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Trust, Jealousy and Communication in Long-Term Couples Practicing Consensual Non-Monogamy

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Trust, Jealousy and Communication in Long-Term Couples Practicing Consensual Non-Monogamy Smith ScholarWorks Theses, Dissertations, and Projects 2016 Trust, jealousy and communication in long-term couples practicing consensual non-monogamy Christina Wang Smith College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Wang, Christina, "Trust, jealousy and communication in long-term couples practicing consensual non- monogamy" (2016). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/1727 This Masters Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Projects by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Christina Wang Trust, Jealousy, and Communication in Long-Term Couples Practicing Consensual Non-Monogamy ABSTRACT This cross-sectional exploratory quantitative study examined trust and communication patterns among adults practicing consensual non-monogamy (CNM). Previous relationship research in this area has primarily examined couples in demographically homogenous relationships (heterosexual, white, and married). A review of the literature suggested that adults engaging in consensual non-monogamy are more diverse. Our recruitment strategies and study design was successful in recruiting a more diverse group of participants. Twenty-eight adults in long-term CNM relationships completed a 56-item online questionnaire. Responses were examined to explore the relationship between communication patterns and relationship tenure. The relationship tenure of couples and the gender preference of participants were allowed to vary in an effort to explore the possibility that relationship tenure is associated with positive self- reports on trust and communication dimensions. The findings were more thematically relevant than statistically significant; however emotional jealousy was found to have decreased as length of relationship increased. The potential benefits of this research to the field of social work and society at large are engaging in ongoing investigation of and contribution to social science knowledge by gaining more understanding about the nature of trust, jealousy, and communication in intimate interpersonal relationships. i TRUST, JEALOUSY, AND COMMUNICATION IN LONG-TERM COUPLES PRACTICING CONSENSUAL NON-MONOGAMY A project based upon an independent investigation, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work. Christina Wang Smith College School for Social Work Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 2016 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, thanks are owed to the people who were willing to participate in this study. These individuals bravely shared information about an intimate aspect of their lives. In the interest of helping everyone understand a little more about making it work in relationships, these folks additionally shed light on a stigmatized population. I would also like to thank my wonderful thesis advisor Elizabeth Irvin, PhD, LICSW, without whom this study could never have been completed. To my dear friends, both in and outside of the Smith School for Social Work community: thank you all for being a part, in one form or another, of my journey of learning and personal growth these last 27 months. Lastly, I would like to thank Jose Hernandez for being the best, most supportive “Swife” I could ever ask for. You helped me think about many things differently, and our many wonderful conversations played a big part in inspiring this thesis. This paper is dedicated to you. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 II LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................. 3 III METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 10 IV FINDINGS ....................................................................................................................... 20 V DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................... 23 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 26 APPENDICES Appendix A: Human Subjects Review Committee Approval Letters.. ................................... 29 Appendix B: Informed Consent Materials .............................................................................. 31 Appendix C: Recruitment Post ................................................................................................ 34 Appendix D: Survey: Inclusion Criteria .................................................................................. 35 Appendix E: Survey: Questionnaire ....................................................................................... 36 Appendix F: Comparison of Original and Revised Items on the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale ....................................................................... 41 iii LIST OF TABLES Tables 1. Frequencies: Race, Gender, and Sexual Identity (N27) ................................................ 18 iv CHAPTER I Introduction The aim of this exploratory, cross-sectional study was to examine the dimensions of self- reported trust, jealousy, and communication in adults who endorsed being a member of a couple in a long-term relationship practicing consensual non-monogamy (CNM). The study examined whether relationship orientation seemed to have any effect on the longevity of long-term intimate relationships among CNM couples. More specifically, this study intended to explore whether the tenure of consensual non-monogamy relationships had any correlation with levels of trust, jealousy, and ability to communicate well. Similar to sexual orientation, relationship orientation can be thought of as existing along a spectrum. Non-monogamy encompasses romantic relationship orientations in which “all partners agree that engaging in sexual and/or romantic relationships with other people is allowed and part of their relationship arrangement” (Conley, Moors, Matsick & Ziegler, 2013, p. 2). This study focused on relationship constellations involving one primary romantic partnership with extraneous sexual partnerships, though this is not the full extent of CNM. Key components of interpersonal interactions in relationship research have focused on the dimensions of trust, compatibility, communication, and conflict resolution skills (Ni, 2013). When initially considering this subject matter, the expectation of this researcher was that since one-on-one monogamous relationships are challenging to navigate in general, those who engage in CNM relationship structures must require higher levels of trust and lower levels of jealousy as well as an enhanced capacity to communicate openly, negotiate boundaries, and resolve conflict within the arrangement. 1 In an era when more than half of marriages end in divorce, clinical social workers and other therapists may want to reconsider what the institution of marriage means for the family. The goal of this project is twofold. First, to contribute to research in this emerging area by gaining more understanding about the nature of trust, jealousy, and communication in non- monogamous intimate interpersonal relationships. And, to provide evidence-based information that may impact practice methods for this little researched area. 2 CHAPTER II Literature Review This review has three goals. First, to describe how definitions of intimate partner relationships have evolved in the last several decades and the implications of these changes for this study. Second, to review the concepts of trust, jealousy, and communication as they have been used in intimate partner research. And, third, to identify how these concepts have been applied to studies examining consensual non-monogamy. Historical Context Contemporary intimate partner research has only recently begun to examine non- monogamous relationship structures. Decades of research have been devoted to the study of traditional marriage between heterosexual couples. Monogamy remains the most common form of romantic relationship orientation. Contemporary intimate partner relationships include civil unions and domestic partnerships. Recognition and acceptance of LGBTQ couples’ right to legally marry in the United States is rapidly evolving, although published findings have consistently demonstrated that stigma exists around non-monogamous styles of relationships (Conley, Moors, Matsick, & Ziegler, 2013). There is more public knowledge about varying forms of how people choose to participate in intimate relationships. Intimate partner research about non-monogamous relationships most often examines polyamory. Polyamory, a hybrid word of Greek and Latin origin, is widely cited as being first coined in 1990 by Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart. In her article, “A Bouquet of Lovers,” Zell- Ravenheart defines polyamory as engaging in multiple loving relationships in which all parties
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