Editing Intimate relationship (section)

== Challenges ==

=== Conflict ===
Disagreements within intimate relationships are a stressful event,<ref name="Feeney-2017">{{Cite journal |last1=Feeney |first1=Judith A |last2=Karantzas |first2=Gery C |date=2017 |title=Couple conflict: insights from an attachment perspective |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X16300410 |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |series=Relationships and stress |volume=13 |pages=60–64 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.04.017 |pmid=28813296 |issn=2352-250X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and the strategies couples use to navigate conflict impact the quality and success of the relationship.<ref name="Overall-2017">{{Cite journal |last1=Overall |first1=Nickola C |author-link=Nickola Overall |last2=McNulty |first2=James K |date=2017 |title=What type of communication during conflict is beneficial for intimate relationships? |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |series=Relationships and stress |volume=13 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.03.002 |issn=2352-250X |pmc=5181851 |pmid=28025652}}</ref> Common sources of conflict between intimate partners include disagreements about the balance of work and family life, frequency of sex, finances, and household tasks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Risch |first1=Gail S. |last2=Riley |first2=Lisa A. |last3=Lawler |first3=Michael G. |date=2003 |title=Problematic Issues in the Early Years of Marriage: Content for Premarital Education |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/009164710303100310 |journal=Journal of Psychology and Theology |language=en |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=253–269 |doi=10.1177/009164710303100310 |s2cid=141072191 |issn=0091-6471|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Psychologist [[John Gottman]]'s research has identified three stages of conflict in couples. First, couples present their opinions and feelings on the issue. Next, they argue and attempt to persuade the other of their viewpoint, and finally, the members of the relationship negotiate to try to arrive at a compromise.<ref name="Gottman-2017">{{Citation |last=Gottman |first=John M. |title=The Roles of Conflict Engagement, Escalation, and Avoidance in Marital Interaction: A Longitudinal View of Five Types of Couples |date=2017-11-30 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781351153683-21 |work=Interpersonal Development |pages=359–368 |access-date=2023-11-22 |publisher=Routledge|doi=10.4324/9781351153683-21 |isbn=978-1-351-15368-3 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Individuals vary in how they typically engage with conflict.<ref name="Gottman-2017" /> Gottman describes that happy couples differ from unhappy couples in their interactions during conflict: unhappy couples tend to use more frequent negative tone of voice, show more predictable behavior during communication, and get stuck in cycles of negative behavior with their partner.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gottman |first=J.M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RXuLBQAAQBAJ&dq=Gottman,+J.+M.+(1979).+Marital+interaction:+Experimental+investigations.+San+Diego,+CA:+Academic+Press&pg=PP1 |title=Marital Interaction: Experimental Investigations |publisher=Academic Press |year=1979 |location=New York, NY|isbn=978-1-4832-6598-8 }}</ref><ref name="Bradbury-2019"/> Other unproductive strategies within conflict include avoidance and withdrawal, defensiveness, and hostility.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Overall |first1=Nickola C. |last2=McNulty |first2=James K. |date=2017 |title=What Type of Communication during Conflict is Beneficial for Intimate Relationships? |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |volume=13 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.03.002 |issn=2352-250X |pmc=5181851 |pmid=28025652}}</ref> These responses may be salient when an individual feels threatened by the conflict, which can be a reflection of insecure [[Attachment theory|attachment orientation]] and previous negative relationship experiences.<ref name="Feeney-2017" /> When conflicts go unresolved, relationship satisfaction is negatively impacted.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cramer |first=Duncan |date=2000 |title=Relationship Satisfaction and Conflict Style in Romantic Relationships |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00223980009600873 |journal=The Journal of Psychology |language=en |volume=134 |issue=3 |pages=337–341 |doi=10.1080/00223980009600873 |pmid=10907711 |s2cid=9245525 |issn=0022-3980|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Constructive conflict resolution strategies include validating the other person's point of view and concerns, expressing affection, using humor, and active listening. However, the effectiveness of these strategies depend on the topic and severity of the conflict and the characteristics of the individuals involved.<ref name="Overall-2017" /> Repeated stressful instances of unresolved conflict might cause intimate partners to seek [[Couples therapy|couples counseling]], consult [[self-help]] resources, or consider ending the relationship.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Doss |first1=Brian D. |last2=Rhoades |first2=Galena K. |last3=Stanley |first3=Scott M. |last4=Markman |first4=Howard J. |date=2009 |title=Marital Therapy, Retreats, and Books: The Who, What, When, and Why of Relationship Help-Seeking |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2008.00093.x |journal=Journal of Marital and Family Therapy |language=en |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=18–29 |doi=10.1111/j.1752-0606.2008.00093.x |pmid=19161581 |issn=0194-472X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Attachment insecurity ===
Attachment orientations that develop from early interpersonal relationships can influence how people behave in intimate relationships, and insecure attachment can lead to specific issues in a relationship. Individuals vary in attachment anxiety (the degree to which they worry about abandonment) and avoidance (the degree to which they avoid emotional closeness).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Simpson |first1=Jeffry A |last2=Rholes |first2=W Steven |date=2017-02-01 |title=Adult attachment, stress, and romantic relationships |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |series=Relationships and stress |volume=13 |pages=19–24 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.04.006 |issn=2352-250X |pmc=4845754 |pmid=27135049}}</ref> Research shows that insecure attachment orientations that are high in avoidance or anxiety are associated with experiencing more frequent negative emotions in intimate relationships.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Simpson |first=Jeffry A. |date=1990 |title=Influence of attachment styles on romantic relationships. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/0022-3514.59.5.971 |journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |language=en |volume=59 |issue=5 |pages=971–980 |doi=10.1037/0022-3514.59.5.971 |issn=1939-1315|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Individuals high in attachment anxiety are particularly prone to [[jealousy]] and experience heightened distress about whether their partner will leave them.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Martínez-León |first1=Nancy Consuelo |last2=Peña |first2=Juan José |last3=Salazar |first3=Hernán |last4=García |first4=Andrea |last5=Sierra |first5=Juan Carlos |date=2017 |title=A systematic review of romantic jealousy in relationships |url=http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-48082017000200203&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en |journal=Terapia psicológica |language=en |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=203–212 |doi=10.4067/s0718-48082017000200203 |issn=0718-4808|doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.12495/3466 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Highly anxious individuals also perceive more conflict in their relationships and are disproportionately negatively affected by those conflicts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Campbell |first1=Lorne |last2=Simpson |first2=Jeffry A. |last3=Boldry |first3=Jennifer |last4=Kashy |first4=Deborah A. |date=2005 |title=Perceptions of Conflict and Support in Romantic Relationships: The Role of Attachment Anxiety. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.510 |journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |language=en |volume=88 |issue=3 |pages=510–531 |doi=10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.510 |pmid=15740443 |s2cid=21042397 |issn=1939-1315|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In contrast, avoidantly attached individuals may experience [[fear of intimacy]] or be dismissive of the potential benefits of a close relationship and thus have difficulty building an intimate connection with a partner.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bartholomew |first=Kim |date=1990 |title=Avoidance of Intimacy: An Attachment Perspective |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0265407590072001 |journal=Journal of Social and Personal Relationships |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=147–178 |doi=10.1177/0265407590072001 |s2cid=146379254 |issn=0265-4075|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Stress ===
Stress that occurs both within and outside an intimate relationship—including financial issues, familial obligations, and stress at work—can negatively impact the quality of the relationship.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Finkel |first1=Eli J. |last2=Simpson |first2=Jeffry A. |last3=Eastwick |first3=Paul W. |date=2017-01-03 |title=The Psychology of Close Relationships: Fourteen Core Principles |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044038 |journal=Annual Review of Psychology |language=en |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=383–411 |doi=10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044038 |pmid=27618945 |s2cid=207567096 |issn=0066-4308|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Stress depletes the psychological resources that are crucial for developing and maintaining a healthy relationship. Rather than spending energy investing in the relationship through shared activities, sex and physical intimacy, and healthy communication, couples under stress are forced to use their psychological resources to manage other pressing issues.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Karney |first1=Benjamin R. |title=The Oxford handbook of close relationships |last2=Neff |first2=Lisa A. |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2013 |editor-last=Simpson |editor-first=J.A. |pages=664–684 |chapter=Couples and stress: How demands outside a relationship affect intimacy within the relationship |doi= |editor-last2=Campbell |editor-first2=L.}}</ref> Low [[socioeconomic status]] is a particularly salient stressful context that constrains an individual's ability to invest in maintaining a healthy intimate relationship. Couples with lower socioeconomic status are at risk for experiencing increased rates of dissolution and lower relationship satisfaction.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Karney |first=Benjamin R. |date=2021 |title=Socioeconomic Status and Intimate Relationships |journal=Annual Review of Psychology |language=en |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=391–414 |doi=10.1146/annurev-psych-051920-013658 |issn= |pmc= 8179854|pmid= 32886585|s2cid=221503060 }}</ref>

