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Resumen
En este trabajo examinamos en qué medida algunosfactores personales, familiares y relacionales, pueden predecir la estabilidad de las relaciones de pareja en la adolescencia. La muestra fue de 253 adolescentes (168 mujeres y 85 hombres) implicados en una relación de pareja. Se evaluaron 12 factores: estatus de identidad (Logro, Moratoria, Difusión, Hipotecada), Cohesión, Expresividad, Conflicto, Apoyo parental, Estadio relacional, Duración de la relación, Intimidad y Experiencia sexual. Aproximadamente 4 meses después, contactamos con 195 sujetos (135 mujeres y 60 hombres)para comprobar si continuaban o no en la misma relación
Los resultados indican que la identidad y las medidas de la relación predecían la continuación o ruptura de la pareja. Además, la intimidad mediatizóen parte la asociación entre Difusión de identidad y estabilidad de las relaciones. Los resultados se discuten en términos del modelo de inverseón relacional, y de la conexión que existe entre el desarrollo personal y social de los/las adolescents
Abstract
The present study examined to what extent the stability of adolescents' dating relationships was predicted by various personal, family, and relationship factors. The sample included 253 adolescents (168 females, 85 males) involved in dating relationships. The survey assessed 12 factors: identity status (Achievement, Moratorium, Diffusion, Foreclosure), Cohesion, Expressiveness, Conflict, Parental Support, Dating Status, Relationship Duration, Intimacy, and Sexual Experience. Approximately 4 months later, 195 subjects (135 females, 60 males) were again contacted to determine whether they were still dating the same partner. The results indicate that a couple's stability was predicted by its identity statuses and relationship measures. Furthermore, Intimacy was found to partly mediate the association between Identity Diffusion and the relations' stability. These results are discussed in terms of the investment model and the connection between adolescents' personal and social development.
Extended Summary
The identification of factors that contribute to the stability of romantic relationships has been of continuing theoretical and empirical concern to relationship researchers. However, past studies typically have focused on the dissolution of marital relationships (see Larson and Holman, 1994, for a review). Relatively few have examined the breakdown of adolescent ones, despite the fact that conclusion of a romantic relationship is a significant loss for adolescents.
Moreover, in order to understand the intimate relationships, it is necessary to take account of individual developmental and relational contributions (Hinde, 1981). Empirical research linking individual developmental processes with relationship development is rare. From a developmental framework, this study examined how well the stability of adolescents' dating relationships was predicted by various personal, family and relationship factors.
The survey assessed 12 factors: identity status (Achievement, Moratorium, Diffusion, Foreclosure), Cohesion, Expressiveness, Conflict, Parental Support, Dating Status, Length of relationship, Intimacy and Sexual Experience.
Subjects were 168 females and 85 males COU-FP students (Salamanca-Province). Participants were selected from a larger sample, and included only those individuals who were currently involved in a relatiosnhip. Their mean age was 18.5 years (SD = 1.3), with a minimum age of 17 and a maximum age of 20. Mean length of the relationships represented by the sample was 14.8 months (SD = 14.3), with a range of 1 month to 70 months.
Data were collected at two time points. At Time 1, respondents completed the Bennion and Adams (1986) Extended Version of the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, the Moos and Moos (1976) Family Environment Scale (Cohesion, Expressiveness and Conflict subscales), the Shoemaker (1980) Hare Self-Esteem Scale, the Miller and Lefcourt (1982) Miller Social Intimacy Scale, the Zuckerman (1987) Human Sexuality Questionnaire, and questions on current relationship status (casually dating, regularly dating, steady dating, commited to marriage) and length of relationship.
Approximately 4 months later (Time 2), 195 individuals (135 females and 60 males) were recontacted to determine whether they were still dating the same partner or not. 122 individuals were still dating the same partner at the 4-months follow-up (62.6%), while 73 were no longer dating the same partner (37.04%).
Results from discriminant analyses indicated that for females, the stability of relationships was predicted by the identity statuses (Identity Diffusion and Moratorium) and relationship measures (dating status, length of the relationship, intimacy and sexual experience). For males, only the stability was predicted by relationship measures.
Another purpose of this study was to predict relationship stability while statistically controlling for length of the relationship. Through the use of analysis of covariance, the variance due to the length of the relationship at the initial contact was removed from each of the predictor variables before the main effect (relationship stability) was assessed. After controlling for length, results indicated that identity diffusion, moratorium, dating status, intimacy, and sexual experience, for females, and dating status and intimacy, for males, were all significant predictors of stability at four-months follow-up. Specifically, females who were still dating 4 months later demonstrated less identity diffusion, less moratorium, greater dating status, greater intimacy and more sexual experience at the time of initial contact than did females who broke up. Males demonstrated greater intimacy and more sexual experience at the time of initial contact.
Finally, according to multivariate statistical theory (Baron and Kenny, 1986), the present research tested the mediating role of intimacy in the association identity-relationship stability. Regression analysis showed, in accordance with Eriksonian theory, that the intimacy partly mediated the association between identity diffusion and relationship stability.
These results are discussed in terms of the investment model (Rusbult, 1983), and the connection between adolescents' personal and social development. The investment model predicts that commitment should be greatest in relationships characterized by high levels of investment (represented by 4 factors used in this investigation). Lastly, this work supports a model of relationship development: progress toward increasing stability in adolescent relationships is linked to individual develomental processes. Specifically, a strong unified sense of personal identity is necessary for relationship success.
