Conflict Resolution Patterns and Longevity of Adolescent Romantic Couples: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study

• NCJ Number: 215485
• Journal: Journal of Adolescence Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2006 Pages: 575-588
• Author(s): Shmuel Shulman; Rivka Tuval-Mashiach; Elisheva Levran; Shmuel Anbar
• Date Published: August 2006
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the predictors of longevity among late adolescent romantic couples.

Abstract

Results indicate that after a 3-month period about 72 percent of the adolescent romantic couples were still intact, and that after a period of 12 and 24 months, the level of stability was 51.3 and 43.6 percent respectively. Findings suggest that at the later stages of adolescence, transient relationships become less common and a romantic relationship may last for about 1 year. Three conflict resolution patterns were identified to exemplify how partners handled their disagreements: downplaying, integrative, and conflictive. The downplaying pattern was characterized by a high tendency to minimize the conflict. The relationships of the adolescents displaying this pattern stayed intact for a period of 9 months, with half of them still together after 24 months. Adolescents displaying the integrative pattern, showing a good ability to negotiate differences, tended to stay together over a period of 24 months. Those showing the conflictive pattern, described as a confrontive interaction, were separated by the 3 months followup. Romantic relationships are normative and significant during adolescence with 70 percent of adolescents reporting a romantic relationship by age 18. However, conflicts are found in every relationship. Conflict management is a particularly important barometer of relational functioning. The major goal of this study was to distinguish empirically a range of adolescent conflict resolution patterns. The study was designed to analyze quantitatively and qualitatively the discourse of conflict negotiation between adolescent romantic partners. The study sample consisted of 40 adolescent romantic couples. All participants were high school students with a mean age of 17 years for both males and females. In order to identify patterns of interaction, the study looked at the emotional tone of the situation, words that reflected coercion or compromise, and the length of interaction. Figure, table, and references