Parenting, Partnership, and Culture: How Partner Parenting Satisfaction Shapes Latinx Intimate Relationships

Students: TJ Sims, Teresa Nguyen, Elyse Phillips, Gabe Tsuruta, Emily O'Reilly, Mariela Hernandez, Karla Leon

Faculty Mentor: Teresa Nguyen

Psychology

College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts

Along with relationship satisfaction, partner parenting satisfaction, or satisfaction with one’s partner’s parenting, plays a vital role in family dynamics. However, these are often studied in predominantly White, middle-class populations, limiting the generalizability of findings. Similarly, how these dynamics shift as Latinx families undergo acculturation—adapting to a new culture while balancing collectivistic and individualistic values—remains understudied. We examined the relationship between partner parenting satisfaction, measured using the Cleminshaw-Guidubaldi Parent Satisfaction Scale spousal support subscale, and relationship satisfaction, assessed using the Couples Satisfaction Index, in a dyadic sample of 74 cohabiting heterosexual Latinx couples (148 participants total) from California. We also investigated whether acculturation, measured using the Brief Acculturation Scale for Hispanics, influenced this relationship. We hypothesized that (1) partner parenting satisfaction would be positively associated with relationship satisfaction and (2) acculturation would moderate the strength of this relationship. A multi-linear regression was used to predict relationship satisfaction based on partner parenting satisfaction, controlling for age, gender, and education. Partner parenting satisfaction significantly predicted relationship satisfaction (β = 0.47, p < .001), above and beyond the effects of age, education, and gender, explaining 28.2% of the variance (R-squared = .282). Next, we examined whether acculturation moderated the association between partner parenting satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. The interaction was significant (β = -.24, p = .01). Specifically, the association was strongest at low levels of acculturation (b = 1.09, p < .001) and weakest at high levels (b = .43, p = .04), and explained an additional 4.9% of the variance (ΔR-squared = .05, p = .01). This suggests that couples with stronger ties to a collectivistic cultural heritage may view parenting and overall relationship satisfaction as more closely integrated. Conversely, couples more acculturated to Western culture may experience these as more independent or compartmentalized aspects of familial dynamics. These results underscore the importance of cultural context in family dynamics and highlight the need for culturally tailored support. Interventions to improve relationship satisfaction should consider broader relational dynamics such as perceptions of a partner’s parenting abilities, particularly for couples with collectivistic cultural values.