Copies of this and related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG

Erin M. MigaDavid SzwedoJoanna ChangoMegan Schad

Joseph P. Allen, Ph.D.

Presentation for the Biennial Meeting of the

Society for Research on AdolescencePhiladelphia, PAMarch 12, 2010

Associations Between Observed Romantic Partner Conflict Negotiations & Psychopathology Over

Time

Autonomy and Influence:

Why are Relationship Processes Worth Studying?

Poor relationship quality :

weakened immune functioning heightened stress responses internalizing symptoms partner aggression (Barnett, Steptoe, & Garies, 2005; Coan, Babcock,

Gottman, & Jacobson, 1997; Whisman & Beach, 2001)

Why are Relationship Processes Worth Studying?

Gottman’s (1994) Four horsemen of the apocalypse: Divorce Relationship distress

Stonewalling

Belligerence

ContemptDefensiveness

Criticism

Why are Relationship Processes Worth Studying?

Gottman’s models have failed to replicate, in sample of at-risk dating couples (Kim, Capaldi, & Crosby, 2007).

Little research has examined Gottman’s Horsemen in relation to internalizing distress and jealousy

Jealousy: Particularly prevalent among shorter-term relationships(Knox, Zusman,

Mabon, & Shriver, 1999).

Often misconstrued as sign of love

Linked to partner aggression, relationship control

Research Questions

Part 1: Are Gottman’s horsemen predictive of internalizing distress in our young adult dating sample?

Part 2: Are power struggles in the romantic context predictive of internalizing distress over time?

Part 3: Are early adolescent peer autonomy processes predictive of romantic relationship qualities in young adulthood?

Sample

89 Adolescents, their peers, and romantic partners

46% male, 54% female, 40% non-white, Median family income:$40-60, 000

Teens (M age= 22.49)

Teens (M age=14.21)Peers (M age=14.22)Friends for avg. of

4.42 years

Teens (M age=20.85)Partners (M age=22.18)

In relationship for avg. of22.17 months

Time 1 Time 3 Time 2

Part 1: Measures

Part 1: Intra- psychic Implications of Partner Conflict

Internalizing Symptoms

Horsemen

Jealous Symptoms

Teen Age 20 Teen- partner conflict

Teen Age 22 Individual functioning

+

+

Gender

Income

Teen Age 20 Teen Age 22

Note. * p < .05, **p <.01, ***p <.001.

1 results after controlling for baseline Jealousy2 results after controlling for baseline self worth

Teen Belligerence

Teen Jealousy1

(R2=.20*)

Teen Jealousy.26***

.37***

Teen Self Worth2

(R2=.31***)Teen Self Worth

.35**

-.27*

Gender

Income

Teen Age 20 Teen Age 22

Note. * p < .05, **p <.01, ***p <.001.

1 results after controlling for baseline jealousy

PartnerBelligerence

Teen Jealousy1

(R2=.16*)

Teen Jealousy.26***

.33**

Gender

Income

Teen Age 20 Teen Age 22

Note. * p < .05, **p <.01, ***p <.001.

1 results after controlling for baseline Jealousy2 results after controlling for baseline self worth

PartnerCriticism

Teen Jealousy1

(R2=.12)

Teen Jealousy.26***

.23*

Teen Self Worth2

(R2=.33***)

-.30**

.35**Teen Self Worth

2 of the 5 most corrosive affects, Belligerence and Criticism, predict increases in internalizing

distress

Part 1: Conclusions

Part 2:

Intra-psychic Implications

of the

Demand-Withdraw Pattern

Power Struggles

Demand-withdraw pattern: depressive symptoms partner aggression relationship dissolution( Berns & Jacobson, 1999; Byrne, Carr & Clark, 2004;

Christensen & Shenk, 1991).

Specific links found between demands and internalizing distress

Little research on long-term outcomes

of withdrawal during relationship conflict

Key Question:

Who fares worse over time:

the demander or the withdrawer?

Teen Jealousy1

(R2=.29**)

Partner Domineering

TeenStonewalling

Note. * p < .05, **p <.01, ***p <.001.

1 results after controlling for baseline jealousy

Teen Age 20

Teen Age 22

Teen Jealousy

.26***

.42***

Income

Gender

X

Teen Anxiousand

Depressive Symptoms

(R2=.17*)

Partner Domineering

TeenStonewalling

Note. * p < .05, p <.01, ***p <.001.

Teen Age 20

Teen Age 22

.33**

Gender

Income

X

Part 2: Conclusions

Demand -Withdraw patterns among young adult dating couples predictive of internalizing distress over time.

Does “demander” or “withdrawer” appear to experience more distress over time?

Withdrawer

Part 3: Precursors of Relationship Qualities

Peer relations: a salient developmental task play a role in romantic relationship formation in

adolescence and emergent adulthood(Collins, 2003)

Externalizing, autonomy undermining behaviors in peer relations previously associated with: Physical and relational partner aggression(Capaldi, Dishion, Dishion, Stoolmiller &Yoerger, 2001; Schad, Szwedo, Antonishak, Hare,

& Allen, 2008)

Precursors of Relationship Qualities

Autonomy Processes

Positive and Negative Romantic

Qualities

Early Adolescent Peer Relations

Young Adult Romantic Functioning

Measures

Measures

Outcomes:

Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF) (Coan & Gottman, 2007; Gottman & Krokoff, 1989) -Teen age 20

18 dimensions (Teen and Partner-High and Low Negative/Positive affects)

-.26**

Gender

Income

Teen Age 14Peer Context

Teen Age 20Romantic Context

Note. * p < .05, p <.01, ***p <.001.

Teen and peer’s autonomy promoting behavior during conflict predicts lower levels of autonomy undermining affect during partner conflict 6 years later

Teen Positive Autonomy

& Relatedness

DyadicBelligerence

& Stonewallingduring Partner

Conflict

(R2=.08)

Peer’s Use ofReasoning

-.26**

Conclusions

Adaptive friendship processes may play a role in reducing relationship distress over time.

Some emotions only matter in a dyadic context.

Withdrawal during partner conflict : greater risk factor than demand behavior amongst our dating couples.

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Limitations & Future Directions

Modest sample size

Community sample

Need to examine specific sequences of teen-partner behavior

Need to more closely examine function of withdrawal behavior

Copies of this and related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG

Implications

Similar to marital relationships, Demand-Withdraw patterns in dating relationships: exist are predictive of distress over time

Intervene with couples during emergent adulthood, before marriage.

Highlights importance of an intervention such as

Emotionally Focused Marital Therapy (Johnson & Greenberg, 1985).

Copies of this and related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank my collaborators:

Joseph P. Allen Jim Coan J.P. Laurenceau

Joanna Chango Megan Schad Amanda Hare

Megan Ice Emily Marston Dave Szwedo

Alex Carroll Joanna Stokes Amanda Letard

GW Garrett Sam Breslin Mandy Daily

Katy Higgins Jen Heliste Allison Knee

I would also like to thank the National Institute of Mental Health ( Grant # R01-MH58066) and the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (Grant # 9R01HD058305-11A1) for funding awarded to J.P. Allen, Principal Investigator to conduct and write –up this research project.