Conflict negotiation and autonomy processes in adolescent romantic relationships: An observational study of interdependency in boyfriend and girlfriend effects

Abstract

This study examined the association between conflict negotiation and the expression of autonomy in adolescent romantic partners. Thirty‐seven couples participated in a globally coded conflict interaction task. Actor‐partner interdependence models (APIM) were used to quantify the extent to which boys’ and girls’ autonomy was linked solely to their own negotiation of the conflict or whether it was linked conjointly to their own and their partners’ negotiation style. Combining agentic autonomy theories and peer socialization models, it was expected that boys’ and girls’ autonomy would be associated only with their own conflict behaviors when they employed conflict styles reflective of their same gender repertoire, and associated conjointly with self and partner behaviors when they employed gender‐atypical conflict styles. Instead of an equal, albeit distinct, positioning in the autonomy dynamic, the results suggested that girls’ autonomy is associated solely with their own conflict behaviors, whereas boys’ autonomy is jointly associated with their own and their partners’ conflict behaviors. We discuss the relative power of boys and girls in emergent dyadic contexts, emphasizing how romantic dynamics shape salient abilities.

Maternal and Peer Regulation of Adolescent Emotion: Associations with Depressive Symptoms

“…The current study used an extant sample from a larger longitudinal study of adolescent relationships with mothers, close friends, and romantic partners (see Connolly et al 2015;McIsaac et al 2008). The current study consisted only of adolescents who participated in observation sessions with their mothers and/or close friends.…”

Adolescent Daughters’ Romantic Competence: The Role of Divorce, Quality of Parenting, and Maternal Romantic History

“…Increasing involvement in a romantic relationship challenges partners to negotiate issues of autonomy and relatedness, learning to be sensitive to the other and to maintain a sense of self (Furman and Wehner 1997;McIsaac et al 2008). Within relationships, partners learn to express and regulate resentments, and to utilize disagreements as a means of improving the nature and course of a relationship.…”

One-sided and mutually aggressive couples: Differences in attachment, conflict prevalence, and coping

“…Foshee et al (2009) suggested that when females fail to get what they want from their partners, and when indirect forms of negotiating and teasing do not work, they employ more coercive, physically aggressive strategies. Other researchers have suggested that females have a greater need to establish autonomy in the emerging romantic relationship (McIsaac, Connolly, McKenney, Pepler, & Craig, 2008), which may result in more physical and relational aggression.…”