The association between romantic competence and couple support behaviors in emerging adult couples

This study examined the association between romantic competence and observed couple social support behaviors in a sample of 89 emerging adult mixed-gender couples ( M age = 20.65 for men, 20.16 for women). Across analyses, findings generally indicated that higher romantic competence was associated with both seeking and providing support in a more positive and less negative manner, even when controlling for attachment security, relationship satisfaction, and relationship length. The findings extend our understanding of how romantic competence affects dyadic processes, and identifies romantic competence as a novel target underlying the ability to effectively seek and provide support. Clinical implications for relationship education programs as well as psychotherapy that may be focused on improving relationship functioning is discussed.

The Italian Adaptation of the Romantic Competence Interview: A Preliminary Test of Psychometrics Properties

The study examines the preliminary psychometric properties of the Romantic Competence Interview — Italian version (RCI-Iv) for adolescents, a semistructured interview assessing romantic competence adolescents. Participants were 116 Italian adolescents (Mage = 17.61 years) who were administered the RCI-Iv and a survey investigating self-perception, emotion regulation strategies, sexual behaviours, and perceptions of relationship quality. Results showed that the RCI-Iv could be coded reliably. Exploratory factor analysis suggested the one-factor structure and RCI-Iv domains were highly correlated with each other, supporting construct validity. There was evidence of convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. The study highlights the importance of continuing to study romantic competence in adolescence.

Multiple Dimensions of Childhood Abuse and Neglect Prospectively Predict Poorer Adult Romantic Functioning

The present study used data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA) to investigate how multiple dimensions of childhood abuse and neglect predict romantic relationship functioning in adulthood. Several dimensions of abuse and neglect (any experience, type, chronicity, co-occurrence, and perpetrator) were rated prospectively from birth through age 17.5 years. Multimethod assessments of relational competence and violence in romantic relationships were conducted repeatedly from ages 20 to 32 years. As expected, experiencing childhood abuse and neglect was associated with lower romantic competence and more relational violence in adulthood. Follow-up analyses indicated that lower romantic competence was specifically associated with physical abuse, maternal perpetration, chronicity, and co-occurrence, whereas more relational violence was uniquely associated with nonparental perpetration. We discuss these novel prospective findings in the context of theory and research on antecedents of romantic relationship functioning.