Does secure base script knowledge mediate associations between observed parental caregiving during childhood and adult romantic relationship quality and health?

Increasingly, attachment representations are being assessed via secure base script knowledge - the degree to which individuals show awareness of the temporal-causal schema that summarizes the basic features of seeking and receiving effective support from caregivers during times of need. Limited research has assessed the links between secure base script knowledge and aspects of adult functioning and the role that secure base script knowledge may play in accounting for associations between early caregiving quality and adulthood functioning. We used follow-up assessments of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development cohort (N = 585) to examine whether secure base script knowledge at age 18 years: (a) is associated with later romantic relationship quality, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI) at age 26 years, and (b) mediates expected associations between the quality of maternal and paternal sensitivity across the first 15 years of life and age-26 outcomes. More access to, and elaborated knowledge of the secure base script predicted less extreme hostility with romantic partners, and better emotional and physical health. Moreover, secure base script knowledge mediated the links between early maternal and paternal sensitivity and both later romantic partner hostility and depressive symptoms, but not BMI.

With(out) a little help from my friends: insecure attachment in adolescence, support-seeking, and adult negativity and hostility

Attachment theory suggests that insecurely attached individuals will have more difficulty seeking and receiving support from others. Such struggles in adolescence may reinforce negative expectations of others and contribute to relationship difficulties into adulthood. Using a diverse community sample of 184 adolescents followed from age 13 to 27, along with friends and romantic partners, this study found that more insecure states of mind regarding attachment at age 14 predicted relative decreases in teens' abilities to seek and receive support from close friends from ages 14-18. In addition, greater attachment insecurity predicted greater observed negative interactions with romantic partners and relative increases in hostile attitudes from ages 14 to 27. The effect of attachment insecurity on observed negativity was mediated by difficulty seeking/receiving support in friendships during adolescence. Results suggest a type of self-fulfilling prophecy as insecure adolescents confirm their negative expectations of others through ongoing struggles to obtain support.

A Fading Affect Bias First: Specific Healthy Coping with Partner-Esteem for Romantic Relationship and Non-Relationship Events

The Fading Affect Bias (FAB) is the faster fading of unpleasant affect than pleasant affect. Research suggests that the FAB is an indicator of general healthy coping, but it has not shown consistent specific healthy coping via differential relations of the FAB to individual differences across event types. Although previous research did not find specific healthy coping for the FAB across romantic relationship events, these researchers did not include non-relationship control events. Therefore, we examined the relation of the FAB to various relationship variables across romantic relationship events and non-relationship control events. We found general healthy coping in the form of robust FAB effects across both event types and expected relations between relationship variables and the FAB. We also found three significant three-way interactions with the FAB showing specific healthy coping for partner-esteem, which is novel for the FAB. Rehearsal ratings mediated all the three-way interactions.

Cyber dating abuse and ghosting behaviours: personality and gender roles in romantic relationships

BACKGROUND

Cyber dating abuse (CDA) refers to physical, verbal, and psychological violence perpetrated towards a romantic partner via technology and social media. Another emerging form of online abuse is ghosting, a silent strategy to dissolve undesired relationships without openly having to break them up. The aims of the current study were (i) to explore the relationship between CDA and ghosting behaviours in romantic relationships and (ii) to investigate the roles of gender and personality traits (conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, emotional stability, openness) in prediction of CDA (perpetration and victimization).

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

A sample of 409 participants (64.8% females), aged between 18 and 53 years (Mage = 26.40, SD = 6.06), took part in the study.

RESULTS

CDA and ghosting behaviours are interrelated, and women were more prone than men were to use ghosting strategies, such as stopping messages abruptly and punishing the partner through silence. Moreover, gender and personality traits differently predicted direct aggression and control/monitoring perpetration and direct aggression victimization, but they were not significant predictors of control/ monitoring victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings are discussed in light of gender differences to improve our understanding of the psychological factors involved in cyber dating violence.

