Stress communication, communication satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction: an actor-partner interdependence mediation model

Past research has revealed positive effects of stress communication by oneself and by the partner on relationship satisfaction. However, the mechanisms through which stress communication by oneself and by the partner influence relationship satisfaction have not been well studied. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of one's own and the partner's stress communication on relationship satisfaction and the mediating roles of one's own and the partner's communication satisfaction in these associations. A total of 227 unmarried heterosexual couples were recruited. An actor-partner interdependence mediation model was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. The results showed that the actor effects of stress communication on relationship satisfaction were mediated by the actor effects of communication satisfaction. Moreover, the indirect effect of male stress communication on female relationship satisfaction through female communication satisfaction was found to be significant. These findings provide insights into the mechanism through which stress communication influences relationship satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Pursuing Safety in Social Connection: A Flexibly Fluid Perspective on Risk Regulation in Relationships

People are fundamentally motivated to be included in social connections that feel safe, connections where they are consistently cared for and protected, not hurt or exploited. Romantic relationships have long played a crucial role in satisfying this fundamental need. This article reconceptualizes the risk-regulation model to argue that people draw on experiences from inside and outside their romantic relationships to satisfy their fundamental need to feel safe depending on others. We first review the direct relational cues (i.e., a partner's affectionate touch, responsive versus unresponsive behavior, and relative power) and indirect cues (i.e., bodily sensations, collective value in the eyes of others, and living conditions) that signal the current safety of social connection and motivate people to connect to others or protect themselves against them. We then review how people's chronic capacity to trust in others controls their sensitivity and reactivity to the safety cues. The article concludes with future research directions.

Regulating relationship risk: Partner responsiveness as a safety signal

People are fundamentally motivated to be included in safe relationships - relationships where they are consistently cared for and protected. Building on the risk-regulation model, this article describes five cues (i.e., affectionate touch, gratitude, acceptance, investments, power) that romantic partners can use to gauge their value to one another, and thus, how safe they are trusting one another to be responsive in specific situations. It also describes how feeling more versus less safe in response to these cues contingently motivates partners to increase connection versus protect themselves against being hurt. The article concludes by describing how people who are chronically less trusting misread these cues, a pessimistic bias that results in them protecting themselves against being hurt unnecessarily, compromising connection.

Evli bireylerde algılanan partner duyarlılığı ve affetme ilişkisi: Kişilerarası duygu düzenlemenin aracı rolü

Yakın ilişki deneyimlerinde bireylerin, zaman zaman incitici davranışlarla karşılaşmaları sebebiyle, ilişkilerin devam etmesinde affetmenin önemli bir yere sahip olduğu tartışılmaktadır (McCullough, 2001). Affetmenin ilişkiler üzerindeki önemi değerlendirildiğinde, affetmeyi kolaylaştıran faktörlerin ve ilgili mekanizmaların araştırılmasının son derece değerli olduğu düşünülmektedir. Bu doğrultuda bu çalışmanın amacı, algılanan partner duyarlılığı ve affetme arasındaki ilişkiyi ve bu ilişkide kişilerarası duygu düzenleme stratejilerinden olan “birlikte kara kara düşünme” ve “birlikte yeniden değerlendirmenin” aracılık etkilerini evli bireyler üzerinde incelemektir. Çalışmanın örneklemini yaşları 24-65 arasında değişen 187 evli birey oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada algılanan partner duyarlılığı, kişilerarası duygu düzenleme stratejileri ve affetmenin ölçülmesine yönelik çevrimiçi anket bataryası kullanılmıştır. İstatiksel analizler algılanan partner duyarlılığı ve affetme arasında pozitif bir ilişki bulunduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca, bu ilişkide birlikte yeniden değerlendirmenin kısmi aracı rolü bulunmaktadır. Bu sonuçlar doğrultusunda, çiftlerle yürütülen affetme programlarında, algılanan partner desteği ve duyarlılığına, aynı zamanda ilişki bağlamında duygu düzenleme becerilerinin geliştirilmesine odaklanmanın faydalı olabileceği düşünülmektedir.

