“Do You Go through Tough Times? Of Course. That’s Part of Relationships.” Associations Between Perceptions of Celebrity Couples’ Conflict and Conflict Tactics of Ordinary Couples

Abstract

As individuals are continually exposed to media involving celebrity couples, how do these couples influence romantic relationship processes? The current study explores perceptions of celebrity couple engagement in relationship conflict and how this might predict the conflict tactics used in adult romantic relationships. Specifically, how celebrity couples’ conflict might predict individuals’ engagement in specific conflict tactics was examined. An exploratory survey was implemented and included several measures of relationship conflict, social comparison, conflict tactics, and several other variables. Results indicated associations between perceptions of celebrity couples’ relational conflict and participants’ reported engagement in certain conflict tactics with their current romantic partner. Social comparison moderated the relationship between perceptions of celebrity couples’ relational conflict and participants’ engagement in conflict. Discussion and future directions are further elaborated.

Keywords:

• Celebrity Couples
• Media Effects
• Relationship Conflict
• Romantic Relationships

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kelly Adams

Kelly Adams (PhD, University of Missouri) studies media effects, specifically the interplay between media use and social relationships. Her research focuses on how media representations of social relationships influence audiences, as well as how media is used within social relationships. Her research often focuses on romantic relationships as they are portrayed in various media messages across different platforms.