Abstract
This study examined how increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to relational turbulence and undermined dyadic coping. Using longitudinal data, this study also explored how enacting communal coping mitigates stress and conditions of relational turbulence over time. A sample of 151 U.S. dyads (302 individuals) completed online surveys about their relationship once per week for four weeks during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Consistent with hypotheses, stress was positively associated with the relationship conditions that give rise to relational turbulence and heightened relational turbulence was negatively associated with communal coping. Longitudinal analyses revealed that communal coping enacted in one week was associated with decreased stress and improved relationship quality in subsequent weeks. The findings are discussed in terms of their practical implications and contributions to theory.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 260-271 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Human Communication Research |
Volume | 49 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 17 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was funded through faculty research funds provided by the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
Keywords
- communal coping
- COVID-19
- relational turbulence
- relational uncertainty
- stress