Examining relationship quality bias in couples research: An analysis of responses from cisgender sexual minority men in the U.S.

Abstract

Dyadic research among male couples is of increasing interest to researchers, as relationship factors have been implicated in a variety of physical and mental health outcomes. A small evidence base suggests samples of same-gender couples that participate in research may be biased towards those with better relationship quality. Unfortunately, this research is limited and has not examined perceptions that might determine a respondent's willingness to recruit their partner, such as the perception that a partner would be willing to participate. This study examined whether relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, and intimacy) was associated with perceptions of a partner's willingness to participate in dyadic research among same-gender male couples. Partnered sexual minority men (n = 5,317) recruited from dating/social networking applications completed a brief online survey. Bivariate analyses suggested that satisfaction, commitment, and intimacy were all associated with perceptions of a partner's willingness to participate in research, which persisted in the multivariable, multinominal regression models. Those who were younger, and living with HIV, as well as those with younger partners, were more likely to perceive their partner as willing to participate. Samples in dyadic research involving male couples might over-represent those with better relationship quality. They may also over-represent relatively younger sexual minority men and those living with HIV. Recruitment strategies should explore ways to facilitate the recruitment of couples with lower relationship quality to facilitate the generalizability of evidence-based practice.