The Influence of Plans to Marry in Dating Couples of Emerging Adults on Relationship Quality, Confirmation, and Desire for Evaluation (山口眞人教授追悼号)

The purposes of this study were to: a) investigate the influence of marriage plans on relationship quality and confirming communication in the romantic relationships of emerging adults, b) analyze the role of confirmation as a mechanism explaining the relationship between marriage plans and relationship quality, and c) examine the influence of plans to marry on individuals’ desire for positive evaluation or self-verification evaluation. As expected, those with plans to marry reported higher relationship quality and more confirming communication than did those without plans. Further, the relationship between marriage plans and relationship quality was partially mediated by confirmation. However, the findings suggested that the marriage plans did not affect people’s desire for evaluation from their partner. Although, counter to expectations, dating partners with plans to marry did not have a desire for self-verifying evaluation, they perceive that they received more confirmation from their partner than those without plans, which lead to higher relationship quality. Dating Couples with Marriage Plans 3 The Influence of Plans to Marry in Dating Couples of Emerging Adults on Relationship Quality, Confirmation, and Desire for Evaluation Previous studies have suggested that dating partners who have plans to marry each other may have higher relational outcomes than those without marriage plans including a higher possibility of actual marriage, higher relationship quality, and higher quality of communication than those without marriage plans (Brown, 2000, 2004; Brown & Booth, 1996; Peake & Harris, 2002). Existing studies, however, have not investigated the impact of marriage plans on romantic couples of emerging adults. Emerging adulthood, the period from the late teens through the midto late 20s, is a critical time in which individuals start to pursue intimate and serious love and consider who they desire to marry (Arnett, 2000). Further, even though existing research has examined the influence of marriage plans on communication variables, such as the frequency of interaction (Brown & Booth, 1996) and disagreements (Brown, 2004), they have not focused on the effect of plans to marry on relational communication, which functions to define the nature of the relationship (Watzlawick, Beavin, & Jackson, 1967). A variety of dimensions of the relational communication such as dominance, receptivity, and immediacy, through verbal and nonverbal behaviors have been found to be critical determinants of important relational outcomes such as trust and satisfaction (Burgoon, Pfau, Parrott, Birk, Coker, & Burgoon, 1987; Burgoon, Buller, Hale, & deTurck, 1984). Therefore, this study investigated the effect of marriage plans on confirming communication, which is a type of the relational communications (Dailey, 2009; Watzlawick, Beavin, & Jackson, 1967). Moreover, although existing studies consistently revealed the association between marriage plans and relationship quality (Brown, 2004; Brown & Booth, 1996), the mechanism to Dating Couples with Marriage Plans 4 explain the association is left unexplored. This study hypothesized that confirmation would mediate the relationship between plans to marry and relationship quality. The current study also scrutinized the influence of marriage plans on different desires for evaluation from romantic partners: positvity strivings and self-verification strivings. The idea that people want others to see them positively has been widely supported by extant research and theory (Goffman, 1955; Jones, 1973; Jones & Pittman, 1982; Shrauger, 1975). However, Swann, De La Ronde, and Hixon (1994) argued that people also have “an independent desire for evaluations that verify their self-conceptions” (p. 858). They further noted that this desire for self-verification may be particularly evident in marriage. In line with their argument, Swann and his colleagues found that people who were married were most intimate with spouses whose evaluations verified their self-concept (self-verification striving), whereas those who were dating were most intimate with partners who evaluated them positively (positivity striving). These findings imply that a shift takes place from positivity strivings to self-verification strivings throughout the course of relationship development. Although Swann et al. (1994) noted that the shift from positivity strivings to self-verification strivings occurs gradually over time, when and why the shift takes place are still in question. The current study takes the position that partners’ plans to marry may be closely related to the shift based on prior studies indicating that dating with plans to marry had a similar relationship quality to that of partners who are married (Brown, 2004; Brown & Booth, 1996). In short, the purpose of the current study was to assess the influence of marriage plans on relationship