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Minority Stress and Same‐Sex Relationship Satisfaction: The Role of Concealment Motivation
Author(s) -
Pepping Christopher A.,
Cronin Timothy J.,
Halford W. Kim,
Lyons Anthony
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
family process
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.011
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1545-5300
pISSN - 0014-7370
DOI - 10.1111/famp.12365
Subject(s) - psychology , lesbian , romance , stressor , social psychology , association (psychology) , identity (music) , same sex , developmental psychology , sexual minority , quality (philosophy) , positive relationship , homosexuality , clinical psychology , philosophy , physics , epistemology , acoustics , psychoanalysis , psychotherapist
Most lesbian, gay, and bisexual ( LGB ) people want a stable, satisfying romantic relationship. Although many of the predictors of relationship outcomes are similar to those of heterosexual couples, same‐sex couples face some additional challenges associated with minority stress that also impact upon relationship quality. Here, we investigate the association between minority stressors and relationship quality in a sample of 363 adults ( M age = 30.37, SD = 10.78) currently in a same‐sex romantic relationship. Internalized homophobia and difficulties accepting one's LGB identity were each negatively associated with relationship satisfaction via heightened concealment motivation. We also examined the protective role of identity affirmation on relationship quality, finding a direct positive relationship between the two variables. Minority stressors were negatively associated with couple relationship satisfaction via heightened concealment motivation. The finding that identity affirmation directly predicted increased couple satisfaction also highlights the important role of protective factors in same‐sex couple relationships.