Don’t Fear Conflict: Relationship Stress Beliefs in Friend, Familial, and Romantic Relationships

Believing that stress can have positive effects (i.e., having a stress-is-enhancing mindset) has been shown to mitigate the negative impact of stressful experiences on mental health. However, the impact of mindset about stress and conflict specifically experienced within relationships (i.e., relationship stress beliefs) has been relatively unexamined. This pilot study (N = 120) examined the associations of relationship stress beliefs with perceived relationship quality. Relationship stress beliefs were also evaluated as moderators of the associations between relationship quality and emotional health. Beliefs about the destructive nature of conflict was significantly correlated with measures of relationship quality (rs = −0.25 to −0.52; ps < .05). Across friend, family, and romantic relationships, beliefs about the destructive nature of conflict was also the most consistent moderator of associations between relationship quality and emotional health. Relationship strain seems to particularly affect the well-being of those who believe that conflict is debilitating rather than believing that conflict can be productive.