Joint trajectories of self-esteem and neuroticism among newlywed couples: Associations with marital quality

The present longitudinal study investigates the development of both positive and negative personal traits (i.e., self-esteem and neuroticism, respectively) among newlywed couples. The aim is to identify distinct joint trajectories of self-esteem and neuroticism and then compare marital quality across different trajectory classes. A sample of 268 Chinese newlyweds completed self-esteem, neuroticism, and marital quality questionnaires at three time points. Dyadic Latent Class Growth Analyses were used to examine the joint trajectory of self-esteem and neuroticism. The study identified three trajectory groups: the adaptive couples group (c1), the stable couples and husbands more adaptive than wives group (c2), and the stable husbands and wives more adaptive than husbands group (c3). The adaptive couples group had the highest level of initial marital quality. The two other groups, characterized by initial differences between partners in self-esteem and neuroticism, had relatively lower baseline marital quality. In comparison, wives in the c3 group initially displayed higher levels of marital quality than those in the c2 group. This research improves our understanding of personal development in couples and sheds light on the complex associations between personal and relational development in the context of marriage.