Behavioral Antecedents of Relationship Stability and Adjustment: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study

The behaviorist conceptualization of marriage suggests that the stability and adjustment of intimate relationships depends upon the nature of the couple's interaction. In order to test the behavioral hypothesis, 21 premarital couples were followed over a 5-year period. Microanalyses of interaction at Time 1 were used to predict relationship stability and adjustment. It was found that dyadic instability was predicted by negativity reciprocity, positive reciprocity, and level of female's interruptions. Dyadic adjustment was predicted by female's interruptions. The findings support the notion that behavioral patterns of interaction predate later relationship distress. Implications of the findings for theoretical conceptualizations of marital relationships are discussed.