Relationship Work Among Emerging Adult Couples: Physiological and Social Components of Discussing Romantic Challenges with Friends

Abstract

Research has established that couples experience and discuss romantic problems in their relationships. Various psychophysiological indicators have shown that when couples discuss romantic matters, they show increased levels of distress. In this study, we set out to understand the intersection between relationship work and several variables including the most frequent mode of communication, the impact of friends' approval on relationship work, and accompanying physiological processes associated with these interactions. Results revealed that emerging adults prefer to share romantic problems via fact-to-face interactions. Additionally, social network approval affects the frequency of relationship work for many partners. Finally, males tend to be significantly more stressed when discussing romantic challenges than females, and partners appear more stressed when discussing challenges with friends than with one another. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed.