Explaining the impact of differences in voting patterns on resilience and relational load in romantic relationships during the transition to the Trump presidency

Abstract

The theory of resilience and relational load was used to examine the impact of voting patterns in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on individuals’ romantic relationships. Married/cohabitating individuals ( N = 961) completed online surveys at three time points during the transition to the Trump Presidency. The results supported our emotional capital hypothesis in that ongoing relationship maintenance in one’s relationship predicted less stress about the Trump presidency, less conflict, less relational load, greater communal orientation, and greater relational resilience. The positive effect of ongoing relationship maintenance on these relational outcomes occurred regardless of how the partners voted. At the same time, voting differently than one’s partner was still stressful and negatively influenced these outcomes. The results also supported our relational load model, which found that differences in voting negatively affected individuals’ communal orientation and the degree to which they maintained their relationships, which fueled conflict and stress. This conflict and stress was associated with an increase in relational load and a decrease in relational resilience.