Measuring Relationship Changes During COVID-19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsr.v12i3.2036Keywords:
Intimate Relationships, Couples, Well-being, COVID-19, PandemicAbstract
This study draws on data gathered from an undergraduate student sample to understand perceptions of how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted relationship functioning and how those perceptions are associated with current individual and relational well-being. Drawing on the stress process model and life course theory, we surveyed an online sample of 160 undergraduate students enrolled in Canadian universities who were in an intimate relationship during the onset of the pandemic (March 2020). Results showed that the three most common areas of couple functioning that were affected by the pandemic were time spent together, communication, and their sex lives. Those who reported the pandemic having a greater positive impact on their relationship reported higher life satisfaction, positive affect, positive relationship quality, and relationship confidence compared to those who reported the pandemic having less of a positive impact on their relationship. Results are consistent with other findings on intimate relationships during the early days of the pandemic.
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