Relationship Uncertainty, Partner Interference, and Intimacy within Dating Relationships

Abstract

The transition from casual to serious involvement appears to constitute a unique period of relating within courtships. We suggest that the moderate levels of intimacy characterizing this phase correspond with heightened uncertainty about the relationship and greater interference from partners in every-day activities. In a test of these predictions, individuals in dating relationships (N= 341) completed self-report measures of intimacy, relationship uncertainty, partner's influence in the respondent's everyday activities, and partner's interference in those activities. Contrary to our expectations, we observed a negative linear association between intimacy and relationship uncertainty. Although the effect size was small, results indicated support for a curvilinear association between the experience of interference from partners and intimacy; as predicted, interference was greatest at moderate levels of intimacy. In addition, results revealed an ordinal interaction between intimacy and a partner's influence in everyday activities, such that the partner's influence was more positively associated with interference at low levels of intimacy than at high levels of intimacy. The discussion highlights the implications of these findings for conceptualizing the development of romantic relationships.

Implications of Relationship Social Comparison Tendencies Among Dating and Married Individuals

“…Relationship uncertainty can persist beyond the initial stages of relationship development. Consistent evidence supports the contention that its levels remain in flux throughout the lifespan of a relationship, although the nature of the uncertainty changes as new couples transition into established or marital relationships (Planalp, Rutherford, & Honeycutt, 1988;Solomon & Knobloch, 2001). …”

“…The development of intimacy is a difficult process. A sizable body of research suggests that the transition from casual dating to an emotionally attached, interdependent and mutually recognized relationship is fraught with challenges (e.g., Solomon & Knobloch, 2001). Even once the relationship has transitioned to marriage, the partners may continue to have questions or concerns about the relationship's permanency and continuation.…”

The Communicative and Physiological Manifestations of Relational Turbulence During the Empty-Nest Phase of Marital Relationships

“…The relational turbulence model suggests that transitions in romantic relationships contribute to heightened turmoil and upheaval for partners (Solomon & Knobloch, 2001. Relational turbulence arises when changes in a relationship give rise to increased reactivity to relationship conditions (Solomon & Knobloch, 2004), which can manifest as intensified emotional, cognitive, or communicative reactions to relationship circumstances (Solomon, Weber, & Steuber, 2010).…”

“…The second mechanism in the relational turbulence model is interference from partners, which refers to the degree to which individuals perceive a partner as undermining personal actions (Solomon & Knobloch, 2001. Partner interference manifests in situations when one person's routine is interrupted by efforts to coordinate actions with a relational partner (Berscheid, 1983).…”

“…Partner interference was measured by asking participants to indicate the extent to which their partner interferes with everyday activities (Solomon & Knobloch, 2001). Participants indicated their agreement with statements on a 6-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree) (M = 2.03; SD = 1.12; α = 0.…”