Raising Healthy Partners: Predictors of Intimate Relationship Satisfaction during Emerging Adulthood

Purpose: Engaging in intimate relationships during emerging adulthood is an important developmental task (Roisman et al., 2004). Relationship satisfaction is defined by how the relationship meets individual needs and expectations within the context of other personal relationships and the benefits derived compared to the effort required to maintain the relationship (Hendrick, 1988). Romantic relationship satisfaction is predicted by childhood variables like family conflict, parenting, and social skills (Simpson et al., 2007). During adolescence, studies show that prosocial bonding to school, peers, and individual values, predict higher intimate relationship quality during emerging and young adulthood (Masten, et al, 2004). Other studies indicate strong associations between positive self efficacy and intimate relationship satisfaction (Montgomery, 2005). Poor intimate relationship satisfaction predicts adverse behaviors like intimate partner violence perpetration (Roisman, et al, 2004; Linder, et al, 2007). Parenthood, civil status, and length of relationship interact with intimate relationship satisfaction. This study will examine whether individual characteristics and social context during childhood predict relationship satisfaction in emerging adulthood and whether paths from childhood variables to relationship satisfaction are mediated by variables assessed during adolescence. Methods: The analysis includes 528 participants (301 females and 227 males) in the Raising Health Children (RHC) Project who reported being in an intimate (heterosexual) relationship between ages 19 and 21 and reported on their satisfaction with these relationships (e.g., want to be like your partner, your partner gives you support). Childhood (grades 1 - 6) predictors of romantic relationship satisfaction include teacher reported social skills (listening to others, resolving conflicts); parent reported harsh parenting (likelihood to hit/yell to discipline) and changes in parent civil status; and child reported sense of depression (cry a lot, feeling tired), externalizing behavior problems (lies, steals, fights), and child/parent bonding (wants to be like parent, close to parent). Adolescent mediating variables include three domain constructs: pro/anti-social orientation; pro/anti-social peer group involvement; and bonding to school/parenting during adolescence. Covariates include emotional negativity (feels angry, want to yell), civil status (single, married, etc), and length of time in the relationship. Results: Initial multiple regression models indicate that that poor bonding to parents (ß = -.14, p < 0.01) and externalizing behavioral problems (ß = -.12, p < 0.05) during childhood predicted poor romantic relationship satisfaction. Controlling for childhood risk factors, adolescent reported pro-social orientation (ß = .14, p < 0.05) and bonding to school (ß = .16, p < 0.01) predicted increased romantic relationship satisfaction and partially accounted for the relationships between childhood variables and later relationship satisfaction. Implications: These findings confirm previous studies regarding risk factors (poor bonding; externalizing behavioral problems) and protective factors (adolescent pro-social orientation; bonding to school) for intimate relationship satisfaction. Further analyses will address potential interactions among risk and protective factors with respect to predicting emerging adulthood relationship satisfaction.