Self and Communication in Long-Term Romantic Relationships

<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>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Eastern Kentucky University

Year

2019

Author dc:creator

• Sadr, Farshad Michael

• communication
• conflict
• gender socialization
• romantic
• romantic goal
• self-construal
• Psychology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2019 Farshad Michael Sadr

Repository record dc:identifier

https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/645

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1643