Couples in Love

Counselors may be unaware of the physiological underpinnings of couple relationships. Understanding emotions as physiological responses resulting from autonomic arousal, we measured couples’ heart rate across a series of typical conversations. Forty-nine heterosexual and one lesbian couple completed measures of emotional reactivity and dyadic adjustment. We used pulse oximetry to record individual heart rate through three 5-min conversations. Using multilevel dyadic growth models, we found emotional arousal and reactivity-predicted heart rate among women, and greater relationship length predicted heart rate among men. We additionally found couples synchronous with respect to relationship satisfaction and emotional reactivity but not to physiological responsivity. This study contributes to counselors’ understanding of women’s physiological reactivity, male responses in longer relationships, and how to support couples when there is potential for relationship conflict.

Download Full-text

The Role of Personality in the Assessment of Subjective and Physiological Emotional Reactivity: A Comparison Between Younger and Older Adults

Assessment ◽

10.1177/1073191117719510 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 285-301 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Priska Steenhaut ◽

Ineke Demeyer ◽

Rudi De Raedt ◽

Gina Rossi

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Skin Conductance Level ◽

Physiological Reactivity ◽

Differential Relation ◽

Facial Electromyography ◽

Age Related ◽

Personality Features ◽

Analogue Scales

This study brings more clarity on the inconsistent findings on emotional reactivity differences between older (OA) and younger (YA) adults, by examining the influence of (mal)adaptive personality traits on emotional reactivity and by applying several assessment methods. We recruited 60 YA (25-50 years) and 60 OA (65+ years) from a nonclinical population. We used Visual Analogue Scales to measure subjective reactivity, and facial electromyography (corrugator and zygomaticus reactivity), heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin conductance level to assess physiological reactivity during happy and sad film clips. Results showed that personality influences on emotional reactivity in OA were largely comparable to YA, although the influence of negative emotionality and neuroticism on subjective reactivity in response to the sad film was significantly stronger in OA. It is thus important to assess both subjective and physiological reactivity when comparing age-related differences in OA and YA given the differential relation with personality features.

Download Full-text

Negative Partner Attributions Moderate the Association between Heart Rate Reactivity During Relationship Conflict and Relationship Satisfaction

Family Process ◽

10.1111/famp.12609 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Colin Adamo ◽

Karena Leo ◽

Jasara N. Hogan ◽

Alexander O. Crenshaw ◽

Katherine J. W. Baucom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Relationship Conflict ◽

Heart Rate Reactivity

Download Full-text

Regional Frontal Lobe Response Magnitudes During Affective Shifting Covary With Resting Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Volunteers

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803/a000166 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 165-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ryan Smith ◽

John J.B. Allen ◽

Julian F. Thayer ◽

Richard D. Lane

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Bold Signal ◽

Resting Heart Rate ◽

Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽

Absolute Value ◽

Cardiac Vagal Control ◽

Resting Heart Rate Variability

Abstract. We hypothesized that in healthy subjects differences in resting heart rate variability (rHRV) would be associated with differences in emotional reactivity within the medial visceromotor network (MVN). We also probed whether this MVN-rHRV relationship was diminished in depression. Eleven healthy adults and nine depressed subjects performed the emotional counting stroop task in alternating blocks of emotion and neutral words during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The correlation between rHRV outside the scanner and BOLD signal reactivity (absolute value of change between adjacent blocks in the BOLD signal) was examined in specific MVN regions. Significant negative correlations were observed between rHRV and average BOLD shift magnitude (BSM) in several MVN regions in healthy subjects but not depressed subjects. This preliminary report provides novel evidence relating emotional reactivity in MVN regions to rHRV. It also provides preliminary suggestive evidence that depression may involve reduced interaction between the MVN and cardiac vagal control.

Download Full-text

Emotional Experiences of Students in the Classroom

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000014 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 142-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Wondimu Ahmed ◽

Greetje van der Werf ◽

Alexander Minnaert

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Emotional Response ◽

Task Difficulty ◽

Physiological Reactivity ◽

Emotional Experiences ◽

Heart Rate Monitoring ◽

Coding Scheme ◽

Stimulated Recall ◽

Response Systems ◽

The Relationship

In this article, we report on a multimethod qualitative study designed to explore the emotional experiences of students in the classroom setting. The purpose of the study was threefold: (1) to explore the correspondence among nonverbal expressions, subjective feelings, and physiological reactivity (heart rate changes) of students’ emotions in the classroom; (2) to examine the relationship between students’ emotions and their competence and value appraisals; and (3) to determine whether task difficulty matters in emotional experiences. We used multiple methods (nonverbal coding scheme, video stimulated recall interview, and heart rate monitoring) to acquire data on emotional experiences of six grade 7 students. Concurrent correspondence analyses of the emotional indices revealed that coherence between emotional response systems, although apparent, is not conclusive. The relationship between appraisals and emotions was evident, but the effect of task difficulty appears to be minimal.

