Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Attachment injuries in romantic relationships are increasingly recognized as significant relational traumas, yet existing literature lacks a comprehensive framework for understanding their traumatic sequelae. While traditionally viewed through an attachment theory lens alone, emerging evidence suggests these injuries may trigger symptom patterns consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PsycINFO, MEDLINE/PubMed, JSTOR, and Scopus databases for English-language qualitative studies published between January 2000 and January 2025. Studies examining subjective experiences of attachment injuries, relational betrayals, or breaches of trust in romantic relationships were included. Quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Framework synthesis methodology was employed to map findings against the complex PTSD framework. Twelve qualitative studies (N = 207 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Attachment injuries were mapped to four distinct symptom clusters mirroring complex PTSD: (1) severe affect dysregulation characterized by intense emotional responses and grief; (2) persistent negative self-beliefs, including diminished self-worth and pervasive self-doubt; (3) persistent difficulties sustaining relationships extending beyond the original injury; and (4) classic PTSD symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. The most common triggers were infidelity (5 studies), pregnancy/child-rearing conflicts (4 studies), and pornography/sexual addiction disclosure (3 studies). However, significant gender bias (73.8% female participants) and cultural homogeneity (83% North American samples) limit generalizability. This review adds to the evidence that attachment injuries constitute a distinct form of relational trauma and offers an integrated attachment-trauma conceptualization. These findings can open new possibilities in how clinicians assess and treat attachment injuries, emphasizing the need for phase-based interventions that address trauma symptomatology alongside relational repair.

Participant reports of romantic relationship instability are of central interest in relationship science. However, this construct is inconsistently measured, with different response options and items presented. Across two studies, we assessed the psychometric properties of a 6-item scale of relationship instability based on a 2- or 5-response option (RO) format (N_{Study 1} = 853; N_{Study 2} = 1,007). We also examined the psychometric properties of each item to identify a strong single-item measure of relationship instability. In both studies, mean differences in item scores, total scores, reliability, and response time based on response option set were present, and data from the 5-RO condition displayed greater variability. A single-item assessment with strong psychometric qualities and minimal reductions in convergent validity is recommended for future use.

Divine forgiveness is central to many religious traditions and is often thought to inform interpersonal forgiveness. However, little is known about how daily experiences of divine forgiveness shape real-time conflict within romantic relationships. Using a 14-day dyadic daily diary design, this study examined whether perceptions of divine forgiveness regarding treatment of one’s partner predict forgiveness, amend-making, and anger in different-gender, cohabiting romantic couples (N = 82 dyads; 87.8% married; 77.4% White; 83.5% Christian/Catholic). Multilevel models that parse between- and within-person variance in divine forgiveness revealed that on days when individuals reported greater divine forgiveness, they also reported more forgiveness and amend-making toward their partner, suggesting that experiences of divine forgiveness may support same-day relational repair. Between-person effects further revealed that women experiencing higher levels of God’s forgiveness reported making more amends for their behavior, while men higher in divine forgiveness reported being more forgiving; these effects were corroborated by partner reports and extended to reports of these outcomes the following day. Interestingly, divine forgiveness was not associated with self-reported anger but showed mixed effects regarding perceptions of partner anger. Together, findings suggest that divine forgiveness operates both as a dispositional resource and as a dynamic process that supports relationship repair, particularly for minor, daily conflicts.

Location sharing technologies using smartphone applications allow users to share their geolocation with each other in real time. Such sharing is a relational process that requires engagement and negotiation with another person. In the current study we use communication privacy management theory to situate our work and examine (a) with whom individuals share their location, (b) the reasons why individuals share their location, and (c) how these reasons differ based on relationship type. Data about individuals’ location sharing practices were collected from a sample of 203 adults who share their location with at least one person. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze participants’ open-ended responses. Results indicated that participants, on average, shared their location with 3.86 individuals (SD = 7.22, Median = 2), with romantic partners being the most frequently shared with (62.6%). Four main reasons for location sharing were identified in the data: Relationship Processes (using location sharing to maintain, support, or manage relationships), Casual (sharing due to indifference, passivity, or for entertainment), Practicality (sharing for efficiency or task management), and Safety (sharing for peace of mind or safety purposes). Safety reasons were most commonly reported for mothers, fathers, children, roommates, and siblings, whereas Practicality was most frequent for romantic partners and friends. This study lays the groundwork for further research on location sharing practices and offers a first step in understanding the relational dynamics of location sharing.

Relationships with parents, siblings, and friends are salient contexts to study young adolescent adjustment. Internal working models of relationships develop based on early experiences and provide a framework for how individuals navigate later relationships. Despite the enduring and impactful nature of sibling relationships, little research to date focuses on identifying patterns of relationship quality with siblings while in the presence of other relationships. The present study aimed to address this gap by (1) identifying profiles of co-occurring relationship types as defined by relational positivity and negativity, and (2) examining whether these profiles relate to internalized adjustment and prosocial behaviour. The current sample included young adolescents (n = 388) between 10 and 13 years of age (M = 10.87, SD = 0.73). Latent profile analyses yielded two distinct profiles of relational positivity and negativity: (1) high-quality (n = 244) and (2) discordant (n = 144). Compared to the high-quality profile, participants in the discordant profile demonstrated greater negativity and lower positivity across relationships, along with intense sibling relationships. Results also showed that participants with high-quality relationships were better adjusted psychosocially than those with discordant relationships. This study emphasizes the dynamic interplay of co-occurring relationships, and particularly the unique developmental role of siblings. Overall, the results indicate that future studies should consider multiple co-occurring relationships to advance our understanding of adolescent relationship networks and their influence on socio-behavioural functioning.

Black Americans face not only systemic racism but also the internalization of white supremacist ideologies, a process known as appropriated racial oppression (ARO). ARO involves adopting harmful racial stereotypes that can shape self-concept and behavior. Although its impact on individual well-being is documented, less is known about how ARO influences parenting, particularly racial-ethnic socialization (RES). Therefore, this study explores how parents’ ARO relates to the racial-ethnic socialization messages that their children report receiving, offering additional insight into intergenerational patterns of racial stress. Drawing on the Sociocultural Family Stress Model, we analyzed data from 201 Black parent-adolescent dyads (adolescents: M _age = 14.92 years; parents: M _age = 43.01 years). We examined six RES dimensions: racial pride, racial barriers, self-worth, egalitarian, negative messages, and socialization behaviors. Higher levels of ARO were associated with fewer positive and more negative RES messages. Skin tone, but not gender, moderated these associations such that the negative effects of ARO on racial barrier, self-worth, and egalitarian messages were stronger among lighter-skinned parents and youth. These findings highlight ARO as a potential barrier to affirming racial socialization practices and underscore the need for culturally grounded interventions that address internalized oppression in Black families.