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The developmental course of supportive dyadic coping in couples
Matthew D Johnson1, Rebecca M Horne1, Adam M Galovan1
1Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta.
Developmental Psychology
|October 7, 2016
Summary
Supportive dyadic coping declines over time in couples, influenced by factors like children and economic pressure. Individual differences in coping trajectories exist, impacting relationship dynamics and self-rated health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Developmental Science
Background:
- Relational developmental systems (RDS) perspective provides a framework for understanding couple dynamics.
- Intimate relationships evolve over time, influenced by individual and contextual factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the developmental trajectories of supportive dyadic coping in couples.
- To investigate factors influencing changes in supportive dyadic coping over five years.
- To explore bidirectional relationships between stressors and supportive dyadic coping.
Main Methods:
- Latent change score (LCS) modeling was used.
- Data from 1,427 continuously partnered young adult and midlife mixed-sex couples were analyzed.
- Longitudinal data from the German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam) were utilized.
Main Results:
- Supportive dyadic coping generally declined for both male and female partners over time.
- Individual differences in coping trajectories were significant.
- Higher initial levels of supportive dyadic coping were linked to slower declines.
- For young adults, a faster decline in male support predicted a slower decline in female support.
- Having more children and economic pressure predicted steeper declines in supportive dyadic coping.
- Providing higher support predicted a slower decline in self-rated health for men.
Conclusions:
- Supportive dyadic coping is dynamic and tends to decrease over the first five years of relationships.
- Couple support trajectories are diverse and influenced by demographic factors and stressors.
- Supportive dyadic coping may have implications for individual well-being, such as self-rated health.
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