Benefits of Capitalization in Newlyweds: Predicting Marital Satisfaction and Depresion Symptoms

Abstract

Celebrating good news with others (i.e., capitalization) is associated with positive affect and relationship well-being. However, it remains unclear whether the benefits of capitalization result in enduring changes in personal and relationship well-being, and whether contextual factors (i.e., chronic stress) moderate the value of positive capitalization experiences. We examined contemporaneous and time-lagged associations between capitalization perceptions and marital satisfaction or depression symptoms in 192 newlywed couples over two years. We also examined whether chronic stress moderated the effects of capitalization perceptions on depression symptoms and marital satisfaction. Multilevel analyses indicated that capitalization perceptions predicted contemporaneous and time-lagged changes in marital satisfaction for husbands and wives and contemporaneous and time-lagged changes in wives’, but not husbands’, depression symptoms. In other words, the more positively spouses viewed their partner's responses...