Browsing by Subject "Relationship development"
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Item And this relationship is just right : normative romantic relationship development(2016-05) Keneski, Elizabeth Rose; Eastwick, Paul; Loving, Timothy J; Neff, Lisa A; Gleason, Marci E. J.; Swann, BillThe current five studies address an unanswered question in the romantic relationships literature: what do couples’ friends and family members observe about couples’ romances that brings those network members to (dis)approve of those relationships? I hypothesized that the extent to which couples follow an average, or normative, relationship trajectory—a just right, ‘Goldilocks’ relationship progression—increases network member relationship approval and support and, ultimately, influences couples’ relationship quality and outcomes. In Study 1, newlyweds generated a timeline of significant courtship events by indicating when each event occurred in their histories together. Spouses whose courtship timelines progressed in a more normative sequence reported greater marital satisfaction, and this association was mediated by more positive perceived relationships with friends and family members. In Studies 2a-c, and 3a, participants exhibited greater approval for a friend’s relationship to the degree that that relationship was perceived to have developed normatively. In Studies 3a and 3b, the associations between perceived normative relationship development, perceived network relationship approval, and relationship quality were replicated in engaged, recently-married, and long-married couples. Further, additional analyses suggest that social network relationship approval and support mediate the link between normative relationship development and subsequent relationship quality. In Studies 4a-b, the effect of normative relationship development on concurrent relationship quality was not replicated in dating couples, indicating that it may be too early in couples’ relationships to experience the benefits of normativity. Finally, Studies 5b and 5c (based on a qualitative pilot study) tested whether experiencing a more normative relationship development in fledgling relationships was associated with relationship quality, romantic interest, and relationship dissolution. Relationship normativity predicted higher peak romantic interest in both long-term and short-term relationships in Studies 5b, and higher average romantic interest and peak romantic interest, but only in long-term relationships, in Study 5c. There were no differences in deviations from a normative relationship progression, for short-term or long-term relationships, in whether or not those relationships had ended or were ongoing. Across studies, more normative relationship progressions were generally associated with greater relationship approval and support from couples’ social networks, and more average, ‘Goldilocks’ relationships thrived.Item Friendship first: A program on romantic relationship development(2007-05) Betzen, Adrienne Joy; Hughes, Patrick C.; Williams, David E.; Gring, Mark A.Friendship is a relationship that has been vastly studied; however, few studies focus on cross-sex friendship and its elements. Further, studying cross-sex friendships as a preliminary phase when developing a romantic relationship has rarely been the focus of cross-sex friendship research. Through a thorough examination of existing research regarding cross-sex friendships and the development of romantic relationships, this program was designed to address the benefits and characteristics of beginning a romantic relationship as friends first. Using Baxter’s (1987) Friendship First and Whirlwind relationship trajectories as a guide, this educational program focuses on information regarding the development of romantic relationships (p. 196). Further, several developmental models provided direction during the construction of this program (Huston, Surra, Fitzgerald, & Cate, 1981; Houts, Robins, & Huston, 1996; Niehuis, Huston, & Rosenband, 2006). Descriptive statistics showed that participants reacted positively to the content and delivery of the program. Additionally, by conducting ten paired samples t-tests, pre-program and post program evaluation scores revealed that participants learned from the material presented during the program. A self-evaluation of the presenter’s delivery and content of the program was completed to portray the presenter’s point of view regarding the program. Limitations, suggestions for future research and future direction of the program and its content were also discussed.Item Shared reality in courtship : does it matter for marital success?(2011-05) Wilson, April Christine; Huston, Ted L.; Loving, Timothy; Gleason, Marci; Neff, Lisa; Vangelisti, AnitaThis study provides evidence that individuals who share similar experiences that are grounded in the actual features of the courtship are likely to remain married over 13 years later. Using logistic regression and path analyses to examine 168 married partners, results support previous research suggesting that “enduring dynamics” best predicts the developmental pathway for couples who remain married, whereas “disillusionment” prefigures marital instability. Specifically, findings revealed that marriages are more likely to be stable when premarital partners (a) feel similar depths of love for one another, (b) move toward marriage at comparable rates over the course of the courtship, and when feelings of (c) love and (d) ambivalence reflect how frequently they experience conflict and downturns in their estimations of the likelihood of marriage. Gender differences and exceptions to this pattern are discussed.