Keys to Healthy and Successful Intimate Relationships

Abstract

Intimate relationships are the foundation of social connection in the circles of human societies; it shapes emotional connection, satisfaction, and understanding. The study builds on the qualitative design and explores the pathways to healthy and successful intimate relationships. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted from the results of the interviews, focused group discussions, observations, and case studies. The outcome indicates variability in participants’ communication style (empathetic, assertive, and passive levels of communication), attachment style (secure, anxious, and avoidant), conflict resolution (constructive, avoidant, and destructive), relationship satisfaction (low, moderate, and high) and emotional connection (strong, moderate and weak).

Keys to Healthy and Successful Intimate Relationships

Human beings are social beings whose lives are defined by the state of relationships, incredibly intimate relationships. An intimate relationship has been a common practice for many generations since the existence of man; hence it is a culture many societies embrace (Bodenmann et al., 2010). Intimate relationships are a connective tandem that bonds people together regardless of social background, resulting in a warmth of companionship, love, and understanding. Even though the relationship is an attraction of happiness, it also comes with challenges and complexities. According to the attachment theory, the closeness between children and caregivers streamlines the attachment dynamics and influences the choice relationship, and so do the intimate relationships (Xie & Pentina, 2022). Subsequently, social exchange theory is at the heart of the impact of relationships; it posits that a relationship is a give-and-take practice resulting in satisfaction for the parties involved (Overall et al., 2017). In addition, the models of effective communication emphasize how communication plays an essential role in nurturing intimate relationships; a healthy and successful intimate relationship calls for constructive and empathic communication to sustain its state (Cohen & Strong, 2020).

While researching ways to maintain a healthy and successful intimate relationship, it is imperative to note that intimacy in a sustainable relationship requires critical building blocks such as mutual respect, shared goals, effective communication, empathy, understanding, and trust (Karney, 2021). The research considers that the relationships are symmetrical because of other forces of influence, such as personality, cultural backgrounds, and past experiences. Therefore, the study embarks on pragmatic situations of intimacy or intimate relationships based on diverse human experiences and determines the quality. Through an evidence-based study, it is feasible to comprehend factors that can foster healthy and successful relationships.

Method

Participants

The study focuses on the adult population aged between 20 and 45 years. This population is a mixture of diverse backgrounds with varying experiences in intimate relationships. The age range represents a lifespan, with a strong urge for commitment in intimate relationships. Therefore it embraces people who at least have intimate experience at the level of cohabitation, dating, courtship, or marriage. The participants’ setting is diverse, embracing online platforms, local communities, and counseling centers. The online platforms participants are often available on dating sites and social media platforms. The local community participants cannot be accessed online, while the counseling centers provide information about individuals with professional relationship experience. The inclusion criteria of the participants involved the propensity of being in an intimate relationship for at least the past six months and being a relationship professional, and using the internet for relationship purposes for such a period (at least six months). Ethically, the study respects the participants’ anonymity and confidentiality; therefore, their personal information and privacy are protected during this study. The participants’ diversity in population, age, and settings encapsulates the nature of cultural backgrounds, experiences, and dynamism in intimate relationships. Therefore, through this group of participants, it is possible to identify and affirm common factors that can contribute to healthy and successful intimate relationships.

Materials:

The study employs questionnaires to evaluate the parameters of intimate relationships. These parameters assessed through the questionnaires include the measures of attachment style explained in the attachment theory; the parameter is the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R). Apart from the measure of attachment styles, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) is also a vital part of the questionnaire, helping to measure the satisfaction of a relationship. Since this study also aims to evaluate effective communication, the questionnaire for Communication Patterns (CP) is another essential material. The study would only be complete with the case studies generating data from the counseling centers’ questionnaires evaluating the qualitative insights on relationship cases represented before the relationship professionals. Apart from the questionnaires used in evaluating the factors affecting intimate relationships, demographic questionnaires are also used to assess the participant’s demography, asking questions based on the relationship experiences, cultural background, age, and gender.

