1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This study aimed to 1) investigate distinct profiles of adolescent romantic relationship dynamics based on similarities and differences of the three components of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (Olson & Gorall, 2003); and 2) explore whether the identified profiles can be distinguished on different personal and interpersonal characteristics.» (p. 205)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The final sample included 90 dyads. The average length of dating relationship ranged from 2 to 72 months [...]. Participants were aged between 15 and 21 years […]. The majority (69.4%) identified themselves as Canadians. Most were students; only 17.7% of boys and 5.3% of girls were not. A minority were involved in their first romantic relationship […]. More than half of the participants reported at least one episode of verbal or emotional violence in their current relationship […].» (p. 205)

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Results of this study «revealed interesting differences between dyads. Dyads with Balanced dynamic were characterized by the lowest score on intimacy avoidance and abandonment anxiety. On the other hand, the highest level of intimacy avoidance was reported by dyads with Rigid dynamic, along with a high abandonment anxiety score like in Entangled dynamic dyads. It is important to note that no profiles reached the clinical distress thresholds regarding abandonment anxiety and intimacy avoidance […]. Dyads with Balanced dynamic were the least reactive profile and were among those most likely to make compromises in conflict management. While adolescents without any particular emotional problem are capable of using positive negotiating tactics, such as compromises […], those who report higher levels of dating anxiety display more negative interactions in their romantic relationships […]. Therefore, abandonment anxiety or even the resulting learning context of the novelty of the first romantic relationships […] may explain the greater reactivity to conflict experienced by dyads. Adolescence is an important developmental period for building communication skills. As the results indicated, it appears that the majority of youth are taking advantage of the opportunities offered by early romantic experiences to acquire communication skills, such as active listening […].» (p. 209)