Download Full-text

The Psychophysiology of Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Zeitschrift für Psychologie ◽

10.1027/2151-2604/a000302 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 225 (3) ◽

pp. 175-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Peter J. Lang ◽

Lisa M. McTeague ◽

Margaret M. Bradley

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Brain Function ◽

Physiological Reactivity ◽

Research Domain Criteria ◽

Diagnostic Systems ◽

Psychophysiological Reactivity ◽

Diagnostic Categories ◽

New Research ◽

Research Domain

Abstract. Several decades of research are reviewed, assessing patterns of psychophysiological reactivity in anxiety patients responding to a fear/threat imagery challenge. Findings show substantive differences in these measures within principal diagnostic categories, questioning the reliability and categorical specificity of current diagnostic systems. Following a new research framework (US National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], Research Domain Criteria [RDoC]; Cuthbert & Insel, 2013 ), dimensional patterns of physiological reactivity are explored in a large sample of anxiety and mood disorder patients. Patients’ responses (e.g., startle reflex, heart rate) during fear/threat imagery varied significantly with higher questionnaire measured “negative affect,” stress history, and overall life dysfunction – bio-marking disorder groups, independent of Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals (DSM). The review concludes with a description of new research, currently underway, exploring brain function indices (structure activation, circuit connectivity) as potential biological classifiers (collectively with the reflex physiology) of anxiety and mood pathology.

Download Full-text

Momentary sexual enjoyment: The dyadic roles of relationship satisfaction and contraception among mixed-gender dating couples

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407519878266 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 932-941

Author(s):

Shari M. Blumenstock ◽

Lauren M. Papp

Keyword(s):

Young Adult ◽

Romantic Relationships ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Condom Use ◽

Sexual Experiences ◽

Relationship Length ◽

Contraception Use ◽

Dating Couples ◽

Sexual Enjoyment ◽

Mixed Gender

Enjoyable sexual experiences with a romantic partner are a vital element of healthy lives and happy relationships, yet positive experiences of sex, and associated interpersonal and contraceptive factors, have not been extensively studied at the momentary level. In particular, little is known about how relationship quality and contraception use simultaneously relate to both women’s and men’s momentary sexual experiences within young adult romantic relationships. Using electronic diary reports collected three times per day for 10 days ( n = 293 reports of sexual activity), this study assessed own and partner relationship satisfaction and contraception (hormonal and condom) use as predictors of momentary sexual enjoyment in 43 mixed-gender young adult dating couples. Dyadic multilevel model results indicated that women’s relationship satisfaction positively predicted sexual enjoyment for both women and men, whereas men’s relationship satisfaction was not associated with own or partner’s sexual enjoyment. Women’s hormonal contraception use was associated with lower momentary sexual enjoyment for women and their male partners. Condom use was infrequent and not associated with sexual enjoyment, contrary to our (and many young adults') expectations. All analyses controlled for relationship length and sexual frequency. Findings underscore the simultaneous importance of hormonal and relational factors in sexual outcomes within young adult romantic relationships, as well as the complex and interdependent nature of partnered sexual experiences.

Download Full-text

A Dyadic Study on Perceived Stress and Couple Adjustment During Pregnancy: The Mediating Role of Depressive Symptoms

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x20934834 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (11) ◽

pp. 1935-1955 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Franco Baldoni ◽

Michele Giannotti ◽

Giulia Casu ◽

Valerio Luperini ◽

Federico Spelzini

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Dyadic Adjustment ◽

Third Trimester ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Couple Adjustment ◽

The Relationship

Stress is associated with dyadic adjustment during transition to parenthood, but little is known about mechanisms underlying this link, particularly during prenatal period. This dyadic study explored the mediating role of depressive symptoms in the relationship between perceived stress and dyadic adjustment in expectant couples. One hundred and fourteen couples at the third trimester of pregnancy completed self-reports of perceived stress, depression, and dyadic adjustment. Results indicated that both parents’ perceived stress was associated with their own lower relationship satisfaction directly and indirectly, through their own higher depressive symptoms. Mothers’ perceived stress was also linked to higher fathers’ depressive symptoms, and thus also to lower fathers’ relationship satisfaction. Both parents’ perceived stress was only directly associated with their own dyadic consensus, and their own and their partners’ affectional expression. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing expectant parents’ perceived stress could protect against depressive symptoms and promote the couple’s adjustment during pregnancy.

Download Full-text

On the Validity of the Perceived Understanding Instrument

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1997.80.3.1007 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 80 (3) ◽

pp. 1007-1010 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

James W. Grice

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Married Couples ◽

Dyadic Adjustment ◽

Dyadic Adjustment Scale ◽

As Relationship ◽

The Relationship ◽

Pearson Correlations

20 married couples completed the relationship version of the Perceived Understanding Instrument, four face-valid items written to assess perceived understanding, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Pearson correlations indicated that scores on the Perceived Understanding Instrument were as highly related to those on the four subscales of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale as to the sum of the four face-valid items. These findings suggest that the Perceived Understanding Instrument lacks discriminant validity and may be confounded with other factors such as relationship satisfaction. A more thorough review of its validity is thus needed.

