Interpersonal emotion regulation as a source of positive relationship perceptions: The role of emotion regulation dependence.

The current research unveils a novel mechanism through which interpersonal emotion regulation enhances romantic relationship quality and affective experience. Across three studies, we tested the hypothesis that depending on interactions with a romantic partner for emotion regulation (emotion regulation dependence [ERD]) motivates people to see their partner as more supportive and responsive, and evaluate their partner's traits more positively. In turn, we expected these elevated perceptions to partially account for the positive effect of ERD on relationship satisfaction and affective experience. In Studies 1 and 2 (N = 395 and 397), experimental manipulations of subjective ERD increased perceived partner support provision, perceived partner responsiveness, and, in Study 2, evaluation of partner traits. In Study 3, a multimethod dyadic study (N = 470), ERD predicted greater perceived partner support provision, perceived partner responsiveness, and positive evaluation of the partner's traits independently of the partner's self-reports and objective observers' assessments of partner behavior. ERD also predicted change over time in these perceptions. These findings were replicated in terms of everyday experiences using daily diary methods (daily n = 9,653). Global and daily ERD indirectly predicted greater relationship satisfaction and mood through positive interpersonal perceptions. Results underscore the importance of intrapsychic processes in interpersonal emotion regulation and suggest that positively biased interpersonal perceptions may be a common pathway through which depending on interactions with romantic partners for emotion regulation improves relationship quality and affective experience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How loneliness undermines close relationships and persists over time: The role of perceived regard and care.

Although loneliness has been associated with negative perceptions of social life in past research, little is known about the implications of loneliness for interpersonal perception within close relationships. The current research includes three studies (total N = 1,197) suggesting that loneliness is associated with a negative bias in perceiving relationship partners' regard and care and that this bias partially accounts for the effects of loneliness on lower relationship quality and problematic interpersonal behaviors. Loneliness was associated with perceiving family members (Study 1), friends (Studies 1 and 2), and romantic partners (Studies 1-3) as less admiring and caring, and these effects were independent of a variety of accuracy benchmarks, including partners' self-reports (Studies 1-3), reports from informants (Study 2), and objective observers' assessments of partners' responsive behavior (Study 3). Loneliness also predicted changes in perceptions of partners' regard over time (Study 3) and indirectly predicted lower relationship satisfaction, commitment, self-disclosure, and support provision through negative perceptions of relationship partners' regard and care (Studies 1-3). Studies 2 and 3 replicated these results in terms of day-to-day experiences (total daily observations = 16,064). The negative perceptions of partners' regard and care associated with loneliness predicted subsequent loneliness (Studies 2-3). Loneliness effects were statistically independent of self-esteem and attachment insecurity in all studies. Taken together, these findings suggest that, due to negative biases in perceiving relationship partners' regard and care, loneliness may compromise the quality of close relationships, motivate interpersonally problematic behaviors, and become persistent. Implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

"Let's go over it again": Examining the intra- and interpersonal processes that perpetuate co-rumination in close relationships.

Co-rumination is an interpersonal emotion regulation strategy characterized by extensive, cyclical conversations regarding the causes and consequences of problems and associated negative emotions. Theory posits that over time, interpersonal benefits of co-rumination such as emotional intimacy reinforce the behavior, outweighing the resulting negative impacts on mental health. However, our understanding of how co-rumination is perpetuated within conversations is limited. This study (conducted in 2019-2020) aims to assess perceptions of partner co-rumination and responsiveness as factors that perpetuate co-rumination to better understand the intra- and interpersonal processes that influence how co-rumination unfolds within conversations. To do this, we utilized an observational paradigm with primarily White, female, young adult friendship dyads wherein one individual (the discloser) disclosed and discussed an extradyadic problem with a close friend (the responder). Using an empathic accuracy paradigm, participants reported their own and their partner's co-rumination and responsiveness for every 30-s epoch. Results revealed biased estimations of partner co-rumination that may facilitate reciprocity of co-ruminative conversation within the dyad. Additionally, while greater perceptions of partner co-rumination were perceived as responsive by disclosers and elicited responsive behavior from responders, perceived partner responsiveness did not perpetuate co-rumination within the conversation. Together, these findings enhance our understanding of the intra- and interpersonal processes that influence how co-rumination unfolds within conversations between close friends, but they also draw attention to unanswered questions in the field regarding partner contributions to co-rumination, the nature of problems discussed, and generalizability of these findings as well as those of other extant co-rumination research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

When emotion expression will (and will not) enhance listening and responsiveness.

