Support-seeking, support-provision and support-perception in distressed married couples : a multi-method analysis

An emerging consensus argues for the importance of spousal support in our understanding of how relationships succeed or fail. This report covers two studies that examined support seeking, support provision and support perception in distressed married couples. In Study 1 a total of seventy distressed and seventy non-distressed couples participated in a survey study; in Study 2 twenty distressed and twenty non-distressed couples participated in an observational study. Global self-reports were used in both studies to assess spouses' support behaviour and perceived support. These measures were supplemented in Study 2 with measures of observed support behaviour and interaction-based perceived support as assessed during specific support interactions. Our self-report and observational measures consistently indicated that distressed marital couples display lower levels of positive support-seeking and emotional or instrumental support provision than non-distressed couples. We also found evidence for higher levels of negative support-seeking and provision behaviour in distressed couples, as compared to non-distressed couples. Distressed spouses also reported lower levels of global and interaction-based perceived support than non-distressed spouses

How is family support related to students' GPA scores? A longitudinal study

Previous studies of the influence of family support on college students' academic performance have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the link between family support and students' university-level academic performance in a more detailed way. First, we sought to clarify how two distinct aspects of perceived family support-social support and economic support-affect college students' academic performance. Second, we sought to determine how these two aspects of family support influence not only cumulative GPA scores but also the overall trend (slope) and stability (variability) of students' GPA scores across semesters. The participants in this longitudinal study were 240 university students (62 men, 178 women). The results revealed that the level of perceived family social support was important not only as a "main effect" predictor of the magnitude and stability of the students' GPA scores across three successive semesters, but also as a factor that helped female students to succeed regardless of their level of family economic support. In general, the data suggest that family social support is more important to women's success in college than to men's

'I think you understand me' : studying the associations between actual, assumed, and perceived understanding within couples

The current study examined the associations between actual, assumed, and perceived understanding and partners' levels of dyadic adjustment. One hundred fifty-two couples provided questionnaire data (assumed and perceived understanding), participated in a videotaped conflict interaction, and in a video-review task to assess actual understanding (empathic accuracy). The data were analyzed by means of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. The results suggest that (a) some aspects of how well someone assumes that (s)he has understood the partner during a preceding conflict interaction were positively associated with his/her own objective level of understanding (actor effect), (b) that someone's perception of how understood (s)he feels was not associated with the partner's objective level of understanding (partner effect), and (c) perceived understanding, but not actual understanding, was positively associated with dyadic adjustment

Demand behavior and empathic accuracy in observed conflict interactions in couples

The study reported in this research note sought to extend the research on motivated empathic accuracy by exploring whether intimate partners who are highly motivated to induce change in their partner during conflicts will be more empathically accurate than partners who are less motivated. In a laboratory experiment, the partners within 26 cohabiting couples were randomly assigned the role of conflict initiator. The partners provided questionnaire data, participated in a videotaped conflict interaction, and completed a video-review task. More blaming behavior was associated with higher levels of empathic accuracy, irrespective of whether one was the conflict initiator or not. The results also showed a two-way interaction indicating that initiators who applied more pressure on their partners to change were less empathically accurate than initiators who applied less pressure, whereas their partners could counter this pressure when they could accurately read the initiator's thoughts and feelings

Reacties op de onthulling van seksueel geweld : een literatuuroverzicht

status: publishe

Empathic accuracy and cognitions during conflict : an in-depth analysis of understanding scores

Empathic accuracy research indicates that partners achieve only moderate success at reading each other's thoughts. The current study identifies specific patterns of online thought that contribute to empathic inaccuracy during conflict interactions. Married/cohabiting partners completed a conflict interaction and reported their own thoughts during video-assisted recall of the interaction, also inferring the thoughts of the other partner. Content analysis of these online thoughts demonstrated a high degree of mindfulness about the process of communication, along with a perspective bias, in which partners tended to construe their own communication as constructive and the other partner's communication as avoidant and confrontational. Specific mind-reading errors linked to both the thematic content and affective tone of online thought predicted lower overall empathic accuracy

Gedachten lezen : een zesde zintuig of een alledaags proces in onze relaties?

