The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of how individuals in heterosexual romantic relationships resolve conflict and why the identified persuasion attempts are occurring. This study proposes a two-pathway model of how socialization predicts conflict communication strategies through self-construal and relationship goals. It is hypothesized that a) gender socialization and romantic relationship power influence the dominate type of self-construal an individual holds, b) parenting goals are more strongly predicted by relational interdependent self-construal than physical self-construal and that mating goals are more strongly predicted by physical self-construal than relational interdependent self-construal, c) direct conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by mating goals. Indirect conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by parenting goals. Participants (n=241) completed an online survey of self-construal, gender socialization, romantic relationship goals, and conflict communication strategies. The results identified two pathways from gender socialization to conflict communication strategies with the feminine pathway producing better long-term strategies.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of how individuals in heterosexual romantic relationships resolve conflict and why the identified persuasion attempts are occurring. This study proposes a two-pathway model of how socialization predicts conflict communication strategies through self-construal and relationship goals. It is hypothesized that a) gender socialization and romantic relationship power influence the dominate type of self-construal an individual holds, b) parenting goals are more strongly predicted by relational interdependent self-construal than physical self-construal and that mating goals are more strongly predicted by physical self-construal than relational interdependent self-construal, c) direct conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by mating goals. Indirect conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by parenting goals. Participants (n=241) completed an online survey of self-construal, gender socialization, romantic relationship goals, and conflict communication strategies. The results identified two pathways from gender socialization to conflict communication strategies with the feminine pathway producing better long-term strategies. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sadr, Farshad Michael"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:53Z","subjects":["communication","conflict","gender socialization","romantic","romantic goal","self-construal","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2019 Farshad Michael Sadr"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/645","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sadr, Farshad Michael"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["communication","conflict","gender socialization","romantic","romantic goal","self-construal","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2019 Farshad Michael Sadr"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/645"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of how individuals in heterosexual romantic relationships resolve conflict and why the identified persuasion attempts are occurring. This study proposes a two-pathway model of how socialization predicts conflict communication strategies through self-construal and relationship goals. It is hypothesized that a) gender socialization and romantic relationship power influence the dominate type of self-construal an individual holds, b) parenting goals are more strongly predicted by relational interdependent self-construal than physical self-construal and that mating goals are more strongly predicted by physical self-construal than relational interdependent self-construal, c) direct conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by mating goals. Indirect conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by parenting goals. Participants (n=241) completed an online survey of self-construal, gender socialization, romantic relationship goals, and conflict communication strategies. The results identified two pathways from gender socialization to conflict communication strategies with the feminine pathway producing better long-term strategies.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/PDF"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Self and Communication in Long-Term Romantic Relationships"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Sadr, Farshad Michael"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of how individuals in heterosexual romantic relationships resolve conflict and why the identified persuasion attempts are occurring. This study proposes a two-pathway model of how socialization predicts conflict communication strategies through self-construal and relationship goals. It is hypothesized that a) gender socialization and romantic relationship power influence the dominate type of self-construal an individual holds, b) parenting goals are more strongly predicted by relational interdependent self-construal than physical self-construal and that mating goals are more strongly predicted by physical self-construal than relational interdependent self-construal, c) direct conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by mating goals. Indirect conflict communication strategies are more strongly predicted by parenting goals. Participants (n=241) completed an online survey of self-construal, gender socialization, romantic relationship goals, and conflict communication strategies. The results identified two pathways from gender socialization to conflict communication strategies with the feminine pathway producing better long-term strategies.
"],"dc:format":["application/PDF"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/645"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2019 Farshad Michael Sadr"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["communication","conflict","gender socialization","romantic","romantic goal","self-construal","Psychology"],"dc:title":["Self and Communication in Long-Term Romantic Relationships"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:53Z"}