We theorize that expressing emotion often will enhance listening and responsiveness in communal relationships because the nature of cooperation called for in communal relationships often matches five functions that expressing emotion can serve. The same is less frequently true for other types of relationships.

Cyclical Links Between Daily Partner Interactions and Sleep Quality in Older Adult Couples: The Mediating Role of Perceived Partner Responsiveness and Negative Affect.

Researchers have found significant associations between romantic relationship experiences and sleep quality. However, most existing studies are cross-sectional, few have focused on the aging population, and few have considered mechanisms underlying such associations. To address these gaps, 238 older adult couples completed 7-day daily diaries, reporting on their daily relationship, emotional, and sleep experiences. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that husbands' higher negative partner interactions and lower positive partner interactions were indirectly associated with their own and their wives' decreased sleep quality that night via lower perceived partner responsiveness and increased negative affect. Moreover, decreased sleep quality was associated with participants' and their partners' increased negative partner interactions and participants' decreased positive partner interactions the next day, with no significant gender differences. This research provides a foundation for future research on cyclical associations between romantic relationship experiences and sleep quality, with implications for relationship-based interventions to improve sleep quality.

Listening and the pursuit of communal relationships.

Two motivations linked to developing and maintaining communal relationships include caring for others' welfare and striving to be viewed as a desirable communal relationship partner. We review evidence suggesting that both motivations promote high-quality listening. Furthermore, high-quality listening signals listeners' prosocial motivation and enhances the perceived relational value of both listeners and speakers. Thus, high-quality listening likely functions as an effective strategy in the formation and maintenance of communal relationships. This review suggests several directions for future research, including longitudinal research on the role of listening in relationship development, accuracy and bias in detecting and interpreting listening, the influence of conversation topic on listening, the role of people's beliefs about the usefulness of listening, and individual and relationship factors that determine people's motivations for listening.

The role of values in coping with health and economic threats of COVID-19.

The current research examined the role of values in guiding people's responses to COVID-19. Results from an international study involving 115 countries (N = 61,490) suggest that health and economic threats of COVID-19 evoke different values, with implications for controlling and coping with the pandemic. Specifically, health threats predicted prioritization of communal values related to caring for others and belonging, whereas economic threats predicted prioritization of agentic values focused on competition and achievement. Concurrently and over time, prioritizing communal values over agentic values was associated with enactment of prevention behaviors that reduce virus transmission, motivations to help others suffering from the pandemic, and positive attitudes toward outgroup members. These results, which were generally consistent across individual and national levels of analysis, suggest that COVID-19 threats may indirectly shape important responses to the pandemic through their influence on people's prioritization of communion and agency. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Parsing between- and within-person effects: Longitudinal associations between irritability and internalizing and externalizing problems from early childhood through adolescence.

INTRODUCTION: This report examines between- and within-person associations between youth irritability and concurrent and prospective internalizing and externalizing symptoms from early childhood through adolescence. Distinguishing between- and within-person longitudinal associations may yield distinct, clinically relevant information about pathways to multifinality from childhood irritability. METHODS: Children's irritability and co-occurring symptoms were assessed across five waves between ages 3 and 15 years using the mother-reported Child Behavior Checklist (N = 605, 46% female). Parental history of depressive disorders was assessed with a clinical interview. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that between- and within-person irritability were uniquely associated with concurrent depressive, anxiety, and defiance symptoms, but not ADHD. Prior wave within-person irritability also predicted next wave depressive, anxiety, and defiance symptoms, controlling for prior symptoms; these prospective associations were bidirectional. Child sex and parental depressive disorders moderated associations. DISCUSSIONS: Findings identify pathways from within- and between-person irritability to later internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Results demonstrate the importance of parsing within- and between-person effects to understand nuanced relations among symptoms over childhood.

