ArticleBiological psychology2023
How aging couples' emotional and physiological associations change across positive, supportive, and conflictual discussions: Roles of capitalization and responsive behaviors.
Article in Biological psychology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- How spousal, friend, and family ties predict health: Within- and between-person effects across 16 years.Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43) · 2026Article
- Mode of social contact is associated with momentary verbal communication of emotion and well-being in older adults.Communications psychology · 2025Article
- Couples in breast cancer survivorship: Daily associations in relationship satisfaction, stress, and health.Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2024Article
- Couples-based health behavior change interventions: A relationship science perspective on the unique opportunities and challenges to improve dyadic health.Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2024Article
- Emotion Regulation in Couples Across Adulthood.Annual review of developmental psychology · 2023Article
- Breaking the cycle of emotional flooding: the protective role of women's emotional intelligence in couple's conflict.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCouples' emotions and physiology change across interactions and based on behaviors. Aging couples' emotions and physiology may be closely related as they spend more time together and rely on each other for support. We examined aging couples' emotional and physiological associations across multiple indices and marital interactions; we also assessed how couples' capitalization and responsive behaviors during the first discussion were protective in subsequent emotional conversations.
methodsMarried couples (n = 107 couples, 214 individuals) engaged in positive event, social support, and conflict discussions. Emotional and physiological assessments across discussions included: positive and negative emotion, electrodermal activity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability. We coded partners' capitalization and responsive behaviors during the first discussion.
resultsThere were ties in spouses' positive emotion, negative emotion, electrodermal activity, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability during positive, supportive, and conflictual discussions. Emotional and physiological associations reflecting shared stress (negative emotion, electrodermal activity, systolic blood pressure) were stronger in couples who were less capitalizing or responsive earlier that day; associations reflecting physiological adaptation (heart rate variability) were stronger for more capitalizing and responsive couples.
conclusionAging couples' emotions and physiology tracked together during discussions central to maintaining relationships, and their past behaviors carried over into future interactions and across contexts. Enthusiastic, caring, and understanding behaviors may protect partners from shared emotional and physiological stress; lacking such behaviors may increase emotional and physiological vulnerability. This research identifies behavioral, emotional, and physiological pathways connecting relationships to health in adulthood.
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