Affiliative Responses to External Stress in Couples

Can stress ever be good for romantic relationships? Although it is well-established that stress can harm relationships (Karney & Bradbury, 1995; Randall & Bodenmann, 2009), stress may also bring people closer together (Taylor, 2011b). Specifically, recent research and theory suggest that when people experience acute and chronic stress that originates outside of the couple (i.e., external stress) and is moderate in intensity, they may show affiliative responses toward their partner (Clavel et al., 2017; Donato et al., 2018). Moreover, stressed women may be more likely to show affiliative responses toward their partner than stressed men (Taylor et al., 2000. Importantly, how much a person displays affiliative responses may not only depend on their own stress but also their partner’s stress. However, there is currently little research examining both partners’ stress and affiliative responses. Thus, the current dissertation examines affiliative responses in couples experiencing acute and chronic external stress. This research aims to understand (1) when external stress may be associated with more affiliative responses and (2) who may show more affiliative responses to external stress. In three studies, I examined stress and affiliation during the COVID-19 pandemic, during a laboratory stressor, and during a dyadic caregiving interaction with an infant simulator. I found that moderate acute stress may be associated with greater affiliation in women and lower affiliation in men, shared acute and chronic stressors may be associated with greater affiliation, and people may respond to their partner’s stress by affiliating with their simulated infant. This work contributes important new information about how external stress may affect men and women in romantic relationships.PHDPsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174436/1/aesra_1.pd

Basic psychological need frustration and health: Prospective associations with sleep quality and cholesterol

In the present study we examined whether basic psychological need frustration is related to poor sleep quality and risky cholesterol levels using National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) data sets. We first constructed autonomy, competence and relatedness frustration scales from the items used in the MIDUS survey and validated its factor structure in a pilot study (N = 287). An exploratory factor analysis showed that the selected items loaded on to the respective need frustration subscales of basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration scale. Next, a confirmatory factor analysis with MIDUS II data (N = 3929) provided further evidence for construct validity with a clear three factor structure. After creating the scale, we used MIDUS II and the follow-up Biomarkers study data (N = 996) to examine whether frustration of basic needs prospectively predicts poor sleep quality and risky cholesterol levels. Path analyses indicated that frustration of basic needs predicted poor subjective sleep quality after 2 years, controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, income level, suspected or confirmed heart disease, and Body Mass Index (BMI). However, data from participants who also provided objective sleep quality measures via actigraphy (N = 269) showed no direct effect of need frustration on objective sleep quality. Mediation analyses indicated that frustration of basic needs predicted poor subjective and objective sleep quality after 2 years, via anxious arousal. Regarding cholesterol outcomes, logistic regression analyses indicated that frustration of basic needs increased the odds of having risky high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, income level, suspected or confirmed heart disease, and Body Mass Index (BMI)

Spousal autonomy support, need satisfaction, and well-being in individuals with chronic pain: A longitudinal study

The present research examined the effect of spousal autonomy support on the need satisfaction and well-being of individuals with chronic pain. Married individuals with a diagnosed musculoskeletal chronic pain condition (N = 109) completed a baseline questionnaire and a follow-up questionnaire after a 6-month time period. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that spousal autonomy support predicted increases in basic need satisfaction, and need satisfaction predicted increases in well-being. Moreover, the analyses in the opposite direction were not significant. Similarly, cross-lagged analyses were more supportive of the direction from pain intensity to lower well-being, rather than well-being to pain intensity. Finally, we tested a longitudinal structural model using pain intensity and spousal autonomy support as the predictors, basic needs as the mediator, and well-being as the outcome. The model provided a good fit to the data. Results showed that spousal autonomy support had a positive effect on the need satisfaction and well-being of individuals with chronic pain, independent of pain intensity. These findings extend self-determination theory to the chronic pain context and lay the groundwork for future chronic pain studies using the self-determination theory framework

Longitudinal Associations Between Provision of Autonomy Support and Well-Being in Spouses of Individuals With Chronic Pain

Background Caregiving spouses of individuals with chronic pain often experience poor well-being

Cohabiting Couples Coping during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This project examines changes in relationship quality among cohabiting couples during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of stress on relationship quality. The goals of the project are to identify key factors that predict both positive and negative changes in relationship quality, as well investigate the ways in which concurrent stress (both partners experiencing stress) uniquely affects relationship and individual outcomes. There are two versions of this study: Version 1 is a 6-month 4-wave longitudinal study tracking individuals who were sheltering in place with their romantic partners during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also collect data from a subset of their partners. Version 2 includes the same questions as Version 1 but is a cross-sectional study conducted via social media (participants are required to be cohabiting with a romantic partner, but not sheltering-in-place together). We will also collect data from a subset of their partners

Division of Baby Care in Heterosexual and Lesbian Parents: Expectations Versus Reality

ObjectiveWe examined the extent to which prenatal expectations matched postpartum reality, and the implications of expectancy violation for relationship quality at postpartum, among heterosexual and lesbian couples transitioning to parenthood.BackgroundDuring the transition to parenthood, soon‐to‐be parents form expectations about how their lives will change after their baby is born; however, these expectations may not match reality.MethodWe longitudinally examined (a) expectancy violation in division of baby care among 47 heterosexual and lesbian couples transitioning to first‐time parenthood (total N = 94 participants) and (b) the associations between expectancy violation and relationship quality at 3 and 10‐months postpartum.ResultsWe found that expectations matched reality for lesbian couples, but not for heterosexual couples: Heterosexual mothers did more baby care than they expected, and fathers did less. Heterosexual birth mothers were less satisfied when they did more baby care than they expected, whereas fathers were both less satisfied and less invested in their relationship when they did more baby care than they expected. In contrast, for lesbian birth mothers and nonbirth mothers, doing more baby care than anticipated was not associated with postpartum relationship quality. These results remained even after controlling for prenatal relationship quality and timing of postpartum assessments.ConclusionThe extent to which prenatal expectations match postpartum reality, and the outcomes of expectancy violation, may be different for heterosexual and lesbian couples.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167038/1/jomf12729.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167038/2/jomf12729_am.pd