The Spanish adaptation of the relationship power inventory

Power dynamics are fundamental when negotiating conflicts. However, no instrument for measuring power in romantic relationships has been adequately adapted to Spanish culture. The goal of this research was to adapt the Relationship Power Inventory (RPI; Farrell et al., 2015) to Spanish culture and language, filling this gap by providing a rigorous instrument for evaluating this construct. Study 1 was conducted to obtain evidence based on Spanish adaptation of RPI content. Once the Spanish adaptation of the RPI was built and we obtained validity evidence based on the test content, in Study 2, the scale was administered to two different samples of the adult population following a cross-validation approach. Specifically, in Sample 1 (N = 400), the training sample, a statistical analysis and an exploration of the dimensional structure and reliability of the measure were carried out. In Sample 2 (N = 755), the validation sample, the internal structure of the scale was confirmed, and evidence of external validity and generalization was obtained. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit for the four-factor structure. These dimensions were invariant to gender and had adequate validity based on their relationship with other variables (dependence on the partner, conflict-resolution strategies, and psychological well-being). In sum, the Spanish version of the RPI (SARPI) is a reliable instrument with sufficient valid evidence to provide accurate measurement of power differences in the context of romantic relationships.

The Effect of Emotional Reactivity on Marital Quality in Chinese Couples: The Mediating Role of Perceived Partner Responsiveness

This study investigated the mediating role of perceived partner responsiveness in the relationship between emotional reactivity and marital quality among Chinese couples. The survey participants included 550 couples from 28 provinces in the Eastern, Central and Western China. The ages of the husbands range from 39 to 64 years old whose average age is 46.45 years old, while the ages of the wives vary between 32 and 62 years old whose average age is 45.08 years old. The Emotion Reactivity Scale, Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale, and Quality of Marriage Index were selected for measurement. The results showed that the scores of husbands perceived partner responsiveness and marital quality were significantly higher than those of wives, and there was no significant difference in emotional reactivity between husbands and wives. Correlation analysis showed that emotional reactivity of couples was negatively correlated with perceived partner responsiveness and marital quality, while perceived partner responsiveness was positively correlated with marital quality. Based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), it was found that the emotional reactivity of both spouses was a significant negative predictor of their marital quality (actor effect). It also significantly negatively predicted the marital quality of the spouse (partner effect). The mediating effect analysis results showed that the husbands’ perceived partner responsiveness played a mediating role in the emotional reactivity of the couples on marital quality of the husbands, and the wives’ perceived partner responsiveness played a mediating role in the emotional reactivity of the couples on marital quality of the husbands. The wives’ perceived partner responsiveness played a mediating role in the effect of the couples’ emotional reactivity on the wives’ marital quality. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of emotional reactivity of couples affecting marital quality and have a guiding significance for improving marital quality.

Revisiting the Power to Forgive: A Dyadic Approach for Determining the Relations Between Power, Self-Esteem, and Forgiveness in Romantic Relationships

Power pervades interpersonal relationships and can impact relationship-related outcomes (e.g., forgiveness). Here, we expected a positive association between power and forgiveness in two studies involving German and Israeli couples ( N = 149/174 couples). Actor–partner interdependence mediator models showed the expected positive associations of actor’s power with both actor’s forgiveness and partner’s forgiveness. Independent self-esteem partially mediated and interdependent self-esteem completely mediated the power–forgiveness link for actors. Also, high experienced power was associated with high self-esteem, which in turn was positively related to benevolence motivation and negatively related to revenge and avoidance motivation. The implications of these findings are relevant for couple’s therapy and advance our understanding of associations between power and relationship variables. Future research may distinguish between authentic and instrumental forgiveness and use experimental settings.