A pilot study of coping behavior in partners experiencing difficulties in romantic relationships

Difficulties (problems) in relationships are encountered not only by married couples but also by those who have just entered into a romantic relationship. The experience of such difficulties is manifested in various emotional, behavioral reactions and in coping with them. During our pilot study, coping strategies were analyzed in partners experiencing difficulties in romantic relationships. The study involved 50 people: 25 respondents in romantic relationships living separately and 25 respondents in marriage. The results indicate the dominance of «positive» coping strategies over «negative» ones both among respondents in romantic relationships and those in marriage. When partners experience difficulties, in both cases, the index of emotions reflects the negative aspect of their manifestation. A statistical analysis found no significant differences when comparing emotional experiences and coping strategies in the two types of respondents, except for the «Distraction» strategy, which is more pronounced in married partners. The obtained data emphasize the similarities in emotional and behavioral aspects characteristic of partners in romantic relationships and in marriage, which means that entering into a romantic relationship, young people come as close as possible to the roles of husband and wife. These results can be useful for practicing psychologists in the field of relationships, as well as for specialists engaged in educating young people about family values.