The Links Between Relationship Maintenance Strategies and Psychological Well-Being in the Context of Ambivalent Relationships

This study examined the extent to which maintaining ambivalent relationships
with specific types of relationship maintenance behaviors relates to states
of psychological distress and well-being. Survey data from 206 participants
indicated that ambivalence toward a relationship partner associated with
increased negative affect, and although ambivalence by itself did not relate to
any specific relational maintenance behavior, the reported use of positivity to
maintain such relationships inversely related to levels of negative affect and
depression, whereas the use of openness related to increased levels of negative
affect, increased depression, and reduced levels of overall life satisfaction. The
results carry implications for understanding the experience of actively maintaining relationships with people who are simultaneously helpful and upsetting.