Romantic Relationships and Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents With ADHD

Objective: Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to (a) describe the romantic and sexual relationships of adolescents with ADHD and (b) examine how ADHD-related impairments (e.g., social skill deficits and emotion dysregulation [ED]) are associated with romantic relationship outcomes in this group. Method: Adolescents with ADHD (N = 171; 80% male; 70% White) responded to questions about their romantic and sexual relationship experiences and ED. Parents provided ratings of ADHD symptoms, ED, and social skills. Results: Adolescents with ADHD reported high rates of romantic relationship turnover and low rates of physical intimacy. More severe self-reported ED was associated with increased likelihood of engaging in romantic relationships, having more romantic relationship partners, increased likelihood of engaging in sexual intercourse, and increased likelihood of engaging in unprotected sex. Conclusion: Early intervention programs that alter the developmental trajectory of romantic relationships among individuals with ADHD may benefit from targeting ED among these youth.

Romantic relationship group intervention for men with early psychosis: A feasibility, acceptability and potential impact pilot study

AIM

To assess the feasibility, acceptability and potential impact of a cognitive behavioural group intervention occurring over 12 sessions and focusing on romantic relationships for single men with early psychosis.

METHODS

Recruitment, drop-out and participation rates were collected. An A-B-A within-subject design (n = 7), where each participant acted as his own control, was used to determine potential impact (on social functioning, romantic relationship functioning, self-esteem, theory of mind [ToM] and self-stigma) across time (six time points).

RESULTS

Feasibility and acceptability were established. As for the potential impact of the intervention, participants did not all evolve the same way. Improvements were found on social functioning ("behaviours" subscale), romantic relationship functioning and ToM ("mentalizing" subscale).

CONCLUSIONS

More studies are warranted to expand on these results and to further help men with early psychosis in their social and romantic development.

Revenge in Couple Relationships and Their Relation to the Dark Triad

Background: This research examines how, when a romantic partner commits a perceived transgression that leads to couple break up, vengeful reactions are predicted by the type of transgression and the Dark Triad of personality. Methods: An incidental sample of 2142 participants, half male and half female aged 18 to 70, completed a questionnaire developed by the authors to assess how they had reacted after being the perceived victims of a transgression committed by their partner and a measure of the Dark Triad. Results: Results show half of the people who feel as though they are victims of a partner transgression show revenge reactions. These reactions are more emotional than rational and do not usually anticipate their consequences or success. Moreover, revenge is related primarily to psychopathy and to a lesser extent to Machiavellianism. Psychopathy is the best predictor for revenge thoughts and actions, whereas narcissism does not predict revenge when controlling for other dark traits. Conclusions: This study contributes to the explanation of revenge reactions in couple relationships in relation to the type of transgression perceived and the Dark Triad. Conflicts that arise out of revenge may have long-lasting consequences for both the perceived aggressor and victim, and our results may be useful for assessing risks, monitoring, and preventing negative consequences for partners or ex-partners.

Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Self-Change in Close Relationships: Evidence From Hong Kong Chinese and European Americans

Three studies examined cultural perceptions of self-change in romantic relationships. In Study 1 (N = 191), Chinese participants perceived hypothetical couples who changed for the sake of the relationship to have better relationship quality than couples who did not, compared to European American participants. In Study 2 (N = 396), Chinese individuals in a dating relationship were more likely to perceive that they had changed in the relationship, and self-change was a stronger predictor of relationship quality for them than for American dating individuals. In Study 3 (N = 115 dyads), Chinese married couples perceived greater self-change, and their perceived self-change was due in part to higher endorsement of dutiful adjustment beliefs than American couples. Self-change was a stronger predictor of relationship quality for Chinese married couples than American couples. Our studies provide support for cultural differences in the role of self-change in romantic relationships, which have implications for partner regulation and relationship counseling across cultures.

Body Image Projection Bias in Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: A Dyadic Investigation

Guided by projection bias perspectives, this article sought to advance understanding of the associations between body image and relationship and sexual satisfaction within heterosexual romantic relationships. Across two studies, both members of heterosexual dating and/or married couples reported on their body image, perceptions of partner's attraction to the self, own attraction toward the partner, and relationship satisfaction. Study 2 also incorporated measures of participants' body mass index (BMI) and sexual satisfaction. Across both studies, women with poorer body image perceived their partner to be less attracted to them (irrespective of their partner's actual attraction to them, or how attracted they were to their partner), which in turn was associated with lower relationship and sexual satisfaction. For men, attraction to their partner was consistently associated with their own relationship satisfaction. Results demonstrate that projection biases are a possible mechanism through which body image is associated with romantic relationship and sexual satisfaction, and hint at the particular relevance of appearance-related projection biases for women's relationship and sexual satisfaction.

