By Peg West
Grand Valley State University
Disruptive behaviors, such as substance use and aggression, in one member of a relationship are associated with relationship distress for both partners in that relationship, a study of nearly 800 couples has found.
The findings – reported by researchers from Grand Valley State University and Michigan State University and published in the Journal of Personality Disorders – revealed an association between relationship satisfaction and certain disruptive behaviors, as well as positive and negative personality traits.
“The results of the study help bolster research in both academic and clinical settings about the connections between an individual’s traits and behaviors to relationship satisfaction,” said Mikhila Wildey, assistant professor of psychology for Grand Valley State University and lead author on the study.
Researchers found that disruptive personality traits and behaviors, such as rule-breaking and aggression, were associated with lower relationship satisfaction for both the affected individuals and, interestingly, for their partners.
The researchers gathered data for eight years from nearly 800 couples. Participants were recruited from the MSU Twin Registry, the university’s ongoing, large-scale study of twins and their families.
One of the hallmarks of the MSU Twin registry – which is co-directed by study co-authors Alex Burt and Kelly Klump – is the multi-method assessment of twins and their family members. In this case, researchers focused on the romantic relationships of twins’ parents, which shows the value of twin family designs for understanding many different kinds of family relationships.
Each partner completed surveys that rated their own satisfaction with their relationship. Each couple was also recorded for 10 minutes discussing issues in their romantic relationship to allow researchers to analyze the interactions.
The researchers explained that the findings are consistent with prior work, which along with the scope of the study provides important depth to the research in this area.
Wildey, who is also a couples’ therapist, noted that the findings give insight for approaches in a clinical setting.
“These findings suggest that disruptive behaviors are not something to overlook when considering romantic partners,” Wildey said. “In addition, without any intervention, these behaviors can persist across adulthood and are, therefore, something that should be addressed for couples who want to have a healthier relationship with one another.”
MSU Psychology professor Brent Donnellan was a co-author on the paper. Donnellan, who researches personality, hopes these findings encourage people to consider patterns of behaviors and personality traits when thinking about long-term relationship partners.
“People might overlook these attributes in the initial stages of attraction but this study highlights their relevance for happy and mutually satisfying partnerships,” Donnellan said.
