Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Role of Network Support and Interference in Women's Perception of Romantic, Friend, and Parental Relationships

  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined the association between support/interference from the best friend and closest parent to women's (a) satisfaction with the parent–daughter relationship, (b) satisfaction with the friendship, and (c) love for the romantic partner. The respondents (n = 162 females; 84% Caucasian, 1% Asian American, 10% Hispanic, 4% African American, and 1% Multiracial) completed a questionnaire packet to assess each of the factors. Results revealed that romantic love was unrelated to friend support, friend interference, or parental interference, but positively related to parental support. Parent support was a significant correlate of parent satisfaction, and a similar pattern emerged between friend support/friendship satisfaction. Further, best friend support moderated the relationship between friend interference and friendship satisfaction, such that interference was negatively related to satisfaction in low support conditions. Overall, the results suggested that network reactions to romance played a limited role in romantic affection, but were more strongly associated with network satisfaction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Abbey, A., Abramis, D., & Caplan, R. (1985). Effects of different sources of social support and social conflict on emotional well-being. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 6, 111-129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Acitelli, L. (1996). The neglected links between marital support and marital satisfaction. In G. Pierce, B. Sarason, & I. Sarason (Eds.), Handbook of social support and the family (pp. 83-103). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baber, K., & Allen, K. (1992). Women and families: Feminist reconstructions. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbee, A., Gulley, M., & Cunningham, M. (1990). Support seeking in personal relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 7, 531-540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrera, M., & Baca, L. M. (1990). Recipient reactions to social support: Contributions of enacted support, conflicted support and network orientation. Journal of Social andPersonal Relationships, 7, 541-551.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brehm, S. (1985). Social exchange. In S. Brehm (Ed.), Intimate relationships (pp. 143-172). New York: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brock, D., Sarason, I., Sarason, B., & Pierce, G. (1996). Simultaneous assessment of perceived global and relationship-specific support. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 13, 143-152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, C., & Conger, R. (1999). Marital success and domains of social support in long-term relationships: Does the influence of network members never end? Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 437-450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burger, E., & Milardo, R. (1995). Marital interdependence and social networks. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 403-415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbery, J., & Buhrmester, D. (1998). Friendship and need fulfillment during three phases of young adulthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15, 393-409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cataldi, A. E., & Reardon, R. (1996). Gender, interpersonal orientation, and manipulation tactic use in close relationships. Sex Roles, 35(3/4), 205-218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, J., & Johnson, A. (1996). Adolescents' romantic relationships and the structure and quality of their close interpersonal ties. Personal Relationships, 3, 185-195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotton, S., Cunningham, J., & Antill, J. (1993). Network structure, network support and the marital satisfaction of husbands and wives. Australian Journal of Psychology, 45, 176-181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, R., Davis, K., & Lipetz, M. (1972). Parental interference and romantic love: The Romeo and Juliet effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 1-10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eggebeen, D., & Hogan, D. (1990). Giving between generations in American families. Human Nature, 1, 211-232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Felmlee, D., Sprecher, S., & Bassin, E. (1990). The dissolution of intimate relationships: A hazard model. Social Psychology Quarterly, 53, 13-30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzpatrick, J., & Sollie, D. (1999). Unrealistic gendered and relationship-specific beliefs: Contributions to investments and commitment in dating relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 852-867.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flannagan, D., & Perese, S. (1998). Emotional references in mother-daughter and mother—son dyads' conversations about school. Sex Roles, 39(5/6), 353-367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haigler, V. J., Day, H.D., & Marshall, D.D. (1995). Parental attachment and gender-role identity. Sex Roles, 33(3/4), 203-220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huston, T., & Burgess, R. (1979). Social exchange in developing relationships: An overview. In R. Burgess & T. Huston (Eds.), Social exchange in developing relationships (pp. 3-28). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, M., & Milardo, R. (1984). Network interference in pair relationships:Asocial psychological recasting of Slater's theory of social regression. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 46, 893-899.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H., & Stiff, J. (1991). Social networks and the development of close relationships. Human Communication Research, 18, 70-91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurdek, L., & Schmitt, J. (1986). Relationship quality of partners in heterosexual married, heterosexual cohabiting, and gay and lesbian relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 711-720.