Predicting relationship quality and emotional reactions to stress from significant-other-concept clarity

This study evaluated the extent to which clarity, valence, and connectednes s of Significant-Other-Concepts (SOCs) predicted relationship quality and e motional reactions to stressful situations using two novel experimental par adigms. Mental representations of self (self concept) and of romantic partn er (SOC), together with measures of relationship quality (conflict, depth, support, and satisfaction), were assessed for 162 undergraduate psychology students and their romantic partners. Structural equation modeling and hier archical regression analyses showed that SOCs were related to, but distingu ishable from, self concepts, connectedness, and relationship quality. Clear SOCs uniquely predicted variance in all measures of relationship quality a fter controlling for self-concept, connectedness, and valence measures. SOC s also predicted some emotional reactions to stress. The evidence suggests that multiple measures of SOCs, especially clarity, provide important predi ctors of relationship quality.