Neuroticism and Relationship Quality: A Meta-Analytic Review

Regardless of participant age, length of relationship, country of origin, and numerous other factors, prior research has established a robust negative association between neuroticism and relationship quality. As so much has already been studied on the topic of neuroticism and relationship quality, this study explored the association between neuroticism and relationship quality using meta-analytic methodology, examined moderators, and outlined future studies for the field. After searching through databases and the references of included studies, 148 published studies were identified that reported an effect size between neuroticism and relationship quality. Reported effect sizes resulted in an overall aggregate correlation of r = -.238 and differentiated effect sizes for male actor and partner correlations, and female actor and partner correlations were similar. Results indicated that participant race, participant sexual orientation, and whether the effect sizes were taken from cross-sectional or longitudinal data did not moderate the relationship. However, the region of the world that the participants were from, the type of measurement tool used, participant age, and the length of time spent in a relationship were all significant moderators of our variables. We outline a model for how neuroticism operates through emotions, interpretations, and behaviors, which offers information for ways couples' practitioners could work to mitigate the association between neuroticism and relationship quality. Future directions for the field are delineated.