Download Full-text

Physiological Reactivity, Emotional Reactivity, and Parenting Skills in Families Experiencing Homelessness

10.31219/osf.io/3x29w ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alyssa Rae Palmer ◽

Rachel A. Foster ◽

Rebecca Distefano ◽

Ann S. Masten

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Parenting Behaviors ◽

Self Report ◽

Physiological Reactivity ◽

Physiological Measures ◽

Parenting Skills ◽

Child Interaction ◽

Teaching Tasks

Parenting skills consistently relate to positive adaptation in research on children experiencing homelessness. Emerging evidence suggests that emotional reactivity, expression, and regulation play a critical role in adaptive parenting behaviors. Studies of emotional reactivity in parents utilize different methods, including self-report, observations, and physiological measures. However, these methods are rarely evaluated together, particularly among disadvantaged families. The present study examined how subjective (i.e., self-report), observed, and physiological measures of parent emotional reactivity relate to each other and to observed parenting behaviors in parent-child interaction tasks comprised of problem-solving and teaching tasks. Participants included fifty 4- to 7-year-old children and their caregivers staying in an emergency homeless shelter. Observed and subjective emotional reactivity were largely uncorrelated, except in the case of positive emotions during problem-solving tasks. Adaptive parenting behavior was predicted by lower subjective and observed negative emotions and higher observed positive emotions during the problem-solving tasks, as well as higher observed positive emotions during the teaching tasks. Physiological reactivity did not relate to parenting behaviors across all tasks. Results suggest differential associations of varying indicators of emotional reactivity with parenting skills in different ways, depending on the type of parent-child interaction. Findings also suggest that positive emotional expression supports adaptive parenting behaviors in an emergency shelter setting.

Download Full-text

Welchen Einfluss hat die Aufteilung von Hausarbeit und Kinderbetreuung auf Partnerschaftskonflikte und Partnerschaftszufriedenheit bei berufstätigen Paaren?

Journal of Family Research ◽

10.20377/jfr-233 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 37-56

Author(s):

Nathalie Meuwly ◽

Peter Wilhelm ◽

Véronique Eicher ◽

Meinrad Perrez

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Child Care ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Division Of Labor ◽

Subjective Evaluation ◽

Relationship Conflict ◽

Subjektive Bewertung ◽

Dual Earner ◽

Division Of Housework ◽

The Impact

Although women’s relationship satisfaction is known to covary with satisfaction regarding couples’ division of housework and child care, the factors mediating these associations are rarely examined. To test the hypothesis that relationship conflict mediates the link between housework and relationship satisfaction, 207 dual-earner couples with young children completed questionnaires about their relationship and how they divided housework and child care. Most couples were satisfied with the division of labor, and women did most of the housework and child care. For husbands and wives, dissatisfaction with division of housework and child care was associated with more perceived conflicts, which in turn covaried with lower relationship satisfaction. Division of housework was more strongly associated with relationship satisfaction for women than for men, but there were no gender differences for the impact of child care responsibilities on relationship satisfaction. In general, subjective evaluation of the division of labor had stronger effects on relationship conflicts and satisfaction than the division of labor itself. Zusammenfassung In bisherigen Studien zeigte sich, dass vor allem bei Frauen die Zufriedenheit mit der Arbeitsteilung mit der Partnerschaftszufriedenheit zusammenhängt. Ungeklärt ist, ob dieser Zusammenhang durch eine Reduktion des Konfliktpotentials in der Partnerschaft vermittelt wird und welche Rolle dabei die tatsächliche Aufteilung der Familienarbeit spielt. 207 Schweizer Doppelverdiener-Paare mit Kleinkindern wurden anhand von Fragebogen zu Partnerschaft und Arbeitsteilung befragt. Die familiäre Arbeitsteilung wurde überwiegend als zufriedenstellend erlebt, dabei verrichteten mehrheitlich die Frauen die Hausarbeit und betreuten die Kinder. Bei beiden Partnern war eine geringere Zufriedenheit mit der Aufteilung von Hausarbeit und Kinderbetreuung mit häufigeren Konflikten assoziiert, welche wiederum mit einer geringeren Partnerschaftszufriedenheit zusammenhingen. Im Gegensatz zur Kinderbetreuung waren die Effekte der Arbeitsteilung der Hausarbeit auf die Partnerschaft stärker für die Frauen als für die Männer. Dabei war die subjektive Bewertung der Arbeitsteilung bedeutender für die berichteten Konflikte und die Partnerschaftszufriedenheit als die tatsächliche Arbeitsteilung.

Download Full-text