The Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation Model Applied to Cohabitors

Cohabitors’ tendency to make decisions about their relationship can reduce their risk for marital instability. However, little inquiry has examined how people’s affective response to their decision to cohabit and their relational constraints influence their tendency to make important relationship decisions or how these associations affect relational outcomes. Guided by the vulnerability-stress-adaptation model, this study evaluated responses from 304 cohabitors regarding their relationship. The results suggested that cohabitors who experienced more negative affect concerning the decision to cohabit reported more relational constraints. Experiencing more relational constraints was not associated with a greater tendency to make important relationship decisions. Instead, cohabitors who experienced more negative affect concerning the decision to cohabit were less likely to consider important relationship decisions, which, in turn, was associated with less relationship satisfaction. The less satisfied cohabitors were, the more likely they were to consider exiting their relationship.