Assessing decision making in young adult romantic relationships.

Abstract

Romantic relationships among young adults are rich with ambiguity and without a clear, universal progression emphasizing the need for active decision making. Lack of active decision making in romantic relationships can lead to increases in constraints (e.g. pregnancy, shared living space or finances) that promote the continuation of relationships that would have otherwise ended, leading to increased risk of relationship distress. Because there is no available assessment of thoughtfulness regarding relationship decisions, the authors of the present studies report data on the development of one such scale, the Relationship Deciding Scale (RDS). Study 1 (N = 995) reveals the factor structure of the RDS and provides reliability data for the emergent subscales. In Study 2 (N = 963), the obtained three-factor structure (Relationship Confidence, Knowledge of Warning Signs, and Deciding) is tested via confirmatory factor analysis, demonstrates convergent and discriminant validity, and is shown to predict relationship characteristics 14 weeks later. Study 3 (N = 805) shows the sensitivity of the three factors to change through examination of the influence of a semester-long intervention targeted at increasing decision making in relationships. Use of this scale for identifying and intervening with couples or individuals who lack active decision making in relationships may decrease their risk for future relationship distress.

An Exploration of the Construction of Commitment Leading to Marriage

“…For example, in a study by Owen, Rhodes, and Stanley (2013) individuals who reported having thoughtful decision-making processes also reported more dedication to their partners and higher satisfaction in their relationship. However, on the contrary, Vennum and Fincham (2011) did not find a significant correlation between thoughtful decision-making processes and more dedication in young adult romantic relationships.…”

Dedication and Sliding in Emerging Adult Cyclical and Non‐Cyclical Romantic Relationships

“…Sliding was assessed with the Deciding subscale of the Relationship Deciding Scale (Vennum & Fincham, ). Participants reported their agreement with statements such as, “With romantic partners I weigh the pros and cons before allowing myself to take the next step in the relationship (e.g., be physically intimate)” and “It is important to make conscious decisions about whether to take each major step in romantic relationships.” Responses ranged from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5); they were coded and summed so that higher scores reflect greater sliding.…”

Young romance in China: Effects of family, attachment, relationship confidence, and problem solving

“…Efficacy beliefs have been related to the successful resolution of conflict and a willingness to discuss problems in marriages (Fincham & Bradbury, ). Additionally, relationship efficacy mediated the association between parent's marital conflict and young adult relationship conflict behavior (Cui et al, ) and was associated with fewer negative interactions (Vennum & Fincham, ; Whitton et al, ). Thus, we expect individuals with higher levels of relationship confidence to be motivated to engage in positive relationship interactions, such as problem solving.…”