Journal of Social and Personal Relationships current issue

Target's face loss, motivations, and forgiveness following relational transgression: Comparing Chinese and US cultures

Hui, V. K.-Y., Bond, M. H. — 2009-07-31

We proposed that, following a transgression, as a victim's perceived face loss increased, the victim would show (i) less forgiveness towards the perpetrator; (ii) increased motivation to retaliate; and (iii) reduced desire to maintain the damaged relationship. Moreover, an interdependent self-construal was hypothesized to strengthen these associations. Results from Hong Kong Chinese and American university students revealed that greater face loss directly reduced forgiveness. For Hong Kong Chinese, face loss also indirectly lowered forgiveness through retaliatory and relationship maintenance motivations. Self-construals, however, did not account for such cultural-specific findings. Discussion focused on how attributions for the face loss cross-culturally shaped the offended party's response to relational transgression.

The well-being of cohabiting and married couples during pregnancy: Does pregnancy planning matter?

Lachance-Grzela, M., Bouchard, G. — 2009-07-31

Cohabiting women are less likely to plan their pregnancies than married women. Research on marital and pregnancy statuses remains distinct and, consequently, the effects of both variables are confounded. The aim of the present study was to examine the moderational role of pregnancy planning in the relationship between marital status and future parents' well-being. A sample of 154 French-Canadian couples expecting their first child completed assessments of pregnancy planning and of well-being (i.e., anxiety, depression, satisfaction with life, and dyadic adjustment) during the third trimester of pregnancy. Results show that pregnancy planning efforts contribute to future parents' well-being only if they are married. Similarly, marriage offers more benefits than cohabitation, but only if partners have planned the pregnancy.

Patterns of assistance between adult children and their older parents: Resources, responsibilities, and remarriage

Ganong, L. H., Coleman, M., Rothrauff, T. — 2009-07-31

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of patterns of resource exchange on beliefs about intergenerational responsibilities in older parent—adult child relationships. The effects of adult children's resources and later-life remarriage on beliefs about intergenerational responsibilities also were examined. A national sample of 1025 adults responded to a multiple segment factorial survey. Responsibilities to parents were associated with prior patterns of exchanges, older cohorts had lower expectations for adult children to help their parents, and parental remarriage creates limited responsibilities toward new stepparents. Family obligations were the main reason for helping, but histories of intergenerational assistance, the adult child's resources, and other obligations of the adult child also were considerations. Later-life remarriage complicates intergenerational obligations.

Interracial friendship development and attributional biases

Shelton, J. N., Richeson, J. A., Bergsieker, H. B. — 2009-07-31

We demonstrated that a self—other attributional bias impedes interracial friendship development. Whites were given the opportunity to become friends with a White or Black participant. Whites indicated how interested they were in becoming friends and how concerned they were about being rejected as a friend. They also indicated how interested they thought the other person was in becoming friends and how concerned they thought the other person was about being rejected as friend. Results revealed that lower-prejudice Whites made divergent explanations for the self and other when the potential friend was Black, whereas higher-prejudice Whites did not. Prejudice level did not influence the type of explanations made when the potential friend was White. Implications for interracial friendship development are considered.

Relational support from friends and wives' family relationships: The role of husbands' interference

Proulx, C. M., Helms, H. M., Milardo, R. M., Payne, C. C. — 2009-07-31

Informed by Marks's three corners model, this study explored the moderating role of husbands' relational interference in the link between relational support from close friends and wives' marital and family relationship quality. Using data from 52 wives rearing school-aged children, results from a hierarchical regression analysis suggested that husbands' interference moderates the association between support from close friends and both wives' marital satisfaction and mother—child relationship quality. At low levels of interference from husbands, support from close friends is positively associated with wives' reports of marital satisfaction, and at high levels of spousal interference, support from close friends is positively associated with mother—child relationship quality. Theoretical implications for studying these processes as they co-occur across multiple close relationships are discussed.

Outness, Big Five personality traits, and same-sex relationship quality

Clausell, E., Roisman, G. I. — 2009-07-31

This report examined the extent to which individuals from 60 same-sex romantic couples (30 gay male and 30 lesbian dyads) who disclosed their same-sex attractions to the world and family (i.e., were `out') were more likely than their relatively closeted counterparts to share higher quality relationships. Using a multimethod approach that included the `Big Five' personality dimensions as covariates, participants completed questionnaires about their relationships and discussed a disagreement in their relationship while being videotaped. Individuals who were out to the world — and individuals who had partners that reported being out — tended to (i) report greater relational satisfaction and (ii) display more positive relative to negative affect during dyadic interactions. Associations generally held controlling for personality traits among both gay male and lesbian couples.

