Document Detail


Social support, problem solving, and the longitudinal course of newlywed marriage.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20307134     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Married couples (N = 172) were observed as newlyweds and observed again 1 year later while engaging in 2 problem-solving and 2 personal support discussions. Microanalytic coding of these conversations was used to examine associations between problem-solving and social support behaviors for 1 year and their relative contributions to 10-year trajectories of self-reported relationship satisfaction and dissolution. Results demonstrated that initially lower levels of positive support behaviors and higher levels of negative support behaviors predicted 1-year increases in negative emotion displayed during problem-solving conversations. Emotions coded from the initial problem-solving conversations did not predict 1-year changes in social support behaviors. Controlling for emotions displayed during problem-solving interactions eliminated or reduced associations between initial social support behaviors and (a) later levels of satisfaction and (b) relationship dissolution. These findings corroborate models that prioritize empathy, validation, and caring as key elements in the development of intimacy (e.g., Reis & Shaver, 1988) and suggest that deficits in these domains foreshadow deterioration in problem solving and conflict management. Implications for integrating support and problem solving in models of relationship change are outlined, as are implications for incorporating social support in education programs for developing relationships.
Authors:
Kieran T Sullivan; Lauri A Pasch; Matthew D Johnson; Thomas N Bradbury
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of personality and social psychology     Volume:  98     ISSN:  1939-1315     ISO Abbreviation:  J Pers Soc Psychol     Publication Date:  2010 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-03-23     Completed Date:  2010-08-03     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0014171     Medline TA:  J Pers Soc Psychol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  631-44     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA. ksullivan@scu.edu
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Divorce / psychology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Marriage / psychology*
Personal Satisfaction
Problem Solving*
Questionnaires
Social Support*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
F31 MH10779/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; MH48674/MH/NIMH NIH HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Compassion, pride, and social intuitions of self-other similarity.
Next Document:  Self-esteem development from young adulthood to old age: A cohort-sequential longitudinal study.