Greater Good Science Center Study 1, 2012-2013

Abstract

Both members of 129 heterosexual romantic couples (N = 258) from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the surrounding region (e.g., Durham, NC; U.S.A.) attended a lab session together (5 more people completed a pre-lab questionnaire but did not attend the lab session).167 people also completed an unplanned follow-up survey in response to an email sent approximately six months after study completion. To be eligible, they must have been at least 18 years old and in a romantic relationship for a minimum of one year. Additionally, participants must not have been recently diagnosed with anxiety or depression, nor could they be taking steroid medication; women were pre-menopausal, not currently pregnant or nursing, not pregnant in the prior six months, and had not had an oophorectomy. On average, participants were about 24 years old (M = 23.6, SD = 5.41, range = 18 to 50), predominantly Caucasian (70.9%) and non-Hispanic (90.3%). Participants screened in and consented to participate, independently, online prior to scheduling their appointment. Once scheduled, they picked up a urine collection kit at least 36 hours prior to their lab session. The day before they came to the lab, participants collected all urine their body produced for a 24 hour period. They also each independently completed a 30-45 minute online questionnaire. Upon arrival to the lab, experimenters received the participants’ urine samples for processing, collected saliva for genotyping, participants provided baseline psychophysiological assessments and independently completed online well-being questionnaires. They then received instructions for the expressed gratitude task, independently selected a topic, in separate rooms privately used a webcam to record an expression of gratitude to the partner, received instructions for the in-person expressed gratitude conversation, had the conversation (back in the same room), and independently completed questions about it. Note that only one member of the couple expressed gratitude to the partner in person and that expresser had been randomly assigned to condition. After the main task, participants were separated; five minutes of time sitting together on the couch after voluntary reunion was videorecorded. Participants completed final questionnaires about their experience, demographics, willingness to be recontacted, and consent to use transcripts and videos/images in various contexts in the future, and were debriefed. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill IRB #12-1671