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Description
Communication skills within dating contexts are developed during the adolescent years, and are associated with a lifelong ability to have satisfying, enduring, and non-violent partnerships. As such, they are currently and increasingly implemented into both more general forms of healthy relationship education, as well as that targeting the prevention of teen dating violence specifically. Reaching Mexican American youth with culturally and developmentally appropriate relationship education, including communication skills, may be particularly important given their earlier transitions to marital and parenting relationships, acculturative stressors that present them with unique coupling challenges, and their higher rates of teen dating violence as compared to European American youth. We know very little about how Mexican American dating couples communicate about areas of conflict. This dissertation research utilizes Bell and Naugle's (2008) framework of interpersonal violence to explore how cultural and developmental considerations may be integrated in order to better understand how communication behaviors contribute to Mexican American middle adolescents' experiences with dating conflict. I use an observational study design in order to 1.) Qualitatively explore the communication strategies used by a sample of committed couples, including integration of culturally- and developmentally-relevant contexts, 2.) Quantitatively examine whether couple-level discrepancies in acculturation are associated with observed negativity, including whether this relationship may be mediated by dissimilar gender-related beliefs, and to 3.) Review empirical findings pertaining to the communication behaviors of Mexican American adolescents and to integrate ecodevelopmental theory in said framework as informed by Papers 1, 2, and literature specific to this topic area. The ultimate aim of this dissertation research is to generate findings that may improve the dating health of Mexican American adolescents living in the United States.
ContributorsAdams, Heidi (Author) / Rankin Williams, Lela (Thesis advisor) / Marsiglia, Flavio (Committee member) / Anthony, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
This dissertation examined Mexican American individuals' romantic relationships within two distinct developmental periods, adolescence and adulthood. Study 1 used latent class analysis to explore whether 12th grade Mexican Americans' (N = 218) romantic relationship characteristics, cultural values, and gender created unique romantic relationship profiles. Results suggested a three-class solution: higher quality, satisfactory quality, and lower quality romantic relationships. Subsequently, associations between profiles and adolescents' adjustment variables were examined via regression analyses. Adolescents with higher and satisfactory quality romantic relationships reported greater future family expectations, higher self-esteem, and fewer externalizing symptoms than adolescents with lower quality romantic relationships. Similarly, adolescents with higher quality romantic relationships reported greater academic self-efficacy and fewer sexual partners than adolescents with lower quality romantic relationships. Finally, adolescents with higher quality romantic relationships also reported greater future family expectations and higher academic self-efficacy than adolescents with satisfactory quality romantic relationships. To summarize, results suggested that adolescents engaged in three unique types of romantic relationships with higher quality being most optimal for their adjustment. Study 2 used latent growth modeling to examine marital partners' (N = 466) intra- and inter-individual changes of acculturative stress, depressive symptoms, and marital quality. On average across the seven years, husbands' acculturative stress remained steady, but wives' significantly decreased; partners' depressive symptoms remained relatively steady, but their marital quality significantly decreased. Although partners' experiences of acculturative stress were less similar than their experiences of depressive symptoms and marital quality, overall their experiences were interconnected. Significant spillover and crossover effects emerged between partners' initial levels of acculturative stress and depressive symptoms and between depressive symptoms and marital quality. Moreover, changes in husbands' depressive symptoms were negatively associated with changes in their marital quality. Overall, results suggested that partners' experiences were interconnected across time.
ContributorsMoosmann, Danyel A. V (Author) / Roosa, Mark W. (Thesis advisor) / Christopher, F. Scott (Committee member) / White, Rebecca M B (Committee member) / Millsap, Roger E (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Romantic relationships are often viewed as an important, meaningful part of a person's life. Most romantic relationships do not last forever. Research regarding romantic relationship satisfaction and quality have thus grown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals who train for endurance events such as running, cycling, or triathlons with their romantic partner have greater relationship satisfaction and quality than do individuals who do not train with their romantic partner. Participants, 54 males and 60 females whose mean age was 33.4, completed a demographic questionnaire, the Quality of Relationships Inventory (QRI), the Perceived Relationship Quality Component (PRQC), the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS), and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS). Of these 114 participants, 52 trained with their romantic partner. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that individuals who trained with their romantic partner reported higher relationship satisfaction and quality compared to those that did not train for an endurance event with their romantic partner. There were no statistically significant differences in relationship satisfaction or relationship quality between men and women or between married individuals and dating individuals. These findings suggest that couples may benefit from engaging in shared activities.