=== Infidelity ===
Infidelity and sex outside a monogamous relationship are behaviors that are commonly disapproved of, a frequent source of conflict, and a cause of relationship dissolution.<ref name="Blow-2005">{{Cite journal |last1=Blow |first1=Adrian J. |last2=Hartnett |first2=Kelley |date=2005 |title=Infidelity in Committed Relationships II: A Substantive Review |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2005.tb01556.x |journal=Journal of Marital and Family Therapy |language=en |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=217–233 |doi=10.1111/j.1752-0606.2005.tb01556.x |pmid=15974059 |issn=0194-472X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Low relationship satisfaction may cause people to desire physical or emotional connection outside their primary relationship.<ref name="Blow-2005" /> However, people with more sexual opportunities, greater interest in sex, and more permissive attitudes toward sex are also more likely to engage in infidelity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Treas |first1=Judith |last2=Giesen |first2=Deirdre |date=2000 |title=Sexual Infidelity among Married and Cohabiting Americans |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1566686 |journal=Journal of Marriage and Family |volume=62 |issue=1 |pages=48–60 |doi=10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00048.x |jstor=1566686 |issn=0022-2445|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In the United States, research has found that between 15 and 25% of adults report ever cheating on a partner.<ref name="Institute for Family Studies">{{Cite web |title=Who Cheats More? The Demographics of Infidelity in America |url=https://ifstudies.org/blog/who-cheats-more-the-demographics-of-cheating-in-america |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Institute for Family Studies |language=en}}</ref>

