Speaker
Description
Dyadic coping (i.e., coping with stress as a couple) is essential for partners’ well-being and couple functioning. Promptly attuning or “synchronizing” one’s behavior to the behavior and needs of the stressed partner can be a key element of effective dyadic coping. Research evidence from various types of dyads (e.g., parent-child, therapist-patient) shows that synchrony (e.g., physiological, emotional) is associated with perceived empathy or responsiveness and promotes interpersonal emotion regulation. However, research on synchrony in the context of couples’ dyadic coping interactions is sparse. Aim of this study is to examine how emotional synchrony (i.e., the emotional coordination between the two partners) unfolds during those interactions. We take a “momentary”, within-couple approach, since synchrony constitutes a dynamic process, influenced by situational changes. In particular, we aim to understand the interplay between emotional synchrony and partners’ momentary stress expression and dyadic coping behavior. We hypothesize, for example, that emotional synchrony will be greater during moments of emotion-oriented dyadic coping compared to moments of problem-oriented or negative dyadic coping. Furthermore, we study if these interrelations are more prominent in interactions evaluated by the stressed partner as more beneficial and investigate possible age differences. We will use observational data from a sample of 119 couples belonging in three age cohorts, which participated in the tenth wave of a longitudinal study. Each couple conducted two 8-minute dyadic coping interactions in the laboratory and evaluated the interactions directly afterwards. In this study, the behavioral component of emotions will be considered, and in particular the facial emotional expressions of the partners, assessed second-by-second with an automated facial emotional analysis program. The stress expression and dyadic coping behavior of the partners are coded at 10-second intervals by trained human raters.
Keywords: synchrony, facial emotional expressions, dyadic coping interaction, couples, lifespan