ContributorsMinopoli, Erica M (Author) / Robinson-Kurpius, Sharon (Thesis advisor) / Kinnier, Richard (Committee member) / Randall, Ashley (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
The current study is the first qualitative investigation aimed solely at understanding what it means to communicate conditional forgiveness in serious romantic relationships. Conditional forgiveness is forgiveness that has been offered with the stipulation that the errant behavior cease. It is a provocative topic because some argue genuine forgiveness is not conditional, but recent discoveries that have associated its use with severe transgressions and relational deterioration suggest it is a critical site for investigation. This inductive analysis of open-ended data from 201 anonymous surveys identified both distinctions between and intersections of conditional forgiveness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. A relational dialectics analysis also revealed that reconcilable-irreconcilable was the overarching tension for conditional forgivers and six additional tensions also were also discovered: individual identity-couple identity, safety-risk, certainty-uncertainty, mercy-justice, heart-mind, and expression-suppression. Of particular intrigue, the current analysis supports the previous discovery of implicit conditional forgiveness--suppressing conditions, sometimes in response to physical and substance abuse. Ultimately, the current analysis contributes to the enduring conversation aimed at understanding the communication and pursuit of forgiveness and reconciliation. It addresses one of the basic instincts and paradoxes of existing with others--the balance between vulnerability and protection.
ContributorsKloeber, Dayna Noel (Author) / Waldron, Vincent R. (Thesis advisor) / Kelley, Douglas L. (Committee member) / Kassing, Jeffrey W. (Committee member) / Fisher, Carla L. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Using a sample of children from divorced homes, the current study assesses the effects of family relationship variables on romantic outcomes in young adulthood, through the influence of several individual-level variables. In particular, children's coping efficacy and peer competence are examined as mediators of the effects of parenting and interparental conflict on children's later romantic involvement and relationship quality. Assessments occurred during childhood, when children were between the ages of nine and 12, in adolescence, when children were ages 15 to 18, and in young adulthood, when children were ages 24 to 27, spanning a period of 15 years. Childhood and adolescent variables were measured using child- and mother-report data and young adult measures were completed by the young adults and their romantic partners. One model was tested using all participants in the sample, regardless of whether they were romantically involved in young adulthood, and revealed that maternal warmth in childhood was linked with children's coping efficacy six years later, which was marginally related to an increased likelihood of being romantically involved and to decreased romantic attachment at the 15-year follow-up. A model with only the participants who were romantically involved in young adulthood also revealed a link between childhood maternal warmth and coping efficacy in adolescence, which was then marginally related to increased romantic satisfaction and to confidence in the romantic relationship in young adulthood. Marginal mediation was also found for several of the proposed paths, and there was little evidence to support path differences between males and females. Implications of the present findings for research with children from divorced families and the development of preventive interventions are discussed. In particular, parenting, interparental conflict, peer competence, and coping efficacy are examined as modifiable targets for change and existing preventive interventions employing these targets are described.
ContributorsSigal, Amanda (Author) / Sandler, Irwin N. (Thesis advisor) / Millsap, Roger (Committee member) / Crnic, Keith (Committee member) / Lemery, Kathryn (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Research indicates that adolescents with low quality relationships with parents are susceptible to risk of depression. There is little known about how other relationships relate to depression. This study examined adolescent's relationship with parents, romantic partners, and best friends as a predictor of depressive symptoms. A primarily Dutch population of 80 adolescent couples in the age group of 13 to 18 years old (M = 15.48 SD: 1.16) completed the Epidemiological Depression Scale, Investment Scale of Rusbult, along with an Emotional Warmth scale at Time one and then a year later (Time two). Depressive symptoms at Time two was negatively related with adolescent's emotional warmth with parents. There is also a positive correlation between depressive symptoms at Time one and Time two. However, no significant data was found for an association between satisfaction with romantic partner or best friend and depressive symptoms at Time two. These findings indicate that the type of relationship formed with parents might contribute to the depression adolescent's face.
