Competition and interpersonal conflict in dating relationships

This study examines the nature of competition between partners in dating relationships, the differences between men and women in such competition, and the associations between competition and conflict strategies. Factor analysis revealed seven categories of competition: Achievement, Social Skills, Altruism, Social Attractiveness, Controversy, Affection, and Play. Findings reveal that competition is distinct from distributive communication tactics, that not all types of competition are necessarily destructive to dating relationships, and that although women report using more of both integrative and distributive conflict strategies, women and men do not differ in their reports of frequency of the competition categories.