COVID-19 stressors and health behaviors: A multilevel longitudinal study across 86 countries.

Anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and home confinement has been associated with adverse health behaviors, such as unhealthy eating, smoking, and drinking. However, most studies have been limited by regional sampling, which precludes the examination of behavioral consequences associated with the pandemic at a global level. Further, few studies operationalized pandemic-related stressors to enable the investigation of the impact of different types of stressors on health outcomes. This study examined the association between perceived risk of COVID-19 infection and economic burden of COVID-19 with health-promoting and health-damaging behaviors using data from the PsyCorona Study: an international, longitudinal online study of psychological and behavioral correlates of COVID-19. Analyses utilized data from 7,402 participants from 86 countries across three waves of assessment between May 16 and June 13, 2020. Participants completed self-report measures of COVID-19 infection risk, COVID-19-related economic burden, physical exercise, diet quality, cigarette smoking, sleep quality, and binge drinking. Multilevel structural equation modeling analyses showed that across three time points, perceived economic burden was associated with reduced diet quality and sleep quality, as well as increased smoking. Diet quality and sleep quality were lowest among respondents who perceived high COVID-19 infection risk combined with high economic burden. Neither binge drinking nor exercise were associated with perceived COVID-19 infection risk, economic burden, or their interaction. Findings point to the value of developing interventions to address COVID-related stressors, which have an impact on health behaviors that, in turn, may influence vulnerability to COVID-19 and other health outcomes.

Predictors of adherence to public health behaviors for fighting COVID-19 derived from longitudinal data.

The present paper examines longitudinally how subjective perceptions about COVID-19, one's community, and the government predict adherence to public health measures to reduce the spread of the virus. Using an international survey (N = 3040), we test how infection risk perception, trust in the governmental response and communications about COVID-19, conspiracy beliefs, social norms on distancing, tightness of culture, and community punishment predict various containment-related attitudes and behavior. Autoregressive analyses indicate that, at the personal level, personal hygiene behavior was predicted by personal infection risk perception. At social level, social distancing behaviors such as abstaining from face-to-face contact were predicted by perceived social norms. Support for behavioral mandates was predicted by confidence in the government and cultural tightness, whereas support for anti-lockdown protests was predicted by (lower) perceived clarity of communication about the virus. Results are discussed in light of policy implications and creating effective interventions.

Correction: Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: Longitudinal and cross-national evidence.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256740.].

Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: Longitudinal and cross-national evidence.

During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. conservative politicians and the media downplayed the risk of both contracting COVID-19 and the effectiveness of recommended health behaviors. Health behavior theories suggest perceived vulnerability to a health threat and perceived effectiveness of recommended health-protective behaviors determine motivation to follow recommendations. Accordingly, we predicted that-as a result of politicization of the pandemic-politically conservative Americans would be less likely to enact recommended health-protective behaviors. In two longitudinal studies of U.S. residents, political conservatism was inversely associated with perceived health risk and adoption of health-protective behaviors over time. The effects of political orientation on health-protective behaviors were mediated by perceived risk of infection, perceived severity of infection, and perceived effectiveness of the health-protective behaviors. In a global cross-national analysis, effects were stronger in the U.S. (N = 10,923) than in an international sample (total N = 51,986), highlighting the increased and overt politicization of health behaviors in the U.S.

Common Ingroup Identity, Perceived Similarity, and Communal Interracial Relationships.

