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A theory of couple patterns of problem solving that involves the Rusbult and Zembrodt (1983) exitvoice-loyalty-neglect typology of problem-solving responses is advanced and tested in a sample of dating relationships. Destructive problem-solving responses (exit and neglect) were more powerfully predictive of couple distress/nondistress than were constructive problem-solving behaviors (voice and loyalty). Tendencies to react with voice to mild relationship problems were also signihcantly predictive of couple functioning. Partner perceptions of one another's problem-solving styles were also related to couple distress/nondistress: Distress was greater to the extent that individuals perceived that their partners exhibit greater tendencies to engage in exit and neglect while showing lower levels of voice and (perhaps) loyalty. Certain interdependent patterns of partner problem solving were effectively predictive of couple health: Couple distress was greater to the degree that individuals reacted destructively and failed to respond constructively when their partners engage in destructive problem-solving responses. Reactions to partners' constructive responses were less effectively predictive of couple functioning. Thus it is the way in which partners react in response to destructive behaviors from their partners that is best predictive of relationship health. Lastly, in comparison with men, women engage in somewhat higher levels of voice and loyalty, and may behave less neglectfully. What determines whether a relationship will function successfully? Are certain couple patterns of problem solving more promotive of healthy functioning than others? One of the most important goals in the study of close relationships is to understand how couples react to inevitable, perhaps reparable, periodic decline and to identify the patterns of response that produce the most favorable consequences. Unfortunately, despite the abundance of theory and research devoted to understanding the development and deterioration of relationships (Altman & Taylor,

A survey of adult romantic involvements was conducted to test hypotheses regarding the determinants and consequences of four characteristic responses to dissatisfaction: exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect. In general, greater prior satisfaction with relationships and greater investment of resources in relationships were associated with stronger tendencies to react to problems constructively, with voice and loyalty, and lesser tendencies to react destructively, with exit and neglect. Higher quality alternatives promoted exit and inhibited loyalty. Greater problem severity encouraged exit and voice and discouraged loyalty. Voice and loyalty resulted in more favorable outcomes, better immediate consequences and greater later satisfaction and commitment, whereas exit and neglect produced less favorable consequences. The relationship between a variety of demographic characteristics and each category of response were also examined.

The goal of this study was to explore the association between the love styles endorsed by respondents and their romantic partners on the one hand, and the quality of their romantic involvements on the other. A sample of 186 couples at a large southern university completed a questionnaire that included a shortened version of Hendrick & Hendrick's (1986) Love Attitudes Scale (LAS) designed to assess six love styles originally proposed by Lee (1973). Both the individual's and partner's scores on the six love scales (Eros, Ludus, Storge, Pragma, Mania, Agape) were then examined as predictors of the structural qualities of the couple's relationship specified by Rusbult's (1980a, 1983) investment model. The results of correlational and multiple regression analyses indicated that the respondent's own love style scores were the best predictors of relationship quality. In particular, the endorsement of Eros and Agape were associated with higher levels of rewards, satisfaction, investments and commitment, lower levels of costs and poor alternative quality. Ludus showed the opposite associations with these same variables. The partner's love styles were also related to a number of relationship characteristics, although less strongly so. In addition, couples showed evidence of matching of love styles (with the exception of Ludus and Mania), and discrepancies in couples' love attitudes were related to negative outcomes for women but not for men. Finally, the associations between several demographic variables (relationship status, age, relationship duration) and respondents' love styles suggest that individuals' love attitudes may be subject to change as a result of time and/or experience. These findings suggest that individuals' beliefs about love have important implications with regard to the relationship outcomes experienced by both themselves and their romantic partners.