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Romantic competence, healthy relationship functioning, and well‐being in emerging adults
Author(s) -
DAVILA JOANNE,
MATTANAH JONATHAN,
BHATIA VICKIE,
LATACK JESSICA A.,
FEINSTEIN BRIAN A.,
EATON NICHOLAS R.,
DAKS JENNIFER S.,
KUMAR SHAINA A.,
LOMASH EDWARD F.,
MCCORMICK MELODY,
ZHOU JIAQI
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
personal relationships
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.81
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1475-6811
pISSN - 1350-4126
DOI - 10.1111/pere.12175
Subject(s) - psychology , competence (human resources) , romance , developmental psychology , construct (python library) , social psychology , clinical psychology , computer science , psychoanalysis , programming language
A skills‐based model of healthy relationship functioning—romantic competence ( RC )—is described. Its association with relationship and individual well‐being was examined in three studies of emerging adults using the Romantic Competence Interview for Emerging Adults ( RCI–EA ), which measures competence as the interplay of three skill domains. Across studies (women [ n = 102], women and men [ n = 187], romantic couples [ n = 89]), RC was associated with greater security, healthier decision making, greater satisfaction, and fewer internalizing symptoms. The RCI–EA skill domains formed a latent factor and were associated with self‐reports reflective of RC , supporting the construct's validity. The RC construct may thus provide a theory‐driven, overarching way to characterize healthy romantic functioning that can reduce negative outcomes.