title: Conflict, social support, and relationship quality: an observational study of heterosexual, gay male, and lesbian couples' communication.
abstract: Data from 42 heterosexual, 46 gay male, and 33 lesbian couples were used to assess the contribution of conflict and support discussions to relationship quality. Couples completed questionnaires, and videotaped discussions were coded for levels of negative and positive behaviors. Correlations showed that behaviors were associated with relationship quality in the expected directions. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses assessed the unique contributions of individual and dyadic behaviors to the variability of relationship quality. The findings indicated that, beyond the contribution of individual negative behaviors in the conflict task, the variables of dyadic positive behaviors in the conflict task, individual positive behaviors in the support task, and perceived help accounted for unexplained variance in relationship quality. There were no differences between types of couples on levels of behaviors or on their contributions to relationship quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Montreal, C. P. 8888, Succ. A, Montréal, Québec, Canada. julien.danielle@uqam.ca
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Julien
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chartrand
authors.forename: Marie-Claude
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Simard
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouthillier
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bégin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support