Testing the impact of sliding versus deciding in cyclical and noncyclical relationships

This study investigates longitudinally predictors and outcomes of sliding (a desire to avoid clarifying the status of a romantic relationship; measured as relationship talk avoidance) among emerging adults (N = 244) in cyclical (ending and renewing a relationship) and noncyclical romantic relationships. Avoidance of relationship talk was positively associated with relationship uncertainty 7 weeks earlier and negatively related to dedication and satisfaction 7 weeks later, through decreased relationship maintenance (measured by constructive communication). We hypothesized that sliding would both predict and be predicted by lower dedication. Dedication did not predict later sliding for cyclical partners, but was associated with lower sliding for noncyclical partners, suggesting dedication may buffer the negative impact of uncertainty for noncycling partners. The development of romantic relationships during emerging adulthood (roughly ages 18–29; Arnett, 2000) has become a more ambiguous process in the United States (see Sassler, 2010), leaving greater room for uncertainty in the current and future status of relationships than ever before. Relationship uncertainty about the behavioral norms for the relationship, mutuality of feelings, and current and future definition of the relationship (Knobloch & Solomon, 1999) can lead to increased distress (Knobloch & Solomon, 2003) and conflict (e.g., Siegert & Stamp, 1994). According to Stanley and Rhoades (2009), partners can begin to resolve this uncertainty by gathering and evaluating information Charity E. Clifford, School of Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University; Amber Vennum, School of Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University; Michelle Busk, School of Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University; Frank D. Fincham, Family Institute, Florida State University. Correspondence should be addressed to Charity E. Clifford, School of Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University, Campus Creek Complex, Campus Creek Road, Manhattan, KS 66506, e-mail: ccharity@ksu.edu. about relationship risks, compatibility, and the dedication of each partner (i.e., the desire to maintain or improve the quality of the relationship for the joint benefit of the participants; Stanley & Markman, 1992). Partners who then use this information to make conscious decisions about the current and future state of the relationship (termed deciding vs. sliding) are more likely to behave in ways that sustain or improve the quality of the relationship (i.e., relationship maintenance behaviors), reducing uncertainty and risk of future relationship distress and instability (Stanley, Rhoades, & Markman, 2006). Conversely, when partners slide, versus decide, they are not clarifying each partners’ expectations and dedication to the relationship (Stanley & Rhoades, 2009), and they are not making conscious decisions about the current and future state of the relationship; this decreases the use of relationship maintenance strategies necessary for sustaining or improving the quality of the relationship and increases their risk for future distress (Stanley et al., 2006). Previous cross-sectional research has supported connections between subsets of these