The cultural self-construals and the romantic relationship experiences of Turkish young adults

Abstract

The capacity to form and maintain committed romantic relationships is a key aspect of young adulthood. Yet, little is known about the role of cultural factors, in particular cultural self-construal, and their links to romantic relationships. The goal of the current study was to examine the cultural concepts of autonomous and related self-construal as defined by Kagitcibasi's Family Change Theory and their association with the quality and satisfaction of non-marital romantic relationships. The sample included 621 Turkish young adults (74.4% female, 83.7% undergraduate students, ages 18-25) who were currently in an exclusive and heterosexual romantic relationship for at least three months. Participants completed informed consent and a 15-minute online survey through Qualtrics. Hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that autonomy self-construal was positively associated with relationship quality and satisfaction, while relatedness self-construal was linked to relationship quality but not satisfaction. Additionally, high levels of commitment significantly predicted better relationship outcomes. The findings suggest a need to explore cultural self-construal and relationship outcomes across cultures.