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Behavioral Sciences
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Understanding the Foundations of Relationship Dynamics: Predictors of Quality and...
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Understanding the Foundations of Relationship Dynamics: Predictors of Quality and Conflict

A Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X) belonging to the section "Social Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 April 2027 | Viewed by 1876

Editors

Dr. Bruna Da Silva Nascimento

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol University, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK
Interests: relationship satisfaction; relationship conflict; relationship maintenance; intimate partner violence; conflict resolution; cross-cultural research; psychometrics; individual differences
Dr. Renan Pereira Monteiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Psicopedagogia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
Interests: individual differences; antisocial behavior; interpersonal relationships; personality; well-being; psychometrics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Relationship quality is a cornerstone of psychological health and overall wellbeing. High-quality intimate and interpersonal relationships are consistently linked to greater life satisfaction, resilience, and physical health, whereas conflictual or low-quality relationships predict poorer mental health, stress, and relational instability. Given the centrality of close relationships to human functioning, it is essential to identify and understand the predictors of relationship dynamics, including both the positive (e.g., intimacy, trust, satisfaction) and negative (e.g., conflict, distress, instability) dimensions.

This Special Issue seeks contributions that advance our knowledge of the factors shaping relationship quality and conflict across diverse populations (e.g., LGBTQ+ populations, multiple ethnicities) and contexts. We particularly welcome research conducted using non-WEIRD samples, recognizing that cultural, social, and structural factors may uniquely shape relationship processes. Submissions may employ a range of methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative, and experimental approaches, and may draw from both clinical and non-clinical samples. Of particular interest are studies that bridge theoretical insights with practical applications, highlighting pathways to improve relationship functioning, reduce conflict, and promote wellbeing. By bringing together diverse perspectives, this Special Issue aims to deepen our understanding of relational predictors and inform evidence-based strategies for strengthening relationships across varied settings.

Dr. Bruna Da Silva Nascimento
Dr. Renan Pereira Monteiro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • close relationships
  • relationship dynamics
  • relationship satisfaction
  • relationship quality
  • conflict in relationships
  • conflict resolution

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 876 KB  
Article
Attachment, Mate-Retention Strategies, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimisation: A Two-Wave Study in Brazil and the United Kingdom
by Bruna Nascimento, Kwanele Shishane, Lora Adair, Nelli Ferenczi, Xiancai Cao, Maame Ama Akwama Ackah and Matthew Callum May
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(8), 1388; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16081388 - 12 Aug 2026
Viewed by 419
Abstract
The current study examined whether individual differences in attachment orientation, mate-retention tactics (benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting strategies), and COVID-19-related stressors (impact, uncertainty, and perceived risk) were associated with IPV victimisation across two time points, one month apart, in Brazil and the UK (N [...] Read more.
The current study examined whether individual differences in attachment orientation, mate-retention tactics (benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting strategies), and COVID-19-related stressors (impact, uncertainty, and perceived risk) were associated with IPV victimisation across two time points, one month apart, in Brazil and the UK (N = 1416 at Wave 1; N = 353 at Wave 2). Linear mixed-effects models controlled for age, sex, ethnicity, and relationship length. IPV victimisation did not significantly change over time, and COVID-19-related variables were not associated with any form of IPV. Brazilian participants reported higher psychological IPV than UK participants, although no country differences emerged for physical or sexual IPV. Cost-inflicting mate-retention strategies were positively associated with all forms of IPV in both countries, with consistently stronger associations in the UK. Attachment avoidance was positively associated with all forms of IPV in Brazil but was negatively associated with psychological and sexual IPV in the UK. Attachment anxiety and benefit-provisioning strategies were associated with psychological IPV in Brazil only. These findings suggest that associations between attachment, mate-retention strategies, and IPV victimisation may vary across cultural contexts, underscoring the value of culturally sensitive approaches to IPV research and intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding the Foundations of Relationship Dynamics: Predictors of Quality and Conflict)
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25 pages, 13437 KB  
Article
A Blueprint for Connection: Mapping Interconnected Patterns of Relationship Change in Couples Using the Agapé App
by Ronald D. Rogge, Jenna A. Macri, Khadesha Okwudili and Dev Crasta
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16071182 - 13 Jul 2026
Viewed by 594
Abstract
Agapé is a light–touch relationship enhancement smartphone app. This study used data from a longitudinal study of couples using the Agapé app to explore change within an array of behavioral processes to uncover patterns of interconnected change, thereby providing some of the first [...] Read more.
Agapé is a light–touch relationship enhancement smartphone app. This study used data from a longitudinal study of couples using the Agapé app to explore change within an array of behavioral processes to uncover patterns of interconnected change, thereby providing some of the first quantitative insights into how various relationship processes might be linked as relationships change over time. A sample of 405 couples in long-term relationships (810 partners, 50% women, 75% white, together M = 4.5 yrs, 50% living together, 33% currently dissatisfied) completed assessments across their first month of using Agapé. Men and women significantly improved on 15 of the 16 relationship processes assessed. As the study lacked a randomized control condition, it remains unclear if those improvements were due to using the Agapé app or to factors like expectancy effects, regression to the mean, self-selection, demand characteristics, or general participation effects. Network analyses explored correlational linkages among the self-reported pre–post changes observed. Results highlighted increases in three processes (quality time spent together, perceived partner responsiveness, and gratitude toward partner) as the processes most proximally linked to increases in relationship quality. The network findings also uncovered a number of patterns of interconnected change to be explored in future studies (e.g., increases in couples talking about their relationships to increases in mindful awareness within those relationships to increases in gratitude and quality time to increases in relationship quality). Thus, the results offer some of the first comprehensive multivariate (albeit correlational) insights toward understanding how relationship processes might work in concert with one another within a broader multivariate pattern of self-reported relationship change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding the Foundations of Relationship Dynamics: Predictors of Quality and Conflict)
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