Does partners’ differentiation of self predict dyadic adjustment?

The present study expands on Bowen’s systemic multigenerational theory to analyse the role of individual trajectories of differentiation of self in perceived dyadic adjustment in a sample of 468 Italian participants. The research also explored which aspects of differentiation of self most strongly predicted dyadic adjustment in the total sample and in male and female subsamples. The various components of differentiation of self (emotional reactivity, emotional cut-off, emotional fusion and I-position) and dyadic adjustment levels were investigated using the revised differentiation of self-inventory and the dyadic adjustment scale (DAS). The analysis revealed that the emotional cut-off dimension was the strongest negative predictor of dyadic adjustment. The research focused on the importance of differentiation of self processes to achieving an understanding of couple dynamics in research and clinical practice.