University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2019-12-20 Exploring Relationship Dynamics in Polyamorous Families Kaiser, Melody Anne Kaiser, M. A. (2019). Exploring Relationship Dynamics in Polyamorous Families (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/111374 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Exploring Relationship Dynamics in Polyamorous Families by Melody Anne Kaiser A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA DECEMBER, 2019 © Melody Anne Kaiser 2019 Running head: RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS IN POLYAMOROUS FAMILIES ii Abstract The practice of polyamory appears to be increasing in North America. If so, the number of children being raised in polyamorous families will also rise. The construct of polyamory is still being formulated and more quantitative studies are needed to define, measure, and examine polyamory over time. This study compared 117 polyamorous and 193 monogamous parents on measures of relationship stability, relationship health, communication styles during conflict, relationship satisfaction, and parenting styles. A new measure that gauges monogamous and polyamorous propensities, the Monogamy Polyamory Spectrum Questionnaire (MPSQ), was also examined for its use in future polyamory research. Analyses indicated that compared to monogamous parents, polyamorous parents reported (a) having healthier relationships with more social support, companionship, and less social distress from negative relationships; (b) using the constructive communication style of compromise more, and the destructive communication styles of emotional reactivity and domination less; (c) higher relationship satisfaction; and (d) using the authoritative parenting style to a greater extent. Gender differences were only found on the MPSQ, with men scoring significantly higher than women. The MPSQ demonstrated psychometrics evidence of high reliability, good construct validity, and strong predictive validity. This study provides evidence that polyamorous families may be just as healthy, if not healthier than monogamous families. These findings have implications for counselling and health professionals, as well as for marriage and family law to ensure policies and practices do not discriminate against those who practice polyamory. Researchers may use the MPSQ to improve upon participant self-categorization and examine the stability of polyamory over time. RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS IN POLYAMOROUS FAMILIES iii Acknowledgements It is difficult to articulate the scale of gratitude I have for all the individuals who provided priceless support to me along the arduous journey of bringing this work to completion. I feel so lucky to have had Dr. Lorraine Radtke as my primary supervisor, and the statistical expertise of my secondary supervisor, Dr. Man-Wai Chu, to help me navigate such an ambitious quantitative study. I learned more about the academic process of bringing a thesis from conceptualization to tangible actualization than I ever imagined possible. Your encouragement, belief in me, and commitment to seeing me through to the end helped me keep going when I wanted to quit. Lorraine, thank you for your unwavering guidance as I worked to complete this thesis while also overcoming some difficult life experiences. Through it all, you showed me kindness, understanding, patience, and reassured me that I was not alone in this. I am also incredibly fortunate to receive continued mentorship from my past Honours supervisor, Dr. Jan Cioe, who was the first to help me discover my academic wings in psychology and show me that I could fly. Thank you for reminding me that I can always fly higher if I want to. To my mom and step-dad, Barry, thank you for being my loudest cheerleaders. Barry, you always told me how strong I am. But it’s only now, almost two years after you’ve passed and after learning how to carry on without you that I finally believe in myself, love myself, and feel strong. I can just imagine your chuckle, as you’d reply, “Well it’s about time!” Thanks for being proud of me. To my best friends, Jennifer and Corinne, thank you for coming into my life at just the right time. It’s as if the universe knew that we would need each other during this chapter of our lives. To my rave family, and the music of Neon Steve, the Funk Hunters, and Lazy Syrup Orchestra, thanks for all of the dance therapy that helped heal and rejuvenate me so that I could keep going. To my cats, Chief and Lola, thank you for being so soft and sweet. RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS IN POLYAMOROUS FAMILIES iv This work is dedicated to anyone who’s had their grad studies derailed due to a major loss or trauma. Grad school is not for the faint of heart. Even if everything goes smoothly and no additional curve balls are thrown your way, it is still an enormous feat. When life does happen, grad school can feel overwhelming and as if it will never end. So if you’re struggling to find the motivation to finish, you are not alone. I believe in the tenacity of the human spirit, by which we are somehow able to show resilience through hardship and still accomplish great things. If I can do it, so can you. RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS IN POLYAMOROUS FAMILIES v List of Abbreviations ASRS – Adult Social Relationship Scale CM – committed monogamous CNM – consensually non-monogamous CSI – Couples Satisfaction Index DFA – Discriminant Function Analysis DW – Durbin-Watson EFA – Exploratory Factor Analysis GFI – Goodness of Fit Index IRT – Item Response Theory M – Mean MAP – Minimum Average Partial ML – Maximum Likelihood MPSQ – Monogamy Polyamory Spectrum Questionnaire RPCS – Romantic Partner Conflict Scale RMSR – Root Mean Square Residual PPQ – Parenting Practices Questionnaire Q-Q Plot – Quantile Quantile SD – Standard Deviation Sig – Statistical Significance, i.e., p-value SP – Shapiro Wilks SPSS – Statistical Package for the Social Sciences RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS IN POLYAMOROUS FAMILIES vi Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Polyamory as a Relationship Type ............................................................................................. 2 Problems, Controversies, and Gaps in the Literature ................................................................. 7 Significance of the Research ..................................................................................................... 10 Aims and Objectives of the Thesis ........................................................................................... 11 Chapter Summary and Thesis Structure ................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 15 Explanations for Non-Monogamy ............................................................................................ 16 Who Practices Polyamory? ....................................................................................................... 22 Modernizing the Constructs of “Marriage” and the “Family” .................................................. 24 Unknown Facets of Polyamory: Questions to be Addressed in This Thesis ............................ 26 Summary of Variables, Research Questions, and Hypotheses of the Present Study ................ 44 METHOD ..................................................................................................................................... 47 Rationale for Research Methodology ....................................................................................... 47 Ethical Considerations .............................................................................................................. 48 Sampling Procedures and Data Collection ............................................................................... 48 Measures ................................................................................................................................... 50 Analytic Procedures .................................................................................................................. 65 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 71 Participant Characteristics ........................................................................................................ 71 Analytic Results