Romantic Couples - Goals Diary Study, 2012

Data come from 73 romantic couples (146 people), mainly student population (mean age early 20s) who completed an intake session, 10 daily reports that were completed only on days partners spent time together, and an exit session. Data was collected in Toronto, Canada and is ethnically diverse. Intake questionnaires completed: Demographic and romantic relationship information Big Five Life satisfaction Positive and negative affect About the romantic relationship (all assessed via Network of Relationships Inventory): companionship, satisfaction, pressure, conflict, emotional support, criticism, approval, exclusion, relative power, antagonism, nurturance, affection, commitment, provides secure base, seeks secure base Participants open-endedly listed 6 goals they are pursuing and rated each goal on: joy from pursuit, goal ambivalence, commitment, importance, effort, difficulty, clarity, progress, relationship influence on goal (good/bad for goal), shared goal with partner, partner instrumentality, partner obstruction, conflict with partner's goals Informant ratings of partner Big Five, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect Listing of 6 goals pursued by partner Conflict between each pair of own goals paired with each partner goal Physical symptoms Approach and avoidance relationship motives Attachment style (relationship specific) Relationship rewards and threats (STARS scale) Exit questionnaires completed: Life satisfaction Positive and negative affect Physical symptoms About the romantic relationship (all assessed via Network of Relationships Inventory): companionship, satisfaction, pressure, conflict, emotional support, criticism, approval, exclusion, relative power, antagonism, nurturance, affection, commitment, provides secure base, seeks secure base Relationship rewards and threats (STARS scale) Informant reports of partner life satisfaction, positive and negative affect For each of the 6 goals listed during the intake session: continued pursuit, goal importance, goal commitment, conflict with partner's goals Daily diary questionnaires completed: Positive and negative affect Feeling conflicted Goal progress Relationship satisfaction Relationship commitment Daily physical symptoms Overall rating of day (terrible day to excellent day) List either first or last activity done together with partner Rating of the specific activity listed: meet own goals, meet partner's goals, positive and negative affect, feeling conflicted, goal progress, relationship satisfaction, relationship commitment, autonomy, own goals pursued during activity, progress towards own goals pursued during activity, importance of goal pursued during activity, partner facilitation/obstruction of goals during activity Approved by ethics board of University of Toronto, protocol #25809