Associations between young adult dating partners’ drinking and relationship satisfaction

ABSTRACT

Background: The link between drinking and relationship functioning is well documented among married couples, particularly by using survey methods of retrospective drinking focusing on negative relationship outcomes. However, few studies have examined the link between drinking in daily life and relationship satisfaction among young adult dating couples. Methods: This study used a 7-day daily diary method by drawing on dyadic data from 57 heterosexual couples. This study utilized the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model and dyadic hierarchical linear modeling. Results: Controlling for same day relationship satisfaction, a positive association was found between females’ number of alcoholic drinks and their own next-day relationship satisfaction. Males’ higher consumption of drinks across the study period was linked with their female partners’ lower daily relationship satisfaction ratings. Drinking behavior by either partner was not reliably linked with males’ relationship satisfaction. Conclusions: This study suggests differential implications of partners’ drinking for females in dating relationships. Findings encourage continued examination of young adult romantic relationships as a context for drinking behavior.

KEYWORDS:

• Actor–partner interdependence modeling
• daily diary methods
• drinking
• intimate relationships
• young adulthood

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the School of Human Ecology, the Graduate School, and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.