being a couple to being parents is actually associated with declines in relationship functioning over and above the normative declines reported by couples without children. This chapter examines the impact of individual, relational, and situational factors that have been proposed to explain this decline. Finally, the strengths and limitations of current research are discussed, and future research avenues are considered.

Family Structure, Stress, and Psychological Distress: A Demonstration of the Impact of Differential Exposure

2007 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Avison ◽  
Jennifer Ali ◽  
David Walters
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Single Mothers ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
Differential Vulnerability ◽  
Differential Exposure ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Married Mothers ◽  
The Impact

In this article, we evaluate the relative power of differential exposure and differential vulnerability to stressors to account for variations in psychological distress between single and married mothers. The data for this assessment are derived from a longitudinal survey of 518 single mothers and 502 married mothers living in London, Ontario, Canada. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses clearly reveal that the higher levels of psychological distress experienced by single mothers compared to married mothers are almost entirely related to their greater exposure to stress and strain rather than to any group differences in vulnerability to stressful experiences. Across a number of different dimensions of social stressors, single mothers are consistently more exposed to these stressors than married mothers are. Moreover, this differential exposure persists over time. In contrast, there is no evidence that single mothers are more vulnerable or reactive to stressors than are married mothers. We discuss these findings in terms of their implications for the sociology of mental health and for primary prevention.

Better together: The impact of exercising with a romantic partner

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110120
Author(s):  
Kyrsten Sackett-Fox ◽  
Judith Gere ◽  
John Updegraff
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Daily Exercise ◽  
Exercise Routine ◽  
The Impact

Many people have goals to increase their physical activity levels through engaging in exercise, but have difficulty establishing and maintaining an exercise routine. Research shows that people are more successful at exercising if they do so together with their romantic partner. In this study, we examined how exercising with a romantic partner may influence the experience of exercise itself, as well as people’s daily experiences. Specifically, we examined how joint exercise influences daily and exercise affect, daily relationship satisfaction, and amount of daily exercise. Young adults who were currently involved in a romantic relationship (N = 95) completed intake questionnaires and 14 daily reports of their exercise behavior, exercise and daily affect, and daily relationship satisfaction. Multilevel models showed that on days when people exercised with their romantic partner, they experienced higher positive affect during exercise, higher daily positive affect, and were more satisfied with their relationship compared to days when they exercised without their partner. No effects were found on daily and exercise negative affect, or amount of exercise. This study illustrates how exercising with a romantic partner may improve people’s experience of both exercising and their daily experiences, and may help provide a reason why people might be more successful at maintaining their exercise routine when they exercise together with their romantic partner.

The Impact of Personality Disorders on Longitudinal Change in Relationship Satisfaction in Long-Term Married Couples

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan C. South ◽  
Michael J. Boudreaux ◽  
Thomas F. Oltmanns
Keyword(s):  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Longitudinal Change ◽  
The Impact

Personality disorders (PDs) are significantly, negatively related to marital satisfaction. We examine how maladaptive personality is related to change in marital satisfaction over time utilizing data from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN), a longitudinal, community-based study of personality and health in older adults. Participants were assessed at baseline for PD (self-report, informant-report, and structured interview); self- and spouse-reported relationship satisfaction assessed at baseline and five follow-ups was analyzed with latent growth curve modeling. Higher levels of PD at baseline were associated with lower self and spouse relationship satisfaction at baseline. On average, satisfaction did not change significantly over the study period, but there was significant individual variability. Higher levels of schizoid PD were protective of declines in partner's perception of satisfaction. Findings suggest that partners in long-term married unions may have adapted to the presence of their own or their spouse's level of personality pathology.

Ties that Bind?

1998 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILL H. MOORE ◽  
DAVID R. DAVIS
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
General Model ◽  
International Conflict ◽  
Conflict Behavior ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
International Interactions ◽  
The Impact

In this article, the authors develop and empirically evaluate a general model of the linkages between domestic and international conflict behavior. Much of the literature on domestic international interactions has focused on the structural constraints of the international and domestic systems on leaders' foreign policy decisions. Rather than focusing on structural constraints, the present authors model the influence of the behavior of domestic and international rivals on leader decision making. The impact of rivals' behavior on conflict across the domestic-international nexus has been neglected relative to the role of structural factors. This study helps redress that imbalance. The authors test their model with a statistical analysis of Zaire during the period 1975 to 1992 and find substantial support for the model.

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