Hostile attribution bias and psychological distress as predictors of relationship (dis)satisfaction

Relationship satisfaction is a central component of general life satisfaction and therefore understanding what factors affect it, either positively or negatively, is important. Past studies have suggested that cognitive factors, particularly certain attribution patterns, are useful predictors of relationship dissatisfaction. Another risk factor for relationship dissatisfaction also associated with attributional biases is psychological distress. Past studies on relationship satisfaction have mainly explored relationship-specific attribution patterns however, leaving it unclear whether general patterns are relevant as well. Hostile attribution bias (HAB) is a general cognitive bias characterized by a tendency to misinterpret other’s motives as hostile. The aim of this study was, therefore, to explore the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations (within a 5-year time span) between HAB, psychological distress, and relationship dissatisfaction. Two path analysis models were created to explore these associations, one cross-sectional (N = 2175) and one longitudinal (n = 711), with both samples taken from a population-based sample of Finnish female twins and their sisters. HAB was shown to have cross-sectional associations with relationship dissatisfaction and with psychological distress. HAB also predicted relationship dissatisfaction and psychological distress 5 years later. No association between HAB and relationship termination was found, suggesting termination may be caused by other factors. Finally, even though psychological distress and relationship satisfaction were correlated cross-sectionally, psychological distress did not predict later relationship satisfaction or vice versa, which contradicts past findings. The findings indicate that even general (not relationship-specific) hostile attribution processes are relevant in understanding relationship satisfaction, which could have implications for couple therapy practices.Tillfredställelse med parförhållande är en viktig komponent av allmän livstillfredställelse och därmed är det viktigt att förstå vilka faktorer som påverkar det. Tidigare forskning har tytt på att kognitiva faktorer, särskilt vissa attributionsmönster, kunde vara användbara prediktorer av tillfredställelse med parförhållandet. En annan riskfaktor för låg tillfredställelse med parförållandet är psykisk ohälsa. Tidigare studier har huvudsakligen utforskat hur parförhållandespecifika attributionsmönster påverkar förhållandet, vilket har lämnat det oklart huruvida allmänna attributionsmönster också är relevanta. Fientlig attributionsbias (HAB) är en kognitiv bias som kännetecknas av en tendens att tolka andras motiv som hotande. Syftet med denna studie var att utforska det tvärsnittliga och longitudinella associationerna (inom ett femårs span) mellan HAB, tillfredställelse med parförhållandet och psykisk ohälsa. Två stiganalysmodeller skapades för att utforska dessa associationer, en tvärsnittlig modell (N=2175) och en longitudinell modell (n=711). Båda samplen togs från en populationsbaserad studie om finska kvinnliga tvillingar och deras systrar. HAB visade sig ha tvärsnittliga associationer med både tillfredställelse med parförhållandet och psykisk ohälsa. HAB predicerade även tillfredställelse med parförhållandet och psykisk ohälsa fem år senare. Samband mellan HAB och upphörande av parförhållandet hittades inte, vilket tyder på att det orsakas av andra faktorer. Avslutningsvis predicerade psykisk ohälsa inte longitudinellt tillfredställelse eller vice versa, trots att de hade ett tvärsnittligt samband, vilket bestrider tidigare studiers resultat. Dessa fynd typer på att även allmänna (inte förhållandespecifika) fientliga attributionsprocesser är relevanta för att förstå tillfredställelse med parförhållandet, vilket har implikationer för praxis inom parterapier

Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures

National audienceWhen interacting with infants, humans often alter their speech and song in ways thought to support communication. Theories of human child-rearing, informed by data on vocal signalling across species, predict that such alterations should appear globally. Here, we show acoustic differences between infant-directed and adult-directed vocalizations across cultures. We collected 1,615 recordings of infant- and adult-directed speech and song produced by 410 people in 21 urban, rural and small-scale societies. Infant-directedness was reliably classified from acoustic features only, with acoustic profiles of infant-directedness differing across language and music but in consistent fashions. We then studied listener sensitivity to these acoustic features. We played the recordings to 51,065 people from 187 countries, recruited via an English-language website, who guessed whether each vocalization was infant-directed. Their intuitions were more accurate than chance, predictable in part by common sets of acoustic features and robust to the effects of linguistic relatedness between vocalizer and listener. These findings inform hypotheses of the psychological functions and evolution of human communication

Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures

When interacting with infants, humans often alter their speech and song in ways thought to support communication. Theories of human child-rearing, informed by data on vocal signalling across species, predict that such alterations should appear globally. Here, we show acoustic differences between infant-directed and adult-directed vocalizations across cultures. We collected 1,615 recordings of infant- and adult-directed speech and song produced by 410 people in 21 urban, rural and small-scale societies. Infant-directedness was reliably classified from acoustic features only, with acoustic profiles of infant-directedness differing across language and music but in consistent fashions. We then studied listener sensitivity to these acoustic features. We played the recordings to 51,065 people from 187 countries, recruited via an English-language website, who guessed whether each vocalization was infant-directed. Their intuitions were more accurate than chance, predictable in part by common sets of acoustic features and robust to the effects of linguistic relatedness between vocalizer and listener. These findings inform hypotheses of the psychological functions and evolution of human communication