Are You Going to Delete Me? Latent Profiles of Post-Relationship Breakup Social Media Use and Emotional Distress

When a relationship ends, former partners must make decisions about their online, often public, connections and history, which involve a complex disentangling process. We examined post-breakup behaviors including monitoring, interacting, deleting posts/photos, deleting the former partner, deleting the partner's family/friends, stopping social media (SM) use, and keeping digital possessions. Participants (N = 256) who had experienced a breakup within the last year completed an online survey. Approximately 38 percent reported experiencing distress over the breakup sometimes or more often. Utilizing latent profile analysis, we identified four latent classes (or profiles) of breakup SM behaviors; we also examined associations between the class and breakup emotional distress. Most participants were clean breakers (61.3 percent), who did zero to very little monitoring, interacting, or deleting and were unlikely to delete their ex-partner, stop use, or keep digital possessions. Wistful reminiscers (12.9 percent) were similar to clean breakers in terms of engaging in very little of any deleting behaviors, stopping use, or keeping digital possessions; however, they engaged in frequent amounts of monitoring their ex-partner as well as interacting with their ex-partner and their ex-partner's family/friends. Ritual cleansers (15.6 percent) were similar to clean breakers in terms of engaging in very little to no monitoring and interacting; however, they engaged in deleting their SM history, their ex-partner's family/friends, and their ex-partner. Impulsives (10.2 percent) engaged in high amounts of all the SM behaviors. In terms of emotional distress, impulsives showed the highest levels of distress, followed by wistful reminiscers, ritual cleansers, and then clean breakers.

The Impact of Cancer on Romantic Relationships and Marriage Postdiagnosis Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors in Japan: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: This study explored the impact of cancer on romantic relationships and marriage postdiagnosis among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who had been diagnosed with cancer in Japan. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 24 AYA cancer survivors, regardless of cancer type, who were unmarried and aged 15-39 at the time of cancer diagnosis. For theme and category generation, the authors coded the interview transcripts independently through inductive thematic analysis. Results: The analysis yielded 11 themes. The most common impact on romantic partnership was "fertility and parenthood concerns" (45.8%), followed by "disclosure of cancer history" (37.5%), and finally by "recurrence, metastasis, and poor health" (25.0%). Conclusions: Although the impacts of cancer that were identified in this study were mostly consistent with earlier findings, certain impacts seem to stem from traditional family perceptions in East Asia. Because men are traditionally seen as the family successors, unlike women, they are primarily concerned about fertility and parenthood. This causes a parental influence on romantic and marital choices. The fact that there exists a parental influence in partner selection from the parents of both men and women indicates that cultural factors in East Asia/Japan influence romantic and/or marriage postdiagnosis.

Changes in expectations to marry and to divorce across the transition to adulthood

Marriage and divorce expectations predict family life and personal outcomes. Understanding how expectations are associated with varying characteristics over emerging adulthood (ages 18-28) will inform understanding of emerging adult development. Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition into Adulthood 2005-2015 data were used in hybrid-effects ordinal logistic regression to parse interindividual and intraindividual variation associated with relationship experiences, socioeconomic and contextual characteristics, and mental and emotional wellbeing. Partnerships were associated with optimistic expectations: both dating and cohabiting predicted greater marriage expectations and lower divorce expectations within individuals. Between individuals, greater time in full-time employment predicted more positive marital expectations, greater responsibility was associated with lower marital expectations, stronger religious identity predicted higher marital expectations and lower divorce expectations, having been arrested predicted greater divorce expectations, greater wellbeing predicted greater marriage expectations, and older age predicted lower marriage expectations. Both between and within individuals, greater worry predicted lower marriage expectations.

Struggling Together: Examining the Narratives of Interdependence and Healing Within Romantic Relationships After Stroke

The consequences of a brain injury can introduce ripple effects within a family for years after the initial event. In this study, we focused on the experiences of couples negotiating their relationship after stroke. We specifically concentrated on the changes to couples' interdependence and the relational ramifications of those changes. Interview data from 41 participants (including 20 people who have had a stroke and 21 caregiving partners) suggest that as individuals noticed changes in themselves and their partner, they also noted significant changes within their relationship. As couples encountered their new relational dynamic, they had to manage various struggles including how to provide assistance, how to communicate effectively, and how to reframe their situation. Overall, couples relayed a trajectory of post-stroke life that involved a level of mutual influence that did not seem to exist prior to stroke.