Before the commencement of the study, the participants signed the consent forms, which indicated the research aim and the protection of their anonymity and privacy during the study. The participants would only give accurate answers in the questionnaires when they had knowledge and theoretical concepts about intimate relationships; therefore, before filling in the questionnaires, they were provided with the reading materials on the topic of study. The reading materials include textbooks, articles, and website links with information about relationship dynamics, experiences, and effective communication. The efficiency of the study depended on the audiovisual stimuli invoking emotional experiences among the participants during discussions and assessments. The audiovisual materials were about relationships, and the stimuli were important for reflections on past or current relationships.

Research Design

The research design for the study was the qualitative methods: interviews, focus group discussions, case studies, observations, thematic analysis, and triangulation. The independent variables are communication and attachment styles, while the dependent variables are satisfaction, methods of conflict resolution, and emotional connections (Wan et al., 2016). The control variables are age, length of the relationship, and cultural background. The extraneous variables that may influence the results are the previous relationship. Previous relationships can influence the results by changing the relationship dynamics under study.

These qualitative methods are sufficient to comprehend the experiences and other aspects of intimate relationships concerning the purpose of the study. The deep insights into the relationship dynamics can also be understood through the many qualitative methods combined. The semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess intimate relationships’ cognitive, experiential, and emotional aspects. The participants could express themselves through the in-depth interviews openly, narrating the state of their relationship. The interviewing questions were designed to cover a broad spectrum of relationship aspects, from communication to conflict resolution and satisfaction.

Regarding focus group discussions, the participants were allowed to have interactive and open discussions in groups. The discussions are meaningful because they allow the participants to share experiences about their current and past relationships (Bradbury et al., 2012). Case studies are integral to the research because they gather data from recorded interviews, studies from relationship counseling centers, and documented sources. The results from the case studies are tested qualitatively to test if the data found are within the context of the theoretical concepts and the confines of intimate relationships and their complexities. The diversity in the cases analyzed is essential because they are compared with the raw information and participant observation. The analysis of the cases gives insights into the success and challenges of relationships. Observation of the participants through an ethnographic lens enables the understanding of their day-to-day behaviors regarding their relationships as couples. Based on data from the interviews, discussions, observations, and case studies, thematic analysis was employed to break down the findings into themes and simplify the research into a condensed and comprehensible work. Finally, through triangulation, the data gathered were subjected to cross-referencing to corroborate the results for a holistic view of the research.

Procedure

Based on their settings, the participants were recruited; the 10 participants were from the community, online platforms, and counseling centers. They were served with documents summarizing the study’s purpose and signing space for commitment to the study. They were also given then consent letters before the start of the study. The letter outlined the study’s goal, rights, inclusion criteria, and assurance to protect their confidentiality and anonymity. Through the questionnaires, the participants were subjected to a pre-assessment survey after the consent. The questionnaires used in the survey include ECR-R, DAS, and EP questionnaires (their roles are explained in the material section). The questionnaires requested answers regarding their attachment styles, communication patterns, cultural background, gender, age, relationship experiences, and current relationship status. The pre-assessment survey was essential because it provided an understanding of participants’ interests, experiences, and demographic backgrounds. An in-depth interview with the participants followed the pre-assessment study; the interview was meant to evaluate the participants’ experiences and perspectives about the success and failures of intimate relationships. The interview was conducted per participant to allow space for openness without influences from the external environment. The interviews were semi-structured to enhance flexibility in giving answers while assessing variables such as communication patterns and attachment styles. 2 focus groups were formed after the interviews to allow the participants to have thematic conversations on experiences, emotional connection, communication, and satisfaction with current intimate relationships. The discussion was progressive as the participants shared successes and challenges. Besides, a selected research team analyzed four case studies from the counseling centers and literature to complement the data gathered through interviews and discussions. The case study analysis was imperative because it contextualized concepts of intimate relationships and identified the themes of communication style, attachment style, relationship satisfaction, conflict resolution, and emotional connection. After the ethnographic observation of participants’ behaviors and interactions within their settings, the data gathered were subjected to thematic analysis data integration through triangulation, interpretation, analysis, and reporting.

