Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Psychology

Supervisor

Dozois, David J. A.

Abstract

Partner- and self-schemas (i.e., the positive and negative beliefs one holds about one’s partner and the self, respectively) have been associated with relationship well-being and depression in cross-sectional research. However, little is known about how these schema structures may impact dyads in their daily lives. To address this gap, 246 couples were sampled at baseline to assess partner- and self-schema structures, then surveyed for 14 days to assess daily relationship well-being and depressed mood. Using multi-level modelling, guided by the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, significant actor and partner effects emerged. Generally, the results suggest that an individual’s partner- and self-schema structures are significantly associated with their own daily relational well-being and depressed mood and, at times, the daily relational well-being and depressed mood of their partner. The findings extend previous cross-sectional research to the daily dyadic context. Implications for future research and potential therapeutic utility are discussed.

Summary for Lay Audience

Romantic relationships are associated with many health and well-being benefits. Nevertheless, relationship distress and depression frequently co-occur. Given that romantic relationships can have both positive and negative effects on relationship and personal well-being, understanding the underlying factors which may play a role in improving or worsening well-being within romantic relationships is critical. Self-schemas (i.e., the positive and negative beliefs an individual holds about themselves) have been linked to depression, and more recently, partner-schemas (i.e., the positive and negative beliefs an individual holds about their partners) have been linked to relationship well-being. Previous research suggests that the structure of these schemas (i.e., how the content of the beliefs is organized) plays an important role in shaping relationship well-being and depression, and that these structures are stable across time. This understanding of the stability of partner- and self-schema structures across time is important; however, it provides little information on how schematic structures impact couples’ well-being in everyday life. To address this gap, this work provides the first examination of the role of partner- and self-schema structures in the daily lives of romantic couples. Two hundred and forty-six couples completed measures of their partner- and self-schema structures in a research-lab setting. Participants were then sent an online survey each day for 14 days inquiring about their relationship well-being (composed of their relationship quality, relationship rumination [i.e., time spent thinking about what was wrong with their relationship], and the severity of any conflicts they had with their partner that day), and depressed mood. After analyzing the responses of both members from each couple, the results suggest that individuals with well-organized positive beliefs about their partner and themselves, as well as individuals with loosely-organized negative beliefs about their partner and themselves, tended to report higher daily relationship well-being and lower daily depressed mood. In select analyses, an individual’s schema structures were also associated with their partner’s well-being, suggesting that one’s own schema structure may play a role in shaping the daily well-being of their romantic partner. Together, the findings from the present study offer unique insight into the role schema structures play in couples’ daily lives and offer key directions for future research and clinical practice.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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