Intimate Relationship Satisfaction and Demand-withdraw Trajectories: Understanding Development in Newlywed Couples

A low level of relationship satisfaction is one of the best predictors of divorce in married couples, yet research has yet to clarify how relationship satisfaction changes during the first few years of marriage. This study sought to model the developmental trajectory of relationship satisfaction and demand-withdraw communication in newly married couples. Structural equation modeling was used to model the association of both variables within-person and cross-partner. Engaged couples (N = 93) completed a premarital intervention and were followed for a period of 5 years. Results indicated that higher levels of relationship satisfaction at the outset of the study for both husbands and wives predicted fewer declines in relationship satisfaction for husbands only. In addition, both within-person and cross-partner, relationship satisfaction and demand-withdraw were negatively related at the outset, but were unrelated over time. Results were discussed in light of relationship theory and an agenda for future research was proposed.