In deze bijdrage wordt het begrip empathische accuraatheid besproken: de mate waarin mensen elkaars onuitgesproken gedachten en gevoelens accuraat kunnen inschatten. Onderzoek toont aan dat het vrijwel onmogelijk is om eigenschappen te identificeren die een hoge mate van empathische accuraatheid voorspellen. Enkele relationele dynamieken, zoals de vertrouwdheid met elkaar en de motivatie, blijken wel een positieve invloed te hebben op empathische accuraatheid. Daartegenover staan factoren die de empathische accuraatheid bemoeilijken, zoals de complexiteit van communicatie, conflicten die als bedreigend worden ervaren en een dalende motivatie in langdurige relaties. Inzicht in deze predictoren is belangrijk, gezien de rol van empathische accuraatheid in allerlei relationele processen en uitkomsten, zoals steun verlenen aan elkaar, gevoelens van verbondenheid, conflicthantering. De mate van empathische accuraatheid kan wel gestimuleerd worden door elkaar beter te leren kennen, feedback te vragen over de gemaakte inschattingen en alert te blijven op verbale en non-verbale signalen van de gesprekspartner

The manageability of empathic (in)accuracy during couples' conflict : relationship-protection or self-protection?

The current study sought to expand upon research on motivated empathic (in)accuracy by testing assumptions underlying the empathic accuracy model, namely if a perceiver's level of empathic accuracy is variable and might be associated with different outcomes depending the situation. More specifically, the model assumes that (a) the perception of threat in the thoughts/feelings of an interaction partner can result in a lower level of empathic accuracy, and (b) empathic accuracy can both improve and harm situational well-being on the personal and relationship level. These assumptions were tested in a laboratory-based study in which couples participated in a conflict interaction task and reported on their thought processes during a video-review task. All participants also completed a similar standard-stimulus task. A shift in participants' motivation to be accurate to a motivation to be inaccurate in response to perceived threat could not be detected. Men's higher levels of empathic accuracy for non-threatening feelings of their female partner were predictive of an increased feeling of closeness in men. Women's higher levels of empathic accuracy for non-threatening feelings of the male partner were predictive for a better mood in women. A harmful effect of empathic accuracy for threatening thoughts/feelings on situational well-being was not found

Sexual and relational satisfaction in couples where the woman has polycystic ovary syndrome: a dyadic analysis

STUDY QUESTION: How are objective characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and PCOS-related concerns associated with the sexual and relational satisfaction of PCOS women and their partners? SUMMARY ANSWER: Both objective PCOS characteristics (parity, women's body mass index (BMI) and current unfulfilled wish to conceive) and PCOS-related concerns (women's infertility-related and acne-related concerns) were associated with sexual and/or relational satisfaction, although some associations differed for PCOS women and their partners. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: There is some evidence indicating an association between objective PCOS characteristics and sexual satisfaction of PCOS women, but this evidence is conflicting, scarce, and often validated questionnaires have not been used to evaluate sexual satisfaction. No evidence is available about the association of: (i) PCOS with relational satisfaction; (ii) PCOS-related concerns with sexual and relational satisfaction; and (iii) PCOS with sexual and relational satisfaction as experienced by partners of PCOS women. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: We set up a cross-sectional study from April 2007 until April 2009, including 31 overweight (BMI >= 25 kg/m(2)) women with PCOS and at a reproductive age as well as their partners with whom they had a committed intimate relationship at the time of recruitment. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The study was performed at the fertility center of the Ghent University Hospital. Objective PCOS characteristics were registered and PCOS-related concerns were evaluated by the PCOS Questionnaire. Sexual ((SS)) and relational ((RS)) satisfaction were measured by the Maudsley Marital Questionnaire (MMQ). Dyadic statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed models (alpha < 0.05). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: A lower parity tended to be associated with higher levels of sexual and relational satisfaction, with a significantly stronger association in PCOS women than in their partners (p((SS)) = 0.015 and p((RS)) = 0.009). A higher BMI tended to be associated with lower and higher satisfaction levels (sexual and relational) in PCOS women and their partners, respectively, with a significantly stronger association in the partners (p((SS)) = 0.029 and p((RS)) = 0.021). The presence of a current unfulfilled wish to conceive and a higher level of infertility-related concerns was significantly more strongly associated with a higher level of relational satisfaction for PCOS women than for their partners (p((RS)) = 0.021 and p((RS)) = 0.011, respectively). Higher levels of acne-related concern were significantly associated with lower levels of sexual satisfaction in both PCOS women (p((SS)) = 0.025) and their partners (p((SS)) = 0.002). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The fact that this study was performed in a sample of PCOS women who were all overweight and the small sample size are important limitations. Data were partially missing in some couples but this limitation was dealt with by using linear mixed models. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our results suggest a differential association of PCOS with sexual and relational satisfaction between PCOS women and their partners. This should be kept in mind during the psychological guidance of couples dealing with PCOS