UCLA

Feeling connected to others, particularly our intimate partners, is closely tied to physical and mental health. Despite network theories predicting that intimate relationships influence our other social connections, and theories of intimate relationships predicting that connections to others should influence intimate partnerships, these two are rarely studied together. This dissertation demonstrates that these elements should be studied as interconnected entities influencing each other. Drawing on a variety of theoretical viewpoints and methodologies, this work consists of four interconnected chapters aimed at enhancing our understanding of how the social context impacts intimate bonds. The first chapter uses the new Social Ties and Intimate Relationships (STAIR) framework to review and synthesize research on the influence of networks on couple dynamics. I use this framework to organize a literature review of 140 peer-reviewed papers, highlighting methodological strengths and weaknesses, summarizing what scholars know about the influence of social networks on intimate relationships and vice versa, and suggesting future research directions. The second chapter addresses the impact of COVID-19 on social networks by documenting significant declines in both face-to-face and virtual interactions among a sample of mostly non-White couples living with lower incomes from before the pandemic through its first 18 months. The findings indicate that while affluent couples maintained more network relationships, especially virtually, the pandemic reduced social connections for most people even after the introduction of vaccines and the easing of distancing mandates. The third chapter addresses the finding that, although income is a known predictor of divorce, its correlation with marital satisfaction is weak. This study shows that the capacity to meet financial obligations is a more substantial predictor of marital satisfaction. Additionally, I find that the influence of financial status on satisfaction depends on how couples’ social connections are doing financially as well as how couples’ own income has changed over time. The final chapter examines whether moving homes affects couples' relationships. The analyses of this multi-study project based on interviews with nearly 700 couples during the early years of marriage suggest that moving is a normative transition that most couples navigate successfully without long-term damage to marital satisfaction.