ContributorsShaikh, Mohammad Usama (Author) / Fabes, Richard (Thesis director) / Ha, Phuong Thao (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Prior research has found an association between individual's resports of emotion dysregulation and experiences of stress; however, little work has been done to examine these constructs in the context of romantic relationships. To address this gap in the literature, the present study investigated the proposed association between individual reports of emotion dysregulation and experiences of internal stress. Additionally, data taken from couples' real-time conversations examined how reports of emotion dysregulation were associated with feelings about one's partner following an internal stress conversation. Data from 44 heterosexual romantic couples was used at two time points, baseline and momentary interaction data. Results did not show support for an association between emotion dysregulation and internal stress, however some support was found for an association between emotion dysregulation and negative feelings felt due to one's partner after a stressful conversation. Implications for future research are discussed.
ContributorsMoe, Nicole Lynn (Author) / Randall, Ashley (Thesis director) / Langer, Shelby (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Given the scientifically well-established connection between childhood attachment formation and certain aspects of an individual's later outcomes, to take this a step further, a causal connection was sought between childhood attachment formation and adult romantic relationships through a literature review. Further, by analyzing the applicability of the attachment theory and later romantic relationship outcomes across cultures, a connection between childhood attachment formation and adult romantic relationships across cultures was sought. Through an analysis of research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in the recent decade, it was found that childhood attachment formation is predictive of later adult romantic relationships, and cross-cultural connections can also be made to an extent. However, it was also found that in many cases cross-cultural and even sub-cultural connections cannot always be made, and that there is a need for greater diversity in research going forwards. Connections between these findings were made with well-being in order to derive relevant application. Overall, a review of the literature supports that an adult's attachment style is related to his/her well-being. Further, subjective well-being is not always dependent on attachment security, although this is largely the case in the dominant western culture. In terms of well-being, when measured against certain other factors attachment security seems to have a weak effect across many cultures. This is interesting to consider in terms of implications for further study on cross-cultural determinants of well-being, in the context of attachment security, as the basis of most research on attachment security is for application in daily lives in order to achieve a higher level of well-being. In this context, then, it seems as though further cross-cultural research could assess attachment security in the context of culturally-relevant developmental well-being markers in order to compare and contrast universal determinants of well-being for a deeper understanding of the human experience.
ContributorsKhalife, Huda (Author) / Nelson, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Mae, Lynda (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
My thesis examined differences in areas of relationship conflict among various living arrangements of couples. I analyzed 249 phone call interviews from 54 couples that resided in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, had been in a relationship for at least six months, and were at least 21 years of age. By using a qualitative analysis, I analyzed differences in frequently mentioned areas of conflict (i.e. power, social issues, personal flaws, distrust, intimacy, personal distance) between romantic couples in three common couple living arrangements (i.e. non-cohabiting, cohabiting, and married). Findings showed certain areas of conflict were prevalent among all living arrangements, namely power and personal flaws. There were some differences between each living arrangement group: The non-cohabiting group was the only one to report distrust as a top area of conflict, and the cohabiting group reported more frequent incidents of conflict involving personal flaws than the married group. The married group identified social issues as a more prevalent area of conflict than the other groups. Differences in prevalent areas of conflict were examined in relation to varying levels of personal, structural and moral commitment that occur throughout the identified living arrangements.
ContributorsOlson, Paige O Shea (Author) / Iida, Masumi (Thesis director) / Fey, Richard (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
This study investigated reasons for romantic dissolution in 235 participants, ranging from 18-55 years of age, who had experienced a breakup in the past 12 months. Through an online survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk, participants were asked to briefly describe their relationship, then rate how true a variety of statements were in regards to the characteristics of their relationship. Participants were then asked to rate how much each characteristic contributed as a reason for their breakup. Pairwise Pearson correlations were used to determine the variance in breakup factors with participant age. A significant positive correlation was found between age and participants attributing their breakup to a lack of intimacy, demonstrating that older participants were more likely to attribute their breakups to this factor. A marginally significant negative correlation was found between age and loss of independence as a reason for dissolution, showing that younger participants were more likely to attribute their breakup to losing their independence than were older participants. The correlation between age and participants' attributing breakups to a partner cheating was marginally significant, such that older participants were more likely to attribute their breakup to cheating than were younger participants. Due to the lack of significant correlations found between the 15 coded breakup factors and age, it was determined that age does not have a major effect on what factors may lead partners to end a romantic relationship.
ContributorsGrassel, Savannah (Author) / Shiota, Lani (Thesis director) / Ha, Thao (Committee member) / Yee, Claire (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05