Personality growth after relationship losses: Changes of perceived control in the years around separation, divorce, and the death of a partner

Abstract

Background Previous research suggests that romantic relationships play a crucial role for perceived control. However, we know surprisingly little about changes in perceived control before and after the end of romantic relationships. Methods Based on data from the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), a nationally representative household panel study from Germany, we examined changes of perceived control in the years around separation from a partner (N = 1,235), divorce (N = 423), and the death of a partner (N = 437). Results Multilevel analyses revealed that external control beliefs were higher in but not beyond the first year after separation from a partner. Internal and total control beliefs increased gradually in the years after separation. Moreover, internal control beliefs were higher in and especially beyond the first year after the death of a partner compared to the years before. No evidence was found that perceived control already changed in the years before relationship losses or in the years around a divorce. Conclusion Taken together, these findings point toward stress-related growth of perceived control after some relationship losses–especially separation and the death of a partner.

Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms in the Context of Romantic Relationship Breakup: Characterizing the “Natural Course” of Response and Recovery in Young Adults

“…Results from this study contribute to the literature by characterizing the trajectory and time-frame of stress response and recovery in young adults in the absence of intervention. These results are consistent with set-point theory (Asselmann & Specht, 2022a, 2022b) applied in the context of marriage and divorce. To our knowledge, this study is the first to document this trajectory in young adulthood.…”

“…Higher scores indicated greater levels of perceived control. Consistent with prior conceptualizations of control (Asselmann & Specht, 2022b; Skinner, 1996; Specht et al, 2013), we coded this variable as a binary variable split at the median score of 7 (0: high control, 1: low control).…”

“…The ending of a romantic relationship during any developmental stage is a stressful experience associated with increased psychological distress. Yet, in the context of divorce, set-point theory and related evidence suggest that the emotional distress brought about by the relationship’s dissolution dissipates within 5 years (Asselmann & Specht, 2022a, 2022b). In some cases, the years following separation are characterized by improved mental health in absolute, and not merely relative, terms (Preetz, 2022).…”

Dynamics of personality: The Zurich model of motivation revived, extended, and applied to personality

“…Moreover, ZM postulates that such an increase in the need for power engenders a decrease in an (infantile) need for security and an increase in the need for arousal, which can be considered additional manifestations of personality growth (Bowlby, 1982). This relationship is compatible with empirical research showing that personality growth has been found, among others, in reductions of neuroticism, increases in extraversion (e.g., Roberts et al, 2017), and more recently, in increases of perceived control (Asselmann & Specht, 2022). Accordingly, ZM would consider need changes as mechanisms underlying such modifications rather than temperamental factors.…”