Browsing by Subject "romantic relationships"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Communicating Commitment within Monogamous Romantic Relationships
    (2020-01) Leverenz, Alaina Nicole; Goering, Elizabeth; Brann, Maria; White-Mills, Kim
    This study sought to better understand the communication of commitment in monogamous romantic relationships, including how one communicates his/her commitment to his/her partner and how one interprets messages from his/her partner. Focusing on the fundamentals of communicating commitment to one’s partner proves beneficial in understanding the commitment processes in daily life. In an effort to understand this concept, I used themes from interdependence theory and the investment model to formulate the interview questions and develop the findings. The findings and interpretations demonstrate that couples are communicating their commitment to each other in words/verbal expressions, especially in the beginning stages of the committed relationship; the commitment global construct employed most to communicate commitment in relationship is relational maintenance behaviors; and people perceive that nonverbal expressions of commitment are the best way to interpret messages of commitment from one’s partner.
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    Development and preliminary validation of the romantic relationship functioning scale
    (2014) Bonfils, Kelsey A.; Salyers, Michelle P.; Minor, Kyle S.; McGrew, John H., 1953-; Grahame, Nicholas J.
    Background: Research has repeatedly shown that individuals with severe mental illness desire interpersonal and romantic relationships and that social support (including spousal relationships) is beneficial. In addition, social deficits in mental disorders can often get in the way of developing fulfilling relationships. However, there is little currently available to help clinicians and researchers assess romantic relationship functioning in those with mental illness. The aim of this pilot study was to examine reliability and validity of a new measure of functioning in romantic relationships, the Romantic Relationship Functioning Scale (RRFS). Method: The RRFS was constructed based on theory proposed by Redmond, Larkin, and Harrop (2010). In an analog study, we tested the measure in a sample of college students (N=387), examining reliability, stability over time, factor structure, and relationships with measures of psychopathology and related measures of social functioning to assess convergent validity. Results: The RRFS exhibited a hierarchical four-factor structure, supporting the use of a total score. Although subscales were supported in the factor analysis, other psychometric evidence was weaker, and the use of a total score is advocated. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were acceptable for the total scale (>.8). The RRFS had moderate to large correlations in the expected direction with all psychopathology measures. In predictive models, overall mental health, social functioning, and fewer interpersonal difficulties predicted higher romantic relationship functioning. Conclusions: The RRFS total score shows preliminary evidence of reliability and validity. The RRFS has potential to be of use in treatment centers for undergraduates and for individuals with diagnosed mental disorders. Future research should further investigate the RRFS subscales and the measure’s performance in clinical samples.
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    Photo-Elicitation as an Adjunct to Structured Interviews When Assessing Ideal Romantic and Sexual Relationships
    (2013-02) Best, Candace; Fortenberry, J. Dennis; Wiehe, Sarah E.
    Structured interviews have been used as an assessment tool in clinical and research settings for many years. However, such interviews have limitations, especially when questions are abstract from the daily life experiences of adolescents and young adults (e.g., “What are all the qualities you desire in a romantic partner?”). Accordingly, photo-elicitation was incorporated as a tool into how young women perceive ideal romantic and sexual relationships.