Relationship Quality in Gay and Lesbian Cohabiting Couples: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

This study examined changes in relationship quality over a 1-year period in 74 gay and 45 lesbian couples. It also identified predictors of relationship quality over the 1-year period. Relationship quality was operationally defined as relationship satisfaction, love for partner and liking of partner. Generally, greater relationship quality was reported by lesbian couples than by gay couples, and by couples living together 11 or more years than by couples living together less long. Relationship quality decreased over the 1-year period, particularly for gay couples ending the first year of their relationship. For both gay and lesbian couples, positive relationship quality at the 1-year follow-up was significantly related to Time 1 variables from personal, psychological, interpersonal and social/cultural contexts. With controls for Time 1 demographic variables and Time 1 relationship quality, Time 2 positive relationship quality was predicted by other Time 1 variables but only for gay couples. These predictors included satisfaction with social support, high expressiveness and few beliefs that disagreement is destructive to a relationship. The findings are discussed in terms of factors influencing the long-term development of relationship quality in gay and lesbian couples.