TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of partner drinking problems, regulation strategies and relationship outcomes
AU - Rodriguez, Lindsey M.
AU - DiBello, Angelo M.
AU - Neighbors, Clayton
N1 - Funding Information:
Preparation of this article was supported in part by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant F31AA020442.
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - The current research evaluates how perceptions of one's partner's drinking problem relate to attempts to regulate partner behavior and relationship functioning, and whether this varies by perceptions of one's own drinking. New measures are offered for Thinking about your Partner's Drinking (TPD) and Partner Management Strategies (PMS). Participants included 702 undergraduates who had been in a romantic relationship for at least three months. Participants completed an online survey assessing perceptions of problematic drinking for one's self and partner, ways in which attempts were made to regulate or restrain their partner's drinking, relationship outcomes (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, trust, and need fulfillment), and alcohol use and consequences for self and partner. Factor analyses supported a single factor for Thinking about your Partner's Drinking (TPD) and two factors for the Partner Management Strategies (PMS) scale (i.e., punishment and reward). Results using structural equation modeling indicated that perceiving one's partner to have a drinking problem was associated with lower relationship functioning. Further, this association was mediated by strategies using punishment aimed at changing one's partner's drinking, but was not mediated by strategies using rewards. Finally, moderation results suggested that this relationship was not as detrimental for participants who perceived they also had an alcohol problem. In sum, perceiving one's partner to have a drinking problem was associated with relationship problems through punishing regulation strategies, and was weaker among individuals who also perceived themselves to have a drinking problem.
AB - The current research evaluates how perceptions of one's partner's drinking problem relate to attempts to regulate partner behavior and relationship functioning, and whether this varies by perceptions of one's own drinking. New measures are offered for Thinking about your Partner's Drinking (TPD) and Partner Management Strategies (PMS). Participants included 702 undergraduates who had been in a romantic relationship for at least three months. Participants completed an online survey assessing perceptions of problematic drinking for one's self and partner, ways in which attempts were made to regulate or restrain their partner's drinking, relationship outcomes (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, trust, and need fulfillment), and alcohol use and consequences for self and partner. Factor analyses supported a single factor for Thinking about your Partner's Drinking (TPD) and two factors for the Partner Management Strategies (PMS) scale (i.e., punishment and reward). Results using structural equation modeling indicated that perceiving one's partner to have a drinking problem was associated with lower relationship functioning. Further, this association was mediated by strategies using punishment aimed at changing one's partner's drinking, but was not mediated by strategies using rewards. Finally, moderation results suggested that this relationship was not as detrimental for participants who perceived they also had an alcohol problem. In sum, perceiving one's partner to have a drinking problem was associated with relationship problems through punishing regulation strategies, and was weaker among individuals who also perceived themselves to have a drinking problem.
KW - Alcohol
KW - Interpersonal perception
KW - Relationships
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84884383102&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84884383102&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.08.028
DO - 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.08.028
M3 - Article
C2 - 24070719
AN - SCOPUS:84884383102
SN - 0306-4603
VL - 38
SP - 2949
EP - 2957
JO - Addictive Behaviors
JF - Addictive Behaviors
IS - 12
ER -