114-01: Adverse Life Contexts and Romantic Relationship Trajectories Among Young African American Men: The Mediating Role of Defensive Relational Schema

Although many African American men are exposed to challenging socioeconomic environments that are known to undermine romantic relationships, studies on their romantic relationship quality and its antecedents are scarce. Using the sample of 331 African American emerging adult men, the present study investigates longitudinal trajectories of romantic relationship and their links to adverse life contexts. Parallel growth mixture modeling on relationship support, conflict, and trust identified three relationship trajectory profiles: Normative, Indifferent, and Conflictual. Path analyses revealed that adverse childhood experiences were associated with contemporaneous contextual risk factors, which predicted membership in Indifferent and Conflictual trajectories through defensive relational schemas. Findings support the conjoint influences of early and contemporaneous stressors are robust antecedents of African American men’s romantic relationship quality over time.

Objectives

- To identify heterogeneous romantic relationship trajectories among African American young men
- To investigate conjoint influences of early and contemporaneous stressors of African American young men on their romantic relationship trajectories 
- To investigate the mediating role of defensive relational schemas linking adverse life contexts and romantic relationship quality over time. 

Keywords: relationships, young adulthood, African Americans

114-02: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Stress, and Resilience Qualities in College Students

Resilience qualities are rooted in caring and supportive relationships (APA, 2018). Individuals who have endured adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; e.g., child abuse) may not have had a family that served a protective role in the face of adversity (Hillis et al, 2001), which could put them at greater risk for reduced resilience qualities. These qualities are particularly important for emerging adults who are learning to become independent from their family and successful in college. This study examined the moderating role of perceived stress and negative stress mindset in the link between ACEs and resilience qualities of college students. Findings demonstrate that how stress is appraised may impact how well an individual copes with life challenges.

Objectives

- To analyze the impact of adverse childhood experiences on college students’ resiliency.
- To analyze the impact of stress appraisal on college students’ resiliency.
- To recommend practice and policy implication for institutions of higher education.

Keywords: resilience, adversity, stress

114-03: ACEs, Mindfulness, and Romantic Self-Efficacy’s Influence on Relationship Functioning: A Risk and Resilience Approach

This study provides a novel examination of the links among baseline reports of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mindfulness, romantic self-efficacy and relationship quality in a diverse sample of community-based couple relationship education participants. Taking a risk and resilience approach, the current study explores the relative association between ACEs and relationship quality in the context of levels of mindfulness and romantic self-efficacy. Results indicate associations among all variables; however structural equation modeling indicates romantic self-efficacy is more strongly associated with relationship quality compared to ACEs. Level of mindfulness was not related to relationship quality in the context of the other variables. These findings inform future exploration of changes in these dimensions over time and the influences among them in the context of a relationship education experience.

Objectives

- To enhance understanding of the empirical and theoretical background of the links among couple relationships, trauma, and protective factors.
- To examine relative associations of ACEs, mindfulness, romantic self-efficacy, and relationship functioning in a diverse community sample.
- To explicate the implications of the current findings for future intervention research.

Keywords: couples, trauma, resilience