An Examination of Third-Party Disapproval in Intercultural Couples
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PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTICLE An Examination of Third-Party Disapproval in Intercultural Couples MELANIE CHRISTOFOROU Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada Abstract Intercultural couples tend to experience a unique set of challenges, such as disapproval from close social networks. This disapproval has been associated with decreased commitment and uncertainty within couples, leading to issues of trust between partners. However, the influence of third-party disapproval affects a romantic couple differently depending on the source of the disapproval. Few studies have examined and compared the individual influences of family and friend disapproval on romantic relationships, and even less have researched these effects on intercultural dating couples. We used archival data from 63 heterosexual intercultural couples to examine the separate influences of family and friend disapproval on romantic investment while controlling for trust, which is a key factor in successful romantic relationships. As predicted, the results of the Actor- Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) analyses demonstrated that family and friend disapproval negatively affected one’s investment in their relationship. Mediation analyses revealed that trust only mediated the correlation between friend disapproval and relationship investment, and not that of family disapproval and relationship investment. Keywords: intercultural couples, third-party disapproval, investment Introduction backgrounds, tend to experience a unique Relationships do not exist in isolation, or set of challenges. Compared to within a social vacuum. Rather, they are intracultural couples, which are comprised embedded within our social networks. of partners from the same culture, One’s social networks can have intercultural couples experience multifaceted effects on the stability and challenges such as third-party disapproval quality of romantic relationships (Felmlee, significantly more (Skowroński et al., 2001; Felmlee et al., 1990), particularly for 2014). The influence of third-party intercultural couples (Sung, disapproval, however, affects romantic 1990). Intercultural dyads, which contain couples differently depending on the partners of different cultural values, as source of the disapproval (e.g., friends or well as ethnic, racial, or religious family) (Skowroński et al., 2014). That is, J O U R N A L O F N A T U R A L S C I E N C E S | 3 6 PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTICLE disapproval from close friends predicts researchers have attributed these greater relationship demise and obstacles to the social network effect. This dissatisfaction, along with increased effect suggests that disapproval from close anxiety and lower relationship family and friends serves to dissuade the gratification, eventually leading to the couple by discouraging the relationship, demise of the relationship (Etcheverry et consequently increasing negative al., 2008; Felmlee, 2001; Wright & relationship outcomes (Sinclair et al., Sinclair, 2012), whereas parental 2014). As a result, couples who experience disapproval has been shown to predict third-party disapproval are often found to lower relationship quality as well as be at greater risk of failure due to a lack greater instability and relationship of commitment, greater instability, and a dissolution (Felmlee, 2001; Sung, 1990; greater decline in the quality of the Wright & Sinclair, 2012). relationship (Skowroński et al., 2014). Such negative responses place While there is a consensus across the considerable anxiety and apprehension on literature that social network disapproval intercultural couples, consequently, negatively affects romantic relationships making it more difficult for one to want to (Felmlee, 2001; Sinclair et al., 2014), most invest in their romantic relationship of the literature either examines only one (Molina et al., 2004). influence (e.g., friends or family) or aggregates close family and friend Relationship investment, as defined by opinions rather than examining and Rusbult (1983), refers to one’s willingness comparing each source. This study will be to invest in their romantic relationship examining the individual effects of family while considering how satisfied they are and close friend disapproval on one’s with their relationship, the quality of their willingness to invest in their intercultural available alternatives, and how committed romantic relationship. they are to their romantic partner (Rusbult, 1983). Studies have shown that support The Influence of Third-Party Disapproval from family and close friends predicts on Investment relationship persistence, reducing the likelihood of relationship termination Third-party disapproval is one of the (Felmlee et al., 1990). In contrast, close largest impediments to intercultural social network disapproval decreases the couples, significantly impacting the intimacy, closeness, and stability of dating couple’s ability to succeed and navigate couples (Parks et al., 1991). through all challenges and stages of the dyadic cycle (Skowroński et al., 2014; Similarly, when examining intercultural Molina et al., 2004). For decades, married couples in the United States, J O U R N A L O F N A T U R A L S C I E N C E S | 3 7 PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTICLE Hohmann-Marriott & Amato (2008) found Driscoll et al., 1972). Therefore, this study that diminished support from family will be examining trust as a mediator members decreased the quality of the between third-party disapproval and relationship, which lead to a decline in investment. relationship investment (Hohmann- Marriott & Amato, 2008). In addition, Betty The Influence of Third-Party Disapproval Lee Sung (1990) who examined On Trust intercultural married couples, found that greater family disapproval not only led to Disapproval from close family and friends fierce conflicts, which resulted in secret can contribute largely to the demise of dating, unpleasant family events, and one’s relationship in the form of decreased feelings of guilt, but that disapproval also investment (Wright & Sinclair, 2012). placed great strain on the couple. Under Likewise, third-party disapproval can also debilitating circumstances such as these, it contribute to the collapse of one’s can become challenging and arduous for relationship in the form of trust (Parks & intercultural dyads to remain satisfied in Adelman, 1983). As described by Rempel their relationship, making it even more and colleagues (1985), trust refers to effortful to remain committed and willing feeling confident and secure in the to invest in that relationship. strength of one’s relationship and in one’s partner to respond in a caring and Past research investigating the effects of supportive manner (Rempel et al., 1985). third-party disapproval on intercultural For couples, Larzelere & Huston (1980) couples have primarily focused on suggest that trust acts to reinsure and intermarriage couples and have found, in increase security in one’s relationship, in general, that greater disapproval from turn reducing apprehension and inhibitions social networks results in negative so that one can be free to share and be relationship outcomes (Hohmann-Marriott open with their partner (Larzelere & & Amato, 2008; Sung, 1990). These Huston, 1980). However, given that studies, however, have excluded intercultural dyads experience greater examining key relationship factors such as disapproval than intracultural couples respect and honesty as mediators in terms (Sung 1990), reducing one’s trepidation is of disapproval and dyadic investment. made difficult when disapproval creates Researchers have identified trust as a increased feelings of reservation and critical component for successful doubt about one’s partner and relationship relationships, observing that perceptions (Graham et al., 1985). of trust from one’s partner tend to lead to increased investment in their romantic Studies examining intercultural couples relationships (Wieselquist et al., 1999, have found family disapproval to J O U R N A L O F N A T U R A L S C I E N C E S | 3 8 PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTICLE negatively affect how much one trusts The Influence of Trust on Investment their partner (Fontaine & Dorch, 1980; Trust Parks & Adelman, 1983). Researchers have also found relationship uncertainty to be Trust is an exceptionally important factor the underpinning of dyadic turbulence in determining how much one is willing to (Solomon & Knobloch, 2001). In contrast, invest in their romantic relationship couples who had received support from (Rempel et al., 2001). For instance, as their close social networks had been found couples develop increased trust, both to experience less uncertainty about their partners are likely to become progressively romantic relationship and partner, as well more reliant on each other, increasing as experience a decline in the likelihood of their commitment to the relationship and a breakup (Parks and Adelman, 1983). This forgoing alternatives (Wieselquist et al., demonstrates that the greater the 1999). While examining the relationship disapproval from close family and friends, between commitment and trust, the more uncertain one is about their Wieselquist and colleagues (1999) found relationship and partner (Parks & Adelman, that a partner’s trust is significantly 1983). Without certainty in one’s positively associated with the other relationship, partners cannot trust their partner’s level of commitment to the significant other and are therefore unable relationship, in that trust acts as a gauge to build the