Poster #228 - Let’s Work This Out Together: Autonomy-Connection in Romantic Relationships from Adolescence through Young Adulthood

• In Event: 2-055 - Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

A primary task of late adolescence and early adulthood is learning to manage the growing salience and intensity of romantic relationships. Prior research suggests that success in earlier romantic relationships provides the building blocks for intimate relationships in adulthood (Seiffge-Krenke, 2003). However, there is still uncertainty surrounding whether the same qualities that are important in adulthood are similarly important for earlier relationships. In particular, autonomy and relatedness emerge as important qualities of adult romantic relationships and adolescent parent and peer relationships. Whether these same constructs are important in adolescent and young adult nonmarital romantic relationships has not been fully established. This study seeks to assess the extent to which autonomy and relatedness within adolescent and young adult romantic relationships impacts concurrent and future relationship outcomes.

Methods
Multi-informant longitudinal data were obtained for a demographically representative community sample of 184 adolescents (86 males, 96 females) along with their romantic partner at age 17, 20, and 23. Baseline median family income was $40,000-$59,000.
Behaviors promoting and inhibiting autonomy and relatedness were assessed at age 17, 20, and 23 using an 8-minute, video-taped conflict task for each couple. Observed positive interactions include responding confidently, rationally, and clearly, displaying positive connectedness and engagement, and marked collaborative efforts towards reaching a solution. Observed negative interactions include pressuring the other to agree, avoiding, placating, or using blame or guilt, rudeness, distraction, interrupting, and hostility. At age 17, 20, and 23, participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding current romantic satisfaction, avoidant and anxious attachment behaviors, conflict, and possessiveness.

Results
All analyses use a Full Information Maximum Likelihood approach for handling missing data while controlling for gender, socioeconomic status, and baseline relationship quality. Analyses suggested that dyadic autonomy and relatedness promotion behaviors are related to only less possessiveness at age 17, to less avoidant attachment behaviors at age 20, and to less conflict and possessiveness and greater relationship satisfaction at age 23. Dyadic autonomy and relatedness undermining behaviors were related to lower satisfaction at ages 17, 20, and 23, and to greater avoidant behaviors, possessiveness, and conflict at ages 20 and 23. Further, earlier undermining behaviors at age 20 predicted relative increases in possessiveness by age 23.

Discussion
Findings suggest that positive and negative interactions as measured by observed ratings of autonomy and relatedness among couples are associated with concurrent relationship outcomes at ages 20 and 23, and to a lesser extent at age 17. Autonomy and relatedness may become even more strongly associated with romantic quality by age 23 as compared to during adolescence. However, even though these behaviors may not impact concurrent relationship quality until age 20, earlier negative interactions may predict increasing possessiveness in romantic relationships. Overall, it appears that dating experiences provide an important foundation for teens to begin learning skills that will continue to impact their romantic lives into adulthood, but that autonomy and connection may not emerge as central characteristics of romantic relationships until age 20. Implications of these findings for future research and practice will be discussed.

Authors

• Jessica Kansky, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author

• Meghan Costello, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joseph Allen, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author