Individual differences and disagreement in romantic relationships

Abstract

We developed and validated the Reasons for Disagreement in Romantic Relationships Scale (RDRRS). We conducted act nomination (Study 1), investigated the items’ component structure in a sample of newlywed couples (Study 2), and compared responses in the newlywed year to responses three years later (Study 3). First, we identified 82 reasons for disagreement. Second, 214 participants (107 couples) reported how frequently they disagreed about each issue in the past six months. The RDRRS contains 30 items organized into Inadequate Attention/Affection, Jealousy/Infidelity, Chores/Responsibilities, Sex, Control/Dominance, and Future Plans/Money. Finally, we re-assessed 138 participants three years later. The associations between disagreement and relationship satisfaction decreased over time. We recommend the RDRRS for assessing reasons for disagreement in romantic relationships.