The effect of intimate relationship length on the postive and negative qualities of the relationship for those 25-35 year olds in dual-earner relationships

Marriage and close intimate relationships are probably the most intense of all social relationships. Research indicates that individuals who commence an intimate relationship do so with an overly positive perception of their selected partner. The present study aimed to determine at what time in a relationship individuals begin to acknowledge both the negative as well as the positive qualities of their partner - to remove the “rosecoloured- glasses”, so to speak. Sixty-two individuals participated in the study, 30 males (M=29.9, SD=3.1) and 32 females (M=28.5, SD=3.2). Mean length of intimate relationship was 5.2 years for the sample, with 48.4% indicating a ‘married’ status for their relationship. A modified version of the Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988) and the Positive and Negative Qualities in Marriage Scale (Fincham and Linfield, 1997) were used to determine the satisfaction respondents had with their intimate relationship overall and the degree to which the positive and negative qualities of the intimate relationship were acknowledged as present in the relationship. Results indicate that those individuals currently in a relationship in excess of 3 years in length are significantly more likely to recognise the negative qualities of their intimate partner, but are not likely to assess the relationship in general as negative. Implications of the study’s finding are discussed and suggestions for further research are made.