Testing relational turbulence theory in daily life using dynamic structural equation modeling.

This article focuses on testing relational turbulence theory (RTT) in daily life by examining how partner interference with daily routines leads to relational turbulence through intensified anger, using dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM) on intensive longitudinal data from 130 college students in dating relationships over 30 days. The study confirmed RTT's propositions that greater-than-usual daily interference predicts elevated anger, which in turn increases relational turbulence, controlling for prior day effects. DSEM enabled modeling of person-specific dynamics including inertia (day-to-day carryover) and volatility (day-to-day variability) in interference, anger, and turbulence, revealing that higher anger inertia is associated with prolonged relational turbulence. Additionally, attachment insecurity—specifically attachment anxiety and avoidance—predicted individual differences in average levels, inertia, and volatility of these processes, suggesting that attachment orientations moderate susceptibility to relational turbulence. The study highlights the methodological advantages of DSEM for capturing within-person relational dynamics and encourages further research incorporating dyadic intensive longitudinal designs.