Results

Discussion

The purpose is to determine critical factors to healthy and successful intimate relationships: communication patterns, attachment style, satisfaction, emotional connection, and conflict resolution (Fletcher et al., 2019). According to the data above, an empathetic communication pattern contributes to a highly satisfying intimate relationship and accords a solid emotional connection. In order to foster a long-lasting relationship, the couple must practice empathetic listening and emotional connection, as in the case of participants 1 and 3. Assertive communication also contributes to higher satisfaction, indicating a relationship’s openness and attracting emotional safety and trust. However, emulating Participants 4 and 10 could lead to passive communication resulting in low satisfaction and insignificant levels of emotional connection between the couples. Passive communication is a recipe for difficulty expressing and openness (Xie & Pentina, 2022). The communication pattern analysis considered the cultural background and length of relationships of the participants engaged in the study. Taking the relationship duration and cultural background into account considers dynamics in the communication styles in a relationship (Laktos & Martos, 2019).

A consistent attachment style results in a firm emotional connection and higher satisfaction; see participants 1, 4, 5, 8, and 9. They tend to feel secure in their relationship, giving them a higher tendency to trust and support their relationship; hence, they are more satisfied than participants 2, 3, 6, 7, and 10. An anxious attachment exhibited by participants 2, 6, and 10 indicates a mixture of low-moderate satisfaction and the inability to resolve constructive conflict (Velotti et al., 2022). On the other hand, an avoidant attachment of participants 3 and 7 is a higher degree of intrinsic emotional weakness with the inability to resolve conflicts in a relationship. The attachment style analysis also considers the relationship’s age and length.

Regarding emotional connection, the participants with more excellent attachment styles have higher emotional intelligence and can foster firm emotional connections in their relationships (Byers et al., 2014). A compelling emotional connection produces emotional intelligence, attributed to participants 1, 6, and 10. These participants are likely to foster and maintain a deep emotional connection with each other. Cultural backgrounds and age impact the emotional connection of individuals in a relationship. When it comes to conflict resolution, participants with constructive ways to deal with a relationship-based conflict must be emotionally connected and can listen to each other (Participants 1, 6, and 10). These parts have the power to compromise their interests and find solutions to the problems affecting their relationship; hence, they often experience relationship satisfaction.

On the contrary, the participants with destructive conflict resolution ability exhibit aggression and weak emotional intelligence, indicating low relationship satisfaction (Liu et al., 2016). The controlling factors in analyzing conflict resolution are the length of the relationship and the cultural backgrounds of the couples. Generally, the study experienced extraneous variables that would affect the experiment’s outcome, which were removed through thematic analysis. It identified recurring factors and patterns and removed or merged related factors.

Conclusion

The qualitative study explored the keys to healthy and successful intimate relationships; the study themes examined include communication patterns, satisfaction, emotional connection, attachment style, and conflict resolution. After gathering data through interviews, observations, focus group discussion, and case study analysis, it was clear that intimate relationships are affected by several factors categorized into the themes above. Based on the study’s outcome, effective communication is the foundation for relationship satisfaction and emotional connection between couples. Besides, solid emotional connections facilitate empathy and assertiveness in communication, leading to a more satisfying relationship. Openness, emotional responsiveness, and active listening are composite features of effective communication in an intimate relationship. However, verbal aggression indicates low satisfaction in a relationship, weaker emotional bonds, and destructive methods of conflict resolution. Secured attachment styles are gateways to emotional connection, safety, and relationship trust.

In contrast, when a person shows reactions of anxiety and avoidance in relations proves a poor attachment style that can lead to low satisfaction and destructive emotional intimacy with one another. Additionally, the ability to show constructive resolution is a measure of a satisfying relationship and emotional connection between couples. Throughout the research, cultural background, age, and length of the relationship were controlled to enhance the accuracy of the results, and the extraneous variables were eliminated via thematic analysis. The study showed limitations in terms of small sample size and scope, but future research could be conducted by including quantitative research designs to enhance the accuracy of the results.

References

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