We-ness Questionnaire: Development and Validation

Perceptions of couple interdependence - partners’ mutual identity - are a key construct in relationship research and couple and family therapy. There is a need for a self-report measure that includes cognitive, emotional, and behavioral facets associated with perceptions of partner’s interdependence or we-ness, given its utility. The present study utilized data from 434 individuals to evaluate the psychometric properties of the We-ness Questionnaire, a multi-item self-report measure assessing perceptions of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral we-ness for individuals in a romantic relationship. Based on a sample of 434 individuals currently in a romantic relationship from the United States, the We-ness Questionnaire was found to have good reliability and showed appropriate convergent and discriminant validity. Implications for future research and couple and family therapy are discussed

English Validation of the Chronic and Acute Stress Inventory for Use with Individuals in a Romantic Relationship

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals across the U.S. reported experiencing high levels of stress that negatively impacted their overall mental health and well-being; levels that have undoubtedly increased since this time. Despite the interest in understanding how stress can impact individual and relational wellbeing, there are no validated measures that examine chronic and acute stressors experienced by individuals in a romantic relationship. Using self-report data from 327 individuals in the U.S., the present study evaluated and validated the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Chronic and Acute Stress Index (CASI) for use with individuals in a romantic relationship. Results indicated that the English version of the CASI demonstrated good reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Implications for relationship researchers and mental health practitioners working with individuals are presented

Coping with global uncertainty: Perceptions of COVID-19 psychological distress, relationship quality, and dyadic coping for romantic partners across 27 countries

Article first published online: August 26, 2021Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the “new normal”—social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator between experiences of COVID-19 psychological distress and relationship quality. To examine these associations, self-report data from 14,020 people across 27 countries were collected during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (March–July, 2020). It was hypothesized that higher symptoms of psychological distress would be reported post-COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 restrictions (Hypothesis 1), reports of post-COVID-19 psychological distress would be negatively associated with relationship quality (Hypothesis 2), and perceived partner DC would moderate these associations (Hypothesis 3). While hypotheses were generally supported, results also showed interesting between-country variability. Limitations and future directions are presented