Integrating theory on interpersonal relationships and intergroup relations, this research examined the role of common ingroup recategorization (i.e., perceiving outgroup members as belonging to the same superordinate group as oneself) in fostering communal interracial relationships. A cross-sectional study (Study 1) and a short-term intensive longitudinal study (Study 2) involving Black and White friendship and romantic dyads suggested that recategorization predicted greater communal motivation and security via perceived similarity. These effects were found in terms of both enduring characteristics and changes over time. In turn, communal motivation and security predicted greater self-reported prosocial behavior and relationship satisfaction, suggesting that they are beneficial to interracial relationship quality. Communal motivation also predicted increases over time in recategorization and perceived similarity, suggesting bidirectional effects. Taken together, these results suggest a reciprocal process in which common ingroup recategorization and perceptions of similarity promote and derive from the communal nature of interracial relationships.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Online Intervention to Educate College Students About Dating Violence and Bystander Responses.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of STOP Dating Violence, an online intervention developed to educate students about dating violence and appropriate bystander interventions on college campuses. College students (N = 317) were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions: (a) the STOP Dating Violence intervention, (b) a website containing information about dating violence, or (c) a control condition. Participants completed pre- and posttest quantitative and qualitative measures to assess knowledge of warning signs and appropriate bystander behaviors, attitudes about intervening as a bystander, willingness to intervene, and self-efficacy regarding intervening. The results indicated that students who participated in the STOP Dating Violence intervention were the most knowledgeable about jealous warning signs of dating violence and appropriate bystander interventions, had the greatest intent to assist a victim of dating violence, and were the most confident in their ability to intervene in dating violence situations, when compared with participants in the website and control conditions. Those who participated in the intervention also demonstrated greater knowledge regarding appropriate bystander behaviors 1 month following the intervention. No differences were found in attitudes regarding helping someone in an abusive dating relationship or engagement in bystander behaviors at follow-up. Qualitative analyses provided further support for the efficacy of STOP Dating Violence in increasing knowledge of barriers to bystander intervention and appropriate bystander intervention strategies in dating violence situations. Overall, the STOP Dating Violence intervention has the potential to educate undergraduates about dating violence and bystander interventions on college campuses.

Pursuing interpersonal value: An interdependence perspective.

The current research examined the interpersonal implications of pursuing goals to be valued by others as a relationship partner, termed interpersonal value goals. Across 3 experiments, a large cross-sectional study, 2 daily experience studies, and a 1-year longitudinal study with behavioral observation of conflict interactions, the pursuit of interpersonal value was associated with higher quality interactions and relationships, as suggested by multiple outcomes, including responsive and prosocial behavior, adoption of compassionate goals, confidence in being valued, more positive sentiments from interaction and relationship partners, and judgments of relationship quality. Relationship commitment predicted adoption of interpersonal value goals, which partially mediated effects of commitment on these outcomes. Effects of interpersonal value goals on responsive and prosocial behavior were especially strong when participants perceived that prosocial behavior was instrumental to obtaining interpersonal value, and when participants had relationship partners who responded favorably to prosocial behavior. New measures of pursuing interpersonal value appeared valid and reliable. These results contradict prior research on self-image goals, which suggests that trying to be seen by others in desirable ways is interpersonally destructive. The discrepancy appears to be attributable to the inclusion of items assessing perfectionism and dominance tactics in the self-image goals measure. Taken together, these findings suggest that pursuing interpersonal value usually promotes close relationships, but that some means to achieving interpersonal value, such as perfectionism and dominance, may often undermine relationship quality. Implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Accuracy and bias in perceptions of racial attitudes: Implications for interracial relationships.

The current research examined accuracy and bias in racial metaperceptions-perceptions of others' attitudes toward one's racial group-within the context of interracial relationships, as well as implications of these metaperceptions for the quality of interracial relationships. Two dyadic studies of interracial relationships involving Black and White participants suggest that racial metaperceptions were partly accurate, related to relationship partners' racial attitudes. In addition, 3 distinct biases in racial metaperceptions were identified, including assumed reciprocity (i.e., perceivers assuming their attitudes toward their partners' racial group are reciprocated by those partners), projection (i.e., perceivers assuming their attitudes toward their own group are shared by partners), and confirmation bias (i.e., perceivers viewing partners' racial attitudes in ways that are consistent with their chronic expectations about being the target of prejudice). In turn, both accurate and biased racial metaperceptions appeared to have implications for the quality of interracial relationships, including relationship satisfaction, perceived regard, relationship commitment, and prosocial behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Validation of negativity: Drawbacks of interpersonal responsiveness during conflicts with outsiders.

