Love, satisfaction in the couple and conflict resolution in young adults

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to determine the relationship between the attitude towards love, the components of love, conflict resolution and satisfaction in the couple in young adults, married and living together, in the province of Concepción, Chile. 160 heterosexual subjects participated, 97 women and 63 men, aged between 23 and 40, who maintained a relationship greater than one year. The Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale, the Sternberg Triangular Love Scale, the Hendrick and Hendrick Love Attitudes Scale, the Kurdek Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory and a socio-demographic questionnaire were used. It was observed that the intimacy component, the eros attitude and the negotiation style when facing conflicts, present the highest correlations with satisfaction. On the other hand, the only positive predictor of satisfaction is intimacy, however, withdrawal as a method of dealing with conflicts and the ludus attitude were negative predictors. This study allows us to broaden our knowledge in the dynamics of relationships in early adulthood and provide new tools for couples psychotherapy.