Partners and Ex-Partners in Dreams: A Diary Study

Romantic relationships are an important part of human life and thus, according to the continuity hypothesis of dreaming, one’s romantic partner should show up in dreams quite frequently. The present study is based on 1612 dream reports provided by 425 students. The findings confirmed the hypothesis that partner dreams are more frequent than ex-partner dreams and, thus, support the continuity hypothesis of dreaming. Moreover, interactions with ex-partners within the dream were more often negatively toned compared to dreamed interactions with the partner. Unexpectedly, we also found more positive emotions and friendliness in ex-partner dreams compared to partner dreams, indicating that partner dreams are more mundane. To conclude, dreams reflect important aspects of romantic partnerships and their break-ups and, thus, can be very helpful in psychotherapy.

The Association Between Relationship Events and Experiences and Partner Evaluations: An Ideal Standards Perspective

Drawing on the Ideal Standards Model, the current study investigated whether the relationship events and experiences that occur on a given day in romantic relationships were associated with partner evaluations. Individuals in a current romantic relationship (N = 104) completed daily measures of positive and negative relationship events and experiences and partner evaluations for seven consecutive days. As hypothesized, findings demonstrated that on a given day negative relationship events and experiences were associated with evaluating partners as falling short of mate ideals, while positive relationship events and experiences were associated with evaluating partners as more closely meeting ideals. The findings demonstrate the importance of the relational context in evaluations of a partner against ideal standards.

The Role of Individual and Dyadic Planning in Couples' Daily Goal Pursuits

Planning promotes progress toward goal achievement in a wide range of domains. To date, planning has mostly been studied as an individual process. In couples, however, the partner is likely to play an important role in planning. This study tested the effects of individual and dyadic planning on goal progress and goal-related actions. Two samples of couples (N = 76 and N = 87) completed daily diaries over a period of 28 and 21 days. The results indicate that individual and dyadic planning fluctuate on a daily basis and support the idea that dyadic planning is predominantly used as a complementary strategy to individual planning. As expected, individual and dyadic planning were positively associated with higher levels of action control and goal progress. In Sample 2, dyadic planning was only associated with goal progress on days in which individuals felt that they were dependent upon their partners' behaviors to achieve their goals.

Desire, Familiarity, and Engagement in Polyamory: Results From a National Sample of Single Adults in the United States

Coupledom and notions of intimacy and family formation with one committed partner are hallmarks of family and relationship science. Recent national surveys in the United States and Canada have found that consensually non-monogamous relationships are common, though prevalence of specific types of consensual non-monogamy are unknown. The present research draws on a United States Census based quota sample of single adults (N = 3,438) to estimate the prevalence of desire for, familiarity with, and engagement in polyamory-a distinct type of consensually non-monogamous relationship where people typically engage in romantic love and sexual intimacy with multiple partners. Results show that 1 out of 6 people (16.8%) desire to engage in polyamory, and 1 out of 9 people (10.7%) have engaged in polyamory at some point during their life. Approximately 1 out of 15 people (6.5%) reported that they knew someone who has been or is currently engaged in polyamory. Among participants who were not personally interested in polyamory, 1 out of 7 (14.2%) indicated that they respect people who engage in polyamory. Few sociodemographic correlates emerged; no differences in prevalence were found based on political affiliation, income, religion, geographic region, or race/ethnicity. Sexual minorities, men, and younger adults reported greater desire to engage in polyamory (compared to heterosexuals, women, and older adults, respectively). Men and people with lower education backgrounds were more likely to have previously engaged in polyamory (compared to women and people with higher education backgrounds, respectively). Given that emotional and sexual intimacy is an important part of most people's lives, understanding the varied ways in which people navigate their intimate lives is critical for the fields of relationship, sexuality, and family science.

