The Developmental Course of Conflict in Dissolution of Premarital Relationships

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to outline the developmental course of conflict in premarital relationship dissolution. There were 97 subjects, all of whom had been involved in a serious relationship that had dissolved. They completed a retrospective interview concerning the development and dissolution of their relationships. Levels of conflict, love, maintenance and ambivalence were assessed across five relationship stages (from `casual dating' to `certain the relationship would end'). The developmental trend of conflict was significant. We also examined the interrelations between conflict and love, maintenance and ambivalence during stages of increasing versus decreasing interdependence. Ambivalence was significantly related to conflict at stages of increasing interdependence, while maintenance was significantly positively related (and love was significantly negatively related) to conflict during stages of decreasing interdependence. Discussion centres round the changing role of conflict in the development versus dissolution of relationships.

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