Relationships during young adulthood: the impact of relationship tension on strength and reward

Friendships have important implications for adaptive functioning, yet they vary in their relative amount of positive and negative features. Within the social exchange framework transrelational equity refers to the net equity present across several of a person's relationships. Research indicates that when underbenefitted, individuals may seek to recoup losses within a different relationship context. The current study sought to explore such spill-over effects between relationship tension and positive relationship functioning across close platonic friendships and intimate romantic relationships. Data were collected from 75 male, and 75 female young adults, aged 18 - 25 years. Each participant provided data on relationship tension, relationship strength, and relationship reward for their heterosexual romantic partnership, and their closest same- and opposite-sex friendship. Cluster analysis indicated that individuals were either tension-free in all relationship types, high in romantic partner tension, or high in platonic friend tension. A mixed-model MANOVA indicated that relationship tension was associated with diminished relationship reward and strength. Those free of tension in all three relationship types consistently reported higher relationship reward and relationship strength. As expected, some spill-over effects were noted. Results are consistent with transrelational equity and underscore the importance of young adults resolving tension within their relationships.