Early Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Relationship Satisfaction and Attributions

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected intimate relationships? The existing literature is mixed on the effect of major external stressors on couple relationships, and little is known about the early experience of crises. The current study used 654 individuals involved in a relationship who provided data immediately before the onset of the pandemic (December, 2019) and twice during the early stages of the pandemic (March and April, 2020). Results indicate that relationship satisfaction and causal attributions did not change over time, but responsibility attributions decreased on average. Changes in relationship outcomes were not moderated by demographic characteristics or negative repercussions of the pandemic. There were small moderation effects of relationship coping and conflict during the pandemic, revealing that satisfaction increased and maladaptive attributions decreased in couples with more positive functioning, and satisfaction decreased and maladaptive attributions increased in couples with lower functioning.

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Experiencing a Natural Disaster Temporarily Boosts Relationship Satisfaction in Newlywed Couples

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/09567976211015677 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095679762110156

Author(s):

Hannah C. Williamson ◽

Thomas N. Bradbury ◽

Benjamin R. Karney

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Natural Disasters ◽

Natural Disaster ◽

Intimate Relationships ◽

Recovery Period ◽

Married Couples ◽

Harris County ◽

Relationship Outcomes ◽

Before And After ◽

Levels Of Functioning

How do natural disasters affect intimate relationships? Some research suggests that couples are brought closer together after a disaster, whereas other research suggests that relationships become more strained in the aftermath. Yet all of this work is limited by a lack of predisaster data that would allow for examination of how relationships actually change. The current study is the first to use longitudinal data collected before and after a natural disaster to examine its effect on relationship outcomes. Using a sample of 231 married couples in Harris County, Texas, who experienced Hurricane Harvey, we found that spouses experienced significant increases in satisfaction from before to after the hurricane, but the increase was temporary; couples decreased in satisfaction after the initial boost. Thus, couples appear to grow closer in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster but then revert to their prehurricane levels of functioning as the recovery period continues.

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Defining the socio-demographic predictors of priority investment in the context of tasks for the financial subsystem of startup-management

Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies ◽

10.15587/1729-4061.2021.225639 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (13 (109)) ◽

pp. 15-25

Author(s):

Larisa Ligonenko ◽

Yevhen Borysov ◽

Larysa Hromozdova ◽

Iryna Deineha ◽

Serhii Leontovych ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Probability ◽

Technical Education ◽

Demographic Characteristics ◽

Practical Significance ◽

Change Over Time ◽

Demographic Predictors ◽

To Receive ◽

Qualitative Characteristics ◽

Potential Recipient ◽

Over Time

This research has investigated the retrospective trends in financing startups in Ukraine corresponding to the socio-demographic characteristics of startuppers (founders). Studying the dependences between the amount of funding and the qualitative characteristics of startuppers has made it possible to determine the socio-demographic predictors of making a positive decision regarding the financing of startups. As the current study has shown, in order to receive an investment, a startupper must meet the investor's expectations regarding reliability, qualifications, experience, and potential prospects. The investor analyzes not only the business idea of the startup but also the potential recipient for compliance with a series of socio-demographic predictors such as gender, age, level, and specialization of education. It has been proven that the largest amount of funding for startups in Ukraine is received by male funders, aged 35 to 45, who have a higher technical education. Startup investors consider such startuppers a priority for their investments since they see the least risks and a high probability of successful deployment of invested funds. The identified investors' preferences when choosing startup founders can be extrapolated to the startup environment of any country, however, they may change over time, depending on the specificity of the situation in the investment country. To rationally solve problems in the financial subsystem of startup management, it is necessary to preliminary determine the socio-demographic predictors of priority investment of startups of the respective country and area of activity. The practical tools for determining such predictors have been tested during this study. The practical significance of the research is due to the growing pace of development of startup technologies, the need to improve the effectiveness of the startup management financial subsystem, and increase the efficiency of the startup support infrastructure

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So Where Do You See This Going? The Effects of Commitment Asymmetry and Asynchrony on Relationship Satisfaction and Breakup

10.31234/osf.io/qk86e ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Kiersten Dobson ◽

Brian G Ogolsky ◽

Sarah C. E. Stanton

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Single Time ◽

Previous Time ◽

Relationship Outcomes ◽

Single Time Point ◽

Over Time ◽

Time Point

We test the contribution of multiple types of romantic partners’ commitment asymmetry (discrepancies between partners’ commitment at a single time point) and asynchrony (discrepancies in the progression of commitment over time) to later relationship satisfaction and breakup. In three dyadic studies (N = 6,960 couples) over months (Study 1), days (Study 2), and years (Study 3), commitment asymmetry and asynchrony consistently did not predict satisfaction or breakup when controlling for commitment scores of individuals and their partners. Only one’s own commitment and proportion of downturns in commitment (when participants reported lower commitment than the previous time point) consistently predicted satisfaction across all three studies. For breakup, women’s (but not men’s) commitment was consistently negatively associated with breakup and proportion of downturns was consistently positively associated with breakup. Our findings indicate that, contrary to some significant findings in prior research, commitment asymmetry and asynchrony are not indicative of future relationship outcomes.

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