Impact of Positive and Negative Socioemotional Behaviors on Remarital Instability

Abstract

We examined the trajectories of remarried couples’ (N = 1161) positive and negative socioemotional behaviors, which reflect the expression of love versus hostility, in relation to remarital instability across the first 3 years of remarriage. The measures of behaviors included both self and partner reports. Guided by the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model of marriage, we used multi-level modeling framework to test the proposed processes at between- and within-individual levels. Whereas self- and partner-reported positive behaviors predicted less remarital instability, self- and partner-reported negative behaviors predicted greater levels of remarital instability. Individual changes in self- and partner-reported positive behaviors related to less remarital instability and only changes in partner-reported negative behaviors were associated with increased remarital instability. Findings did not vary by gender or remarital profiles. The results provide support for the emergent distress model, suggesting that the path to remarital instability is rooted in gradually increasing negativity. Implications for practitioners are discussed.