quality, confirmation, and desire for evaluation from a partner in the romantic relationships of emerging adults. First, previous studies on marriage plans and emerging adulthood are reviewed and hypotheses to investigate the effects of marriage plans on a variety of Dating Couples with Marriage Plans 5 outcomes are posed. Next, research methods including features of participants are described. Then, results are reported and discussed along with limitations and future research directions. Review of Literature Marriage Plans Existing research has demonstrated that dating partners with marriage plans may have higher relational outcomes than those without plans to marry including higher relationship quality and a higher level of communication such as more frequent interactions and fewer frequent disagreements (Brown, 2000, 2004; Brown & Booth, 1996; Peake & Harris, 2002). Brown (2000) found the marriage plans of cohabiting couples significantly predicted actual marriage and separation. Her study also indicated that cohabiting couples without plans to marry were not only less likely to marry, but were 2.5 times as likely to dissolve their relationship as were couples with plans to marry. Similarly, unmarried parents with plans to marry were about 7.2 times more likely to marry and 2.2 times more likely to stay together than parents without plans (Waller & McLanahan, 2005). Non-cohabiting dating partners with plans to marry were more confident of their ability to solve difficulties associated with integrating work and family than those without plans (Peake & Harris, 2002). Other studies of cohabiting couples have shown that couples with marriage plans reported more positive relationship features and communication than those without plans and similar to those of marital couples (Brown, 2004; Brown & Booth, 1996). Although cohabiting dating partners have been found to have more negative relationship qualities than marital partners (Brown & Booth, 1996; Nock, 1995), plans to marry diminished the difference (Brown & Booth, 1996). Specifically, Brown and Booth (1996) documented that while cohabiting partners without marriage plans had poorer relationship quality, more frequent disagreements, and lower levels of Dating Couples with Marriage Plans 6 fairness than married partners, cohabiting partners with marriage plans were not significantly different from those who were married. Surprisingly, the researchers also indicated cohabitors with marriage plans reported more frequent interaction with their partner than did those who were married. Brown (2004) analyzed interview data conducted at two time points and revealed that cohabitors’ marriage plans were significantly associated with relationship quality. Specifically, she found in the second data collection, these cohabitors without plans to marry were less happy and had higher levels of relationship instability than did cohabitors who marry. Those with plans to marry at second data collection reported similar levels of happiness and relationship stability as cohabitors who married. Finally, the absence of marriage plans was associated with more disagreement as well as more violence in conflict resolution. Importantly, the age of the participants in these studies widely ranged. For example, Brown and Booth (1996) recruited participants whose age was under 48. Other studies on marriage plans such as Brown (2000, 2004), Peake and Harris (2002), and Waller and McLanahan (2005) did not mention the age ranges of the participants in their studies. In short, studies have not specifically examined the influence of marriage plans on romantic couples of emerging adults. Emerging Adulthood Emerging adults are individuals whose age ranges from the late teens through the midto late 20s (roughly ages 18-25) (Arnett, 2000). Arnett (2007) suggested individuals in emerging adulthood should not be categorized either as adolescents or adults because of distinctive features of emerging adulthood. For example, Arnett (2007) documented that compared with adolescence and adulthood, emerging adulthood is a more critical time period in which individuals develop Dating Couples with Marriage Plans 7 their identity, explore life possibilities, and feel a sense of in-between and instability. Emerging adulthood is also distinct subjectively. When emerging adults were asked whether they feel they have reached adulthood, the majority of them answered the question by “in some respects yes, in some respects no” (Arnett, 2001). Emerging adulthood is an important developmental stage in which drastic changes in attitude toward romantic relationships occur. Arnett (2000) found emerging adults start to pursue intimate and serious relationships. Dating relationships in emerging adulthood last longer and are more likely to involve sexual intercourse than they are in adolescence (Michael, Gagnon, Laumann, & Kolata, 1995). Emerging adults may ruminate about the question: “What kind of person do I wish to have as a partner through life? ” (Arnett, 2000). Yet, not all emerging adults desire t