TY - JOUR
T1 - Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Relationship Satisfaction in Adolescent Couples
T2 - The Role of Conflict Resolution Strategies
AU - Todorov, Emily Helen
AU - Paradis, Alison
AU - Ha, Thao
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was accomplished with funding by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC; 430-2018-00771) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec-Société et Culture (FRQSC; NP-2018-204990) awarded to Alison Paradis.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2023/8
Y1 - 2023/8
N2 - Emotion regulation difficulties have been found to predict relationship satisfaction in adult samples, yet little is known with regards to the processes explaining these associations in adolescent dating relationships. Furthermore, among the available literature, most studies only consider one romantic partner. To address this gap, this study used a dyadic approach and considered the role of conflict resolution strategies (i.e., positive problem-solving, withdrawal, and conflict engagement) in the association between adolescents’ emotion regulation and romantic relationship satisfaction. A sample of 117 heterosexual adolescent couples from Québec, Canada, was recruited (Mage = 17.68, SD = 1.57; 50% female, with 40.60% being in their first romantic relationship, and 48.29% reporting that this relationship was ongoing for more than a year). Results from APIMeM analyses indicated no direct effects between emotion regulation and relationship satisfaction. Significant indirect actor effects indicate that boys and girls with greater emotion regulation difficulties were less satisfied with their relationship via more withdrawal strategies. A partner effect emerged for girls, such that their boyfriend’s regulation difficulties and greater withdrawal had a negative impact on their relationship satisfaction. This study identifies withdrawal as a key strategy in explaining the associations between emotion regulation difficulties and relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, it highlights that within adolescent couples, boys’ withdrawal can be particularly deleterious to relational well-being.
AB - Emotion regulation difficulties have been found to predict relationship satisfaction in adult samples, yet little is known with regards to the processes explaining these associations in adolescent dating relationships. Furthermore, among the available literature, most studies only consider one romantic partner. To address this gap, this study used a dyadic approach and considered the role of conflict resolution strategies (i.e., positive problem-solving, withdrawal, and conflict engagement) in the association between adolescents’ emotion regulation and romantic relationship satisfaction. A sample of 117 heterosexual adolescent couples from Québec, Canada, was recruited (Mage = 17.68, SD = 1.57; 50% female, with 40.60% being in their first romantic relationship, and 48.29% reporting that this relationship was ongoing for more than a year). Results from APIMeM analyses indicated no direct effects between emotion regulation and relationship satisfaction. Significant indirect actor effects indicate that boys and girls with greater emotion regulation difficulties were less satisfied with their relationship via more withdrawal strategies. A partner effect emerged for girls, such that their boyfriend’s regulation difficulties and greater withdrawal had a negative impact on their relationship satisfaction. This study identifies withdrawal as a key strategy in explaining the associations between emotion regulation difficulties and relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, it highlights that within adolescent couples, boys’ withdrawal can be particularly deleterious to relational well-being.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Conflict Sesolution
KW - Dyadic
KW - Emotion regulation
KW - Relationship Satisfaction
KW - Romantic Relationships
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U2 - 10.1007/s10964-023-01787-6
DO - 10.1007/s10964-023-01787-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 37199853
AN - SCOPUS:85159682636
SN - 0047-2891
VL - 52
SP - 1753
EP - 1767
JO - Journal of youth and adolescence
JF - Journal of youth and adolescence
IS - 8
ER -