The current research included 7 studies testing a model of interpersonal processes when people disclose to their close relationship partners ("confidants") about their conflicts involving adversaries outside the dyad. The model posits that confidants who feel close to disclosers tend to adopt goals to be responsive to disclosers during these interactions, which motivates them to validate disclosers' negativity toward their adversaries. Disclosers interpret this validation of negativity as responsive, which motivates them to continue confiding in these confidants, but also respond to this behavior with more negative moral evaluations of their adversaries, reduced willingness to forgive their adversaries, and reduced commitment to maintaining a relationship with their adversaries. Results of 3 cross-sectional studies, 3 experiments, and a behavioral observation study support this model. This research suggests potential drawbacks of partner responsiveness during discussions of conflicts, and suggests processes through which people reward, draw closer to, and depend on partners who validate negativity and, consequently, undermine conflict resolution with others. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Improving the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavioral Intentions of Perinatal Care Providers Toward Childbearing Individuals Identifying as LGBTQ: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: This study explores the impact of gender and sexuality awareness training on perinatal health care providers' (HCPs') knowledge, attitudes, and intended behavior toward childbearing individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ). METHOD: A nonrandom convenience sample of HCPs (n = 187) comprised an experimental group (n = 99) who attended grand rounds trainings covering gender and sexuality topics and a control group (n = 88) who attended sessions on other unrelated topics. All participants completed a pre-posttraining questionnaire to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and intended behavior toward LGBTQ patients. RESULTS: Participants in the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in knowledge, misconception, prejudice, sensitive language, and normativity regarding LGBTQ pregnant patients from pretest to posttest. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a 40-minute gender and sexuality training can immediately improve HCPs' knowledge, attitudes, and intended behavior toward LGBTQ childbearing patients. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(7):303-312.].

Saying "thank you": Partners' expressions of gratitude protect relationship satisfaction and commitment from the harmful effects of attachment insecurity.

Five studies examined whether receiving gratitude expressions from a romantic partner can buffer insecurely attached individuals from experiencing low relationship satisfaction and commitment. In Study 1, the negative associations between attachment avoidance and both satisfaction and commitment were weaker among individuals who perceived that their partner expressed gratitude more frequently. The same pattern was found with attachment anxiety and satisfaction. Study 2 showed that among individuals who perceived high (vs. low) levels of gratitude expressions from the partner, both attachment dimensions were less strongly related to the belief that the partner is low in communal strength, which, in turn, was associated with greater satisfaction and commitment. In Studies 3-5, we examined whether perceptions or a partner's actual gratitude expression can have benefits on insecurely attached individuals' daily satisfaction. Our results indicated that perceived, rather than a partner's self-reported, gratitude expressions were critical to buffering insecurely attached individuals' daily dissatisfaction. Study 5 also provided evidence for long-term benefits of perceiving a partner's gratitude expressions on avoidantly attached individuals' relationship. Perceiving high levels of a partner's gratitude expressions on average enhanced avoidantly attached individuals' feelings of being cared for by the partner 3 months later, which were associated with greater satisfaction and commitment. Results from our meta-analysis indicated that benefits of perceiving a partner's gratitude expressions may be specific to buffering the negative effects of attachment avoidance on satisfaction. Overall, our findings highlight the powerful function of gratitude in insecurely attached individuals' romantic relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Outcomes of early parent-child adrenocortical attunement in the high-risk offspring of depressed parents.

This study examined the impact of parent-child attunement of morning cortisol on parenting and child outcomes in dyads with and without parental depression. Participants included 142 parent-child dyads (3-5 years-old) who provided morning cortisol samples at Wave 1, and 98 dyads returned for the 3-year follow-up at Wave 2. Results indicated that for parents with a history of depression and for female children, stronger attunement predicted increases in parental hostility from Wave 1 to Wave 2. For females only, stronger attunement was related to children's depressive symptoms at Wave 1 and Wave 2. Stronger attunement was also associated with increases in children's depressive symptoms from Wave 1 to Wave 2, poorer psychosocial functioning at Wave 1, and ADHD symptoms at Wave 2. Findings highlight attunement as an important biological process related to parenting and child outcomes and suggest it may play a role in the intergenerational transmission of depression risk.