Approximately 21% of college students reported having experienced dating violence by a current partner, and 32% experienced physical abuse from a previous romantic partner. Creative outlets may serve as an important prevention and intervention strategy for coping with relational conflict and intimate partner violence (IPV). This longitudinal mixed methods study examined the extent to which creative outlets have an impact on college students’ ability to cope with relational conflict.
Fourteen undergraduate college students (11 women, 3 men) completed a pre-assessment survey and kept a journal for six weeks, drawing and writing about conflicts experienced with their romantic partner that caused emotional distress. Afterwards, a focus group interview and post-survey assessment were administered. It was hypothesized that self-efficacy (i.e., belief in one’s ability to succeed) and flow (i.e., completely absorbed in an enjoyable activity) would be negatively correlated with proprietary control (i.e., feeling a sense of ownership and entitlement to one’s partner), and that the creative activity would have a positive impact on coping with relational conflict. In support of our hypotheses, self-efficacy and flow were related to lower proprietary control (i.e., behavioral, social, information control, and defensiveness). Focus group data were collected and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. During the creative activity, participants reported increased anxiety and decreased positive mood. However, afterwards they were able to re-evaluate the situation, and felt more calm and peaceful. They also demonstrated increased perspective taking, acknowledging the role of each person in the conflict. Findings broaden our understanding of how artistic and written expression can help individuals cope with relational conflict through a process of re-evaluation of conflict situations.