Language left behind on social media exposes the emotional and cognitive costs of a romantic breakup

Using archived social media data, the language signatures of people going through breakups were mapped. Text analyses were conducted on 1,027,541 posts from 6,803 Reddit users who had posted about their breakups. The posts include users' Reddit history in the 2 y surrounding their breakups across the various domains of their life, not just posts pertaining to their relationship. Language markers of an impending breakup were evident 3 mo before the event, peaking on the week of the breakup and returning to baseline 6 mo later. Signs included an increase in I-words, we-words, and cognitive processing words (characteristic of depression, collective focus, and the meaning-making process, respectively) and drops in analytic thinking (indicating more personal and informal language). The patterns held even when people were posting to groups unrelated to breakups and other relationship topics. People who posted about their breakup for longer time periods were less well-adjusted a year after their breakup compared to short-term posters. The language patterns seen for breakups replicated for users going through divorce (n = 5,144; 1,109,867 posts) or other types of upheavals (n = 51,357; 11,081,882 posts). The cognitive underpinnings of emotional upheavals are discussed using language as a lens.

Testing the associations between dispositions toward ridicule and being laughed at and romantic jealousy in couples: An APIM analysis

OBJECTIVE

How people deal with ridicule and being laughed at plays a role in romantic life. We extend the research on the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia), joy in being laughed at (gelotophilia), and joy in laughing at others (katagelasticism) by testing their associations with romantic jealousy and its consequences for relationship satisfaction (RS).

METHOD

Our study is based on Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) analyses of self and partner ratings of the laughter-related dispositions using data from 228 opposite-sex couples. APIM mediation analyses estimated indirect effects of jealousy on the associations between the dispositions and RS.

RESULTS

As expected, gelotophobia-related positively to jealousy in actors, whereas gelotophilia and katagelasticism showed differential relationships. The analysis of partner effects showed that the actual expressions in the dispositions are unrelated to jealousy but perceived expressions account robustly for experiences of jealousy beyond self-ratings. Finally, jealousy had indirect effects on the associations between the dispositions and RS.

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of dealing with ridicule and laughter in romantic life. We embed the findings into the literature, discuss practical implications, and derive future directions to expand the knowledge on gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism in romantic life.

Interpersonal Relationship Experiences in Adults Born With Cleft Lip and/or Palate: A Whole of Life Survey in the United Kingdom

OBJECTIVES

Previous research has suggested that adults with a cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) may find their familial, friend, collegial, and/or romantic relationships impacted by their condition. Building on this prior work, this study examined the self-reported interpersonal experiences of a national sample of adults born with CL/P.

DESIGN

An online survey was designed by the Cleft Lip and Palate Association in collaboration with the Centre for Appearance Research. Data from 181 participants were included in the present study, collected between July and October 2018. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive content analysis, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t tests.

RESULTS

Most participants reported having good relationships with family members and existing friends with similar patterns of marriage as the general population. However, some experienced difficulties initiating new friendships and romantic relationships. Participants described bullying and discrimination in adulthood, most often in public settings and the workplace. Participants reported lower satisfaction with intimate relationships and less secure attachment compared to the general population. Concerns regarding the heritability of CL/P and its impact on the decision to have a family were also reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with CL/P are at risk of negative social experiences, which if not appropriately addressed may impact psychological well-being in adulthood. The findings illustrate the importance of routine psychosocial support from childhood onward to help individuals with CL/P build social skills, self-esteem, and social confidence and to develop mutually fulfilling friendships and intimate relationships. Additionally, societal campaigns to raise awareness and target discrimination may be helpful.

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Influences on Sexual Satisfaction in Young Male Couples: Analyses of Actor-Partner Interdependence Models

Very little research has examined sexual satisfaction in young gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (YMSM). Sexual satisfaction has important implications for individual wellbeing and is a central component of romantic relationship functioning and satisfaction. In order to fill this gap, this study examined interpersonal and intrapersonal factors associated with sexual satisfaction in a large sample of young male couples. Data for these analyses came from the baseline visits of two ongoing randomized controlled trials of 2GETHER, a relationship education and HIV prevention program for young male couples. Participants for the current analytic sample were 419 couples (individual N = 838) from across the United States who were diverse in terms of race/ethnicity, HIV status, and geographic region. Analyses found that relationship functioning (i.e., relationship satisfaction, communication) was positively associated with sexual satisfaction, while not having a specified relationship agreement (i.e., monogamy/non-monogamy agreement) was associated with less sexual satisfaction. Intrapersonal factors (i.e., depression, substance use) were associated with sexual satisfaction, but most of these effects became non-significant in a full multivariate model. Relationship functioning plays a central role in sexual satisfaction and should be addressed in couple-based programs to optimize relationship functioning and sexual health.

