Love in the Time of COVID: Perceived Partner Responsiveness Buffers People From Lower Relationship Quality Associated With COVID-Related Stressors

External stressors can erode relationship quality, though little is known about what mitigate these effects. We examined whether COVID-related were associated with lower and perceived partner responsiveness—the extent to which people believe their understands, validates, cares for them—buffers When in relationships reported more they poorer quality at the onset of pandemic ( N = 3,593 from 57 countries) over subsequent 3 months 1,125). At pandemic, most associations buffered by responsiveness, such that who partners be low responsiveness when experienced stressors, but reduced among highly responsive. In some cases, ensuing weeks pandemic.