Henderson, Shiralee R. (2021) Examining Relational Trauma Coping Flexibility, Gender, and Relationship Sabotage: Towards Understanding Relationship Breakdown and Maintenance. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
One’s self-beliefs regarding their coping capacity (i.e., coping flexibility; the perceived ability to select situation-specific coping strategies) can influence their actual post-trauma responses. Specifically, poor coping flexibility can promote maladaptive responses; whose enduring implications include diminished interpersonal functioning and romantic relationship distress. The presence of relational trauma (i.e., adverse relationship experiences eliciting rejection, betrayal, and/or abandonment) and relationship sabotage (i.e., self-destructive behaviours which prevent success or reduce effort to justify failure) further elevate relationship distress. Existing research has not linked coping flexibility, relational trauma, and relationship sabotage; or investigated these phenomena among diverse gender identities (e.g., transgender and non-binary). Therefore, this study explored the impact of relational trauma coping flexibility, and gender, on relationship sabotage patterns (i.e., defensiveness, trust difficulty, and lack of relationship skills). Between March-July 2021, a predominantly-convenience sample of 348 individuals (75.3% female, 21.6% male, and 3.2% gender diverse) aged 18 or older, with relationship experience ranging from casual dating to long-term commitment completed an online self-report survey. Linear regression analyses supported the hypothesis that poor coping flexibility (on the Perceived Ability to Cope with Trauma scale) would predict the three relationship sabotage constructs (on the Relationship Sabotage Scale). However, moderated linear regressions offered no support for gender (i.e., male, female, and gender diverse) as a moderator for the relationship between coping flexibility and the relationship sabotage constructs. This suggests that regardless of gender, poor coping flexibility predicts relationship sabotage. The implications of the current study include providing better understanding towards fostering more adaptive romantic relationship engagements.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Raquel Peel |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jul 2025 00:56 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jul 2025 00:56 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | relationship sabotage ; relational trauma ; coping flexibility ; gender diversity |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52404 |
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