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakey, B., McCabe, K., Fisicaro, S., & Drew, J. (1996). Environmental and personal determinants of support perceptions: Three generalizability studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 1270-1280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamm, H., Wiesmann, U., & Keller, K. (1998). Subjective determinants of attraction: Selfperceived causes of the rise and decline of liking, love, and being in love. Personal Relationships, 5(1), 91-104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leaper, C., Carson, M., Baker, C., Holliday, H., & Myers, S. (1995). Self-disclosure and listener verbal support in same-gender and cross-gender friends' conversations. Sex Roles, 33, 387-404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, L., Huston, T., & Johnson, M. (1986). Parental reactions to dating relationships: Do they make a difference? Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 57-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, R. (1973). Social reaction and the formation of dyads: An interactionist approach to mate selection. Sociometry, 36, 409-418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobel, T. E., Gewirtz, J., Pras, R., Shoeshine-Rokach, M., & Ginton, R. (1999). Preadolescents' social judgments: The relationship between self-endorsement of traits and gender-related judgments of female peers. Sex Roles, 40(5/6), 483-498.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundgren, D., & Rudawsky, D. (1998). Female and male college students' responses to negative feedback from parents and peers. Sex Roles, 39, 409-429.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, B., & Burks, N. (1985). Family and nonfamily components of social support as buffers of stress for college women. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 15, 448-465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaels, J., Edwards, J., & Acock, A. (1984). Satisfaction in intimate relationships as a function of inequality, inequity, and outcomes. Social Psychology Quarterly, 47, 347-357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, S., & deVries, B. (1993). Patterns of friendship for women and men in same and cross-sex relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 10, 617-626.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parks, M. R., Stan, C. M., & Eggert, L. L. (1983). Romantic involvement and social network involvement. Social Psychology Quarterly, 46(2), 116-131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, G., Sarason, B., Sarason, I., Joseph, H., & Henderson, C. (1996). Conceptualizing and assessing social support in the context of the family. In G. Pierce, B. Sarason, & I. Sarason (Eds.), Handbook of social support and the family (pp. 3-23). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reisman, J. (1990). Intimacy in same-sex friendships. Sex Roles, 23, 65-82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice, K., & Mulkeen, P. (1995). Relationships with parents and peers: A longitudinal study of adolescent intimacy. Journal of Adolescent Research, 10, 338-357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, Z. (1970). Measurement of romantic love. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 16, 265-273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruehlman, L., & Wolchik, S. (1988). Personal goals and interpersonal support and hindrance as factors in psychological distress and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 293-301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rusbult, C., & Buunk, B. (1993). Commitment processes in close relationships: An interdependence analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 10, 175-204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rusbult, C., Johnson, D., & Morrow, G. (1986). Predicting satisfaction and commitment in adult romantic involvements: An assessment of the generalizability of the investment model. Social Psychology Quarterly, 49, 81-89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumm, W., Anderson, S., Benigas, J., McCutchen, M., Griffin, C., Morris, J., et al. (1985). Criterion-related validity of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. Psychological Reports, 56, 719-722.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprecher, S. (1987). The effects of self-disclosure given and received on affection for an intimate partner and stability of the relationship. Social Psychology Quarterly, 51, 318-328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprecher, S. (1988). Investment, model, equity, and social support determinants of relationship commitment. Social Psychology Quarterly, 51, 318-328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprecher, S., & Metts, S. (1999). Romantic beliefs: Their influence on relationships and patterns of change over time. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 834-851.

    Google Scholar 

  • Unger, D., Jacobs, S., & Cannon, C. (1996). Social support and marital satisfaction among couples coping with chronic constructive airway disease. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 13, 123-142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vinokur, A., & van Ryn, M. (1993). Social support and undermining in close relationships:Their independent effects on the mental health of unemployed persons. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 350-359.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wan, C., Jaccard, J., & Ramey, S. (1996). The relationship between social support and life satisfaction as a function of family structure. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 502-513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wellman, B., & Wortley, S. (1989). Brothers' keepers: Situating kinship relations in broader networks of social support. Sociological Perspectives, 32, 273-306.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas Tech University, USA

    Laura Bryan, Jacki Fitzpatrick, Duane Crawford & Judith Fischer

Authors
  1. Laura Bryan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jacki Fitzpatrick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Duane Crawford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Judith Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacki Fitzpatrick.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bryan, L., Fitzpatrick, J., Crawford, D. et al. The Role of Network Support and Interference in Women's Perception of Romantic, Friend, and Parental Relationships. Sex Roles 45, 481–499 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014858613924

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014858613924

Search

Navigation