Romantic Relationships and Social Withdrawal: A Longitudinal Study from Adolescence to Adulthood

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Social Relationships

Abstract

Little is known about the romantic relationships of socially withdrawn adolescents and adults. The current study investigated longitudinal and bi-directional associations between social withdrawal and romantic relationship involvement, timing, and relationship characteristics (i.e. commitment, satisfaction, support, and conflict) as reported by both adolescents and their romantic partners.

We aimed to answer the following questions: (1) Does withdrawal predict lifetime non-involvement, the age at adolescents’ first romantic relationship, romantic relationship length, and the number of romantic partners? We hypothesized that higher withdrawal would predict: a greater likelihood of never having been involved in a romantic relationship by early adulthood; having a first romantic relationship at an older age; and having longer-lasting romantic relationships, but with fewer partners. (2) Does entering a romantic relationship for the first time change one’s withdrawal trajectory? We predicted that when adolescents enter a romantic relationship for the first time, their withdrawal levels will decrease. (3) Do romantic partners’ perceptions of the romantic relationship predict adolescents’ withdrawal, over and above adolescents’ own perceptions, and do informant discrepancies in ratings additionally predict adolescents’ withdrawal? We hypothesized that partner-reported relationship characteristics will predict adolescents’ withdrawal, after accounting for adolescents’ self-reported relationship perceptions. We also predicted that informant discrepancies on relationship characteristics will additionally predict adolescents’ withdrawal. (4) Does withdrawal predict romantic relationship functioning, and vice-versa? We predicted that, at both the between- and within-person levels, withdrawal will be concurrently and longitudinally associated with poorer relationship functioning, which, in turn, will be associated with higher withdrawal.

Participants included 1,934 adolescents from the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) and their romantic partners. Social withdrawal and romantic relationship data were collected across 4 waves, every 2 to 3 years, from the ages of 19 to 29 years. Latent Growth Curve Modelling (LGCM; question 1), LGCM with time-varying covariates (question 2), hierarchical multiple regressions (question 3), and a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and series of random-intercept CLPMs (RI-CLPMs; question 4) were used to test our hypotheses.

Approximately half of the analyses have been completed and the remaining will be completed by January 2021. Initial results have confirmed most of our hypotheses. Higher withdrawal predicted a greater likelihood of never having been involved in a romantic relationship by adulthood and an older age at entering a romantic relationship for the first time. Contrary to hypotheses, we found that higher baseline withdrawal predicted having shorter relationships, and a steeper increase in withdrawal predicted having more partners. Entering a romantic relationship for the first time was associated with a decrease in withdrawal. Finally, more withdrawn youth had a decreased probability of being involved in a romantic relationship three years later, but current involvement status, in turn, was not a predictor of future withdrawal levels.

The current study addresses several gaps in the literature concerning romantic relationships and social withdrawal in adolescence and adulthood. We aimed to provide insights that can be used to build a framework and theoretical foundation for the longitudinal and bi-directional associations between withdrawal and romantic relationships across a decade of life.

Authors

• Stefania A. Barzeva, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen
  Presenting Author

• Jennifer S. Richards, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen
  Non-Presenting Author

• Wim Meeus, Utrecht University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tineke J. Oldehinkel, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen
  Non-Presenting Author