Draining or gaining? The social networks of public housing movers in Boston

Curley, A. M. — 2009-07-31

The social networks of low-income residents have been simultaneously described as supportive, strained, localized, and limited in providing access to necessary resources and information. Using a longitudinal qualitative approach, this study investigated the social networks of low-income women in one US high-poverty public housing project. Existing sociological frameworks for studying networks did not fully capture the women's social ties, particularly their "draining" ties. As the women were relocated as part of a mixed-income housing initiative targeting their neighborhood, a changing flow of resources and stress passed through social ties. A change in neighborhood prompted changes in low-income people's social networks far different than expected. Findings also raise questions about the importance of weak or bridging ties in linking low-income women with mobility opportunities.

Marital ideals of the newly-married: A longitudinal analysis

Knobloch-Fedders, L. M., Knudson, R. M. — 2009-07-31

Although marital ideals influence a couple's behavior, the specific content of marital ideals for engaged and newly-married couples remains largely uninvestigated. This longitudinal study investigated couples' marital ideals over the first year of marriage. Thirty-eight engaged couples completed a standardized measure of relationship intimacy ideals using Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR; Schaefer & Olson, 1981) in addition to free writing essays to open-ended questions regarding partner, relationship, and conflict ideals. Eleven couples also completed follow-up assessments at six months and one year of marriage. Results indicated that marital ideals are qualitatively different than those for dating relationships. Marital ideals were primarily intimate and traditional, but not romanticized. Conflict ideals were primarily practical rather than romantic, and became more practical over time.

Causal beliefs, social participation, and loneliness among older adults: A longitudinal study

2009-07-31

Loneliness can be seen as a social failure subject to causal search: Why am I lonely? Why do I lack friends? According to attribution theory, answers to these questions can influence emotions, motivation, and behaviours. This study examined the relationships between various affiliative causal beliefs (i.e., beliefs about loneliness and friendship development), social participation, and loneliness among older adults (72+ years). Cross-sectional and longitudinal (over five years) results showed that more strongly endorsing internal/controllable causal beliefs (i.e., believing that making friends depends on effort) related to greater social participation. Moreover, greater social participation related to less loneliness. External/uncontrollable causal beliefs predicted greater loneliness. In fully addressing loneliness, it may be important to focus on people's causal beliefs.

`IM me': Instant messaging as relational maintenance and everyday communication

Ramirez, A., Broneck, K. — 2009-07-31

Few studies to date have examined the use of Internet applications in enacting `everyday' routine relational maintenance and even fewer assess how such tools complement more traditional forms of communication to sustain involvements. This exploratory study examines the role of one such tool, instant messaging (IM), in relational maintenance. Participants (N = 402) reported their general use of IM (Stage 1) and subsequently conducted and reported on a specific interaction occurring either through IM or face to face (Stage 2). Among IM users, significant gender and the types of relationships differences emerged in `every communication.' Findings also indicate how IM is being utilized in conjunction with other communication channels. New research opportunities for examining relational maintenance processes employing IM are advanced.

Connections between parents' friendships and children's peer relationships

Romano, L. J., Hubbard, J. A., McAuliffe, M. D., Morrow, M. T. — 2009-07-31

This study investigated connections between qualities of parents' own friendships and children's negative peer relationships (i.e., aggression and peer rejection). Participants were 57 dyads of second-grade children (29 girls and 28 boys; mean age = 7.6 years) and their parents. Data on child aggression were collected from teachers and peers, and child peer rejection was assessed using unlimited peer nominations. Parents reported on their own friendship network size, satisfaction, quality, and conflict. Results revealed that two aspects of parents' friendships, conflict and satisfaction, predicted children's peer rejection and aggression. Reasons for these linkages, and implications for intervention, are discussed.

The association between rejection and depression in the context of women's relationships with their parents

Thompson, R. J., Berenbaum, H. — 2009-07-31

The relation between rejection and depression was examined in the context of college students' relationships with their parents. Female college students (n = 183) provided self-reports of how rejected they felt by their parents, and parents provided self-reports of how rejecting they were of their daughters. In father—daughter dyads, we found that fathers' reports of rejection moderated the relation between women's reports of rejection and depression. In mother—daughter dyads, we found that daughters' reports of rejection, but not mothers' reports of rejection, was associated with depression. These findings suggest that relationship factors may be critical for understanding depression, and that the role of rejection in depression can only be understood by taking into account the nature of the relationship.