The Quality of Dyadic Relationships and the Experience of Social Support

Abstract

Dyadic quality is described as the quality of the relationship between two partners which is dependent on the level of dyadic cohesion, dyadic consensus, dyadic satisfaction and dyadic adjustment, as well as the way in which the couple deals with conflict. These aspects were measured using the Conflict Tactics Scale and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Social support was measured using the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB) and the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ). The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is any relationship between dyadic quality and dimensions of social support. Respondents were 163 undergraduate students at the University of Western Cape, South Africa. Multiple regression analyses indicated that a number of the indices of dyadic quality were significant predictors of the dimensions of social support. The result suggests that the quality of dyadic relationships impacts on the perceived availability and satisfaction with support. Research aimed at exploring and understanding the health-sustaining and stress-reducing functions of social support needs to focus on the potential negative impact of dyadic conflict and poor dyadic adjustment on the experience of social support.

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