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Approach-avoidance goals and relationship problems, communication of stress, and dyadic coping in couples

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Abstract

Partners in romantic relationships differ in the extent to which they are oriented towards positive outcomes (e.g., intimacy) or away from negative outcomes (e.g., conflict). The present study examines these approach-avoidance relationship goals in relation to self-reported relationship problems, stress communication, and dyadic coping. Hypotheses were tested on a dyadic level (Actor-Partner Interdependence Model) using data from 368 couples. As expected, people endorsing approach goals reported fewer relationship problems, more effective stress communication, and better dyadic coping. People endorsing avoidance goals reported more relationship problems and poorer dyadic coping. Further, approach-oriented people tended to perceive their partner as being more communicative and more supportive, whereas avoidance-oriented people tended to perceive their partner as more communicative but less supportive. Reports by partners agreed with the self-reports of approach- and avoidance-oriented spouses concerning stress communication and dyadic coping. These findings highlight motivational factors in general, and orientation towards approach-avoidance goals in particular, as key features in understanding relationship maintenance.

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Notes

  1. In order to determine the necessary sample size for detecting the postulated effects of the proposed research questions, the most complex analysis with the smallest effects was tested using a Structural Equation Model (SEM). Required sample sizes in SEMs can be determined by relying on Monte-Carlo studies (Muthén and Muthén 2002). In order to predefine the SEM, all model parameters have to be known a priori. Hancock (2006) identified an N = 300 to be potentially sufficient to have enough power (80%) to critically test the overall model fit against an RMSEA = 0.02 if the model has more than 60 degrees of freedom (df).

  2. Data presented in this paper are part of a large-scale study addressing different research subjects (Kuster et al. 2015; Landis et al. 2014; Zemp et al. 2016a, b). The present findings have no overlap with previously reported results.

  3. Although no hypotheses were formulated with respect to gender differences in model parameters, we explored these in supplementary analyses by analysing non-restricted models in which path coefficients were freely estimated. No relevant differences were found between model parameters as a function of gender. Compared with the reported model, only small differences of up to 0.05 occurred in the unstandardized path coefficients. The direction of the effect was always the same; the size of the parameter was virtually the same across gender.

  4. Although we focused on acute relationship problems, we additionally tested the chronic relationship problems model. This model also displayed an excellent fit; χ2(4) = 2.536, p = .638, CFI = 1.000, RMSEA = .000. Predicting relationship problems based on goal orientation (approach and avoidance) accounted for 4% of women’s and 5% of men’s variance in chronic relationship problems (M = 1.87, SD = 0.53, Cronbach’s α = .83 for women, and M = 1.76, SD = 0.47, Cronbach’s α = .81 for men). Compared with the reported model, the direction and size of all effects were virtually the same.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology - Psychology of Motivation, Volition, and Emotion, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestr. 14/6, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland

    Monika Kuster, Sabine Backes & Veronika Brandstätter

  2. Department of Psychology, Psychological Methods and Evaluation, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Fridtjof W. Nussbeck

  3. Department of Psychology - Clinical Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

    Thomas N. Bradbury

  4. Department of Psychology - Clinical Psychology for Children/Adolescents, and Couples/Families, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Dorothee Sutter-Stickel & Guy Bodenmann

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  1. Monika Kuster
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  2. Sabine Backes
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  3. Veronika Brandstätter
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  4. Fridtjof W. Nussbeck
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  7. Guy Bodenmann
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Correspondence to Veronika Brandstätter.

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This research has been funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF: CRSI11_133004/1) to Guy Bodenmann, Veronika Brandstätter, Mike Martin, Fridtjof W. Nussbeck, and Thomas N. Bradbury.

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Kuster, M., Backes, S., Brandstätter, V. et al. Approach-avoidance goals and relationship problems, communication of stress, and dyadic coping in couples. Motiv Emot 41, 576–590 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-017-9629-3

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