When one member of a relationship violates agreements of sexual or emotional exclusivity, the foundation of trust in the primary relationship is negatively impacted, and individuals may experience [[Depression (mood)|depression]], low [[self-esteem]], and emotional dysregulation in the aftermath of an [[affair]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rokach |first1=Ami |last2=Chan |first2=Sybil H. |date=2023 |title=Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=20 |issue=5 |pages=3904 |doi=10.3390/ijerph20053904 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=10002055 |pmid=36900915 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Infidelity is ultimately tied to increased likelihood of relationship dissolution or divorce.<ref name="Institute for Family Studies" />

=== Intimate partner violence ===
Violence within an intimate relationship can take the form of [[Physical abuse|physical]], [[Psychological abuse|psychological]], [[Economic abuse|financial]], or [[sexual abuse]]. The [[World Health Organization]] estimates that 30% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by an intimate partner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Violence against women |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref> The strong emotional attachment, investment, and interdependence that characterizes close relationships can make it difficult to leave an abusive relationship.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=Jinseok |last2=Gray |first2=Karen A. |date=2008 |title=Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260508314307 |journal=Journal of Interpersonal Violence |language=en |volume=23 |issue=10 |pages=1465–1482 |doi=10.1177/0886260508314307 |pmid=18309037 |s2cid=263537650 |issn=0886-2605|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Research has identified a variety of risk factors for and types of perpetrators of intimate partner violence. Individuals who are exposed to violence or experience abuse in childhood are more likely to become perpetrators or victims of intimate partner violence as adults as part of the intergenerational [[cycle of violence]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Ping-Hsin |last2=Jacobs |first2=Abbie |last3=Rovi |first3=Susan L D |date=2013-09-01 |title=Intimate partner violence: childhood exposure to domestic violence |url=https://europepmc.org/article/med/24053262 |journal=FP Essentials |volume=412 |pages=24–27 |issn=2161-9344 |pmid=24053262}}</ref> Perpetrators are also more likely to be aggressive, impulsive, prone to anger, and may show pathological personality traits such as [[Antisocial personality disorder|antisocial]] and [[Borderline personality disorder|borderline]] traits.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Finkel |first1=Eli J. |last2=Eckhardt |first2=Christopher I. |date=2013-04-12 |editor-last=Simpson |editor-first=Jeffry A. |editor2-last=Campbell |editor2-first=Lorne |title=Intimate Partner Violence |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195398694.013.0020 |journal=Oxford Handbooks Online |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195398694.013.0020|url-access=subscription }}</ref> [[Patriarchy|Patriarchal]] cultural scripts that depict men as aggressive and dominant may be an additional risk factor for men engaging in violence toward an intimate partner,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ali |first1=Parveen Azam |last2=Naylor |first2=Paul B. |date=2013-11-01 |title=Intimate partner violence: A narrative review of the feminist, social and ecological explanations for its causation |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178913000633 |journal=Aggression and Violent Behavior |volume=18 |issue=6 |pages=611–619 |doi=10.1016/j.avb.2013.07.009 |issn=1359-1789|url-access=subscription }}</ref> although violence by female perpetrators is also a well-documented phenomenon<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Carney |first1=Michelle |last2=Buttell |first2=Fred |last3=Dutton |first3=Don |date=2007-01-01 |title=Women who perpetrate intimate partner violence: A review of the literature with recommendations for treatment |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178906000474 |journal=Aggression and Violent Behavior |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=108–115 |doi=10.1016/j.avb.2006.05.002 |issn=1359-1789|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and research finds other contextual and demographic characteristics to be more salient risks factors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ehrensaft |first=Miriam K. |date=2008-03-01 |title=Intimate partner violence: Persistence of myths and implications for intervention |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740907001867 |journal=Children and Youth Services Review |series=Recent Trends in Intimate Violence: Theory and Intervention |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=276–286 |doi=10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.10.005 |issn=0190-7409|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Contextual factors such as high levels of stress can also contribute to risk of violence. Within the relationship, high levels of conflict and disagreements are associated with intimate partner violence, particularly for people who react to conflict with hostility.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Capaldi |first1=Deborah M. |last2=Knoble |first2=Naomi B. |last3=Shortt |first3=Joann Wu |last4=Kim |first4=Hyoun K. |date=2012 |title=A Systematic Review of Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence |journal=Partner Abuse |language=en |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=231–280 |doi=10.1891/1946-6560.3.2.231 |issn= |pmc= 3384540|pmid=22754606}}</ref>