Michael J. Rosenfeld, Sonia Hausen
Sociological Science September 6, 2023
10.15195/v10.a17
Abstract
We measure the perceived effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on romantic relationships in the United States. We contrast Family Stress theories emphasizing potential harms of the pandemic with Family Resilience Theory suggesting that crises can lead couples to build meaning and strengthen their relationships. We examine closed-ended and open-ended questions about relationship responses to the pandemic from the How Couples Meet and Stay Together surveys from 2017, 2020 and 2022. We analyze potential correlates of relationship outcomes including education, children at home, gender, time spent together and pre-pandemic relationship quality. Subjects were three times as likely to describe pandemic relationship benefits compared to harms. Couples in high quality relationships were especially resilient to pandemic stresses, and derived benefits from more time together. Couples made meaning out of the pandemic and used the normalcy of their domestic situations to make a common front against an external threat.
We measure the perceived effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on romantic relationships in the United States. We contrast Family Stress theories emphasizing potential harms of the pandemic with Family Resilience Theory suggesting that crises can lead couples to build meaning and strengthen their relationships. We examine closed-ended and open-ended questions about relationship responses to the pandemic from the How Couples Meet and Stay Together surveys from 2017, 2020 and 2022. We analyze potential correlates of relationship outcomes including education, children at home, gender, time spent together and pre-pandemic relationship quality. Subjects were three times as likely to describe pandemic relationship benefits compared to harms. Couples in high quality relationships were especially resilient to pandemic stresses, and derived benefits from more time together. Couples made meaning out of the pandemic and used the normalcy of their domestic situations to make a common front against an external threat.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |
- Citation: Rosenfeld, Michael J., and Sonia Hausen. 2023. “Resilience and Stress in Romantic Relationships in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic” Sociological Science 10:472-500.
- Received: May 15, 2023
- Accepted: June 12, 2023
- Editors: Ari Adut, Kristen Schilt
- DOI: 10.15195/v10.a17
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