Date of Conferral

3-27-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Sally Zengaro

Abstract

During the stage of late adolescence, marriage presents unique challenges, with partners navigating several developmental tasks in tandem with forming and maintaining marital relationships. Partner responsiveness has been consistently identified as a key factor for personal wellbeing and relationship satisfaction. Limited research has explored how late adolescent married individuals describe this dynamic. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of late adolescent married individuals between 18 and 20 who described their experiences with partner responsiveness during this transitional period. This study was grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory in order to explore how relational and environmental contexts affect this topic. Data were collected via semi-structured and audio-only Zoom interviews with 12 participants and analyzed using Moustakas’ modified van Kaam method. Analysis led to nine themes: empowerment and autonomy support, mutual coping and teamwork, emotional regulation and safety, encouragement-driven growth and development, adaptive mutuality and reciprocity, boundary management and external influences, resilience amidst societal and family pressures, spiritual and moral support, and life stage and transition responsiveness. Findings show how proximal processes buffer micro- and mesosystem pressures. Implications for social change include enhancing premarital counseling and family programs to build responsiveness skills.

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