"I Would Like Us to Share a Name so That We Can Be Recognized in Society." Marital Surname Preferences in Same-Sex Relationships

Despite the recent expansion of marriage rights within the U.S., relatively little is known about marriage-related practices among people in same-sex relationships. The current study extends prior research by investigating marital surname preferences in a large, sociodemographically diverse sample of U.S. adults in same-sex relationships. Participants (N = 179) described their surname preferences in an open-ended format. Thematic analysis revealed that many participants were open to making some type of marital surname change. When explaining their surname preferences, participants often cited their desire to unite the whole family under the same surname. Importantly, however, quantitative analyses illustrated that surname preferences significantly varied according to sociodemographic background characteristics such as age. Collectively, findings suggest a possible generational shift in surname preferences among individuals in same-sex relationships.

Investigating Self-Control Resource Depletion as a Situational Risk Factor for Aversive Interpartner Communication by Young Adults With ADHD

Objective: Adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have more conflictual relations with their romantic partners than adults without ADHD. This study investigated whether adults with ADHD are differentially susceptible to conflict when self-control resources are depleted. Method: Heterosexual adult couples (20 including at least one adult with ADHD; 12 including no adults with ADHD) were randomly assigned to have resources temporarily depleted or not. Positive and negative communication was assessed during a subsequent problem-solving task with their partners. Results: Adults with ADHD whose self-control resources were depleted communicated less positively and more negatively with their romantic partners than adults without ADHD whose resources were depleted. Conclusion: Adults with ADHD appear to have a differential susceptibility to interpartner discord when their self-control resources have been depleted. Clinicians seeking to remediate discordant romantic relationships of adults with ADHD should consider evaluating how often their resources needed to manage their impulses are depleted.

When our hearts beat together: Cardiac synchrony as an entry point to understand dyadic co-regulation in couples

The degree to which romantic partners' autonomic responses are coordinated, represented by their pattern of physiological synchrony, seems to capture important aspects of the reciprocal influence and co-regulation between spouses. In this study, we analyzed couple's cardiac synchrony as measured by heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). A sample of 27 couples (N = 54) performed a structured interaction task in the lab where they discussed positive and negative aspects of the relationship. During the interaction, their cardiac measures (HR and HRV) were recorded using the BIOPAC System. Additional assessment, prior to the lab interaction task, included self-report measures of empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Interpersonal Reactivity Index for Couples) and relationship satisfaction (Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale). Synchrony computation was based on the windowed cross-correlation of both partner's HR and HRV time series. In order to control for random synchrony, surrogate controls were created using segment-wise shuffling. Our results confirmed the presence of cardiac synchrony during the couple's interaction when compared to surrogate testing. Specifically, we found evidence for negative (antiphase) synchrony of couple's HRV and positive (in-phase) synchrony of HR. Further, both HRV and HR synchronies were associated with several dimensions of self-report data. This study suggests that cardiac synchrony, particularly, the direction of the covariation in the partners' physiological time series, may have an important relational meaning in the context of marital interactions.

A Dyadic Test of the Association Between Trait Self-Control and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction

Previous research has demonstrated that trait self-control is related to a range of positive romantic relationship processes, suggesting that trait self-control should be positively and robustly linked to relationship satisfaction in both partners in a romantic relationship. However, the existing empirical evidence is limited and mixed, especially regarding partner effects (i.e., the effect of one's self-control on the partner's relationship satisfaction). With three datasets of heterosexual couples (S1: N = 195 newlyweds, longitudinal; S2: N = 249 couples who transition into first parenthood, longitudinal; S3: N = 929 couples, cross-sectional), the present pre-registered studies examined: (1) the dyadic associations between trait self-control and relationship satisfaction both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and (2) whether these effects hold when controlling for both partners' relationship commitment. The results indicated a cross-sectional positive actor effect, some support for a positive cross-sectional partner effect, and only little support for a longitudinal actor (but not partner) effect. After controlling for relationship commitment, all effects of trait self-control on satisfaction diminished except for a longitudinal actor effect among women in Study 2. Potential explanations for the current results, and implications for theory and practice, are discussed.