Actor-partner Interdependence Model Research Articles

Who's Worried? Memory, Worries About Dementia, and Marital Strain in Midlife Same- and Different-Sex Marriages: A Dyadic Perspective.

Prior scholarship has highlighted the importance of marriage for cognition. However, little research has considered how cognition-related concerns may impact marriage. In this study, we examine how aging couples view each other's memory and worry about their potential development of dementia in the future. Additionally, we investigate whether these cognition-related concerns may strain marriage, and how these dynamics differ for men and women in same- and different-sex marriages. We used two waves of dyadic data from the Health and Relationships Project (HARP; 2015-2022), including 594 respondents from 297 same- and different-sex married couples (aged 41-71 at Time 2). We employed the Actor- Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to explore associations between actor and partner reports of memory and dementia worry with marital strain. Men and women in same- and different-sex marriages were equally likely to report worries about their own potential development of dementia. However, women reported more concerns about their spouse developing dementia in the future than men did, regardless of whether they were married to a man or a woman. Both partners' reports of memory and dementia worry played a complex role in influencing marital strain, with variations observed across couple types. Concerns about cognitive decline and dementia are common in older populations, and for married couples, spouses have concerns about their own memory as well as that of their partner. Our findings identified the significance of concerns about a spouse's memory on marital dynamics among aging couples.

What impact does hearing impairment have on cognitive health in older married couples in China?

Hearing impairment is a common geriatric health problem and chronic stressor, and it is associated with poor cognitive outcomes. However, little is known about the impact of hearing impairment in married couples, particularly its potential spillover effects on the cognitive health among spouses of individuals with impairment. Drawing on a stress-proliferation perspective, we used actor–partner interdependence models to examine (1) whether an individual's hearing impairment influences their spouse's cognitive function; and (2) whether AL, symptoms of depression, and social participation serve as mediators for such an association. We utilized data from the 2015 (baseline) and 2018 (3-year follow-up) waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. 4434 couples were included at baseline, and 2190 couples remained after the 3-year follow-up. Hearing impairment among married women was associated with negative impacts on their spouses' cognitive function. Symptoms of depression and social participation may have served as potential mediators in this relationship. For married men, there was no statistically significant association between hearing impairment and spouses' cognitive function. Our findings suggest that hearing impairment among one spouse can lead to negative impacts on the other, but that this effect may depend on gender. Early diagnosis and couple-based interventions for hearing impairment are important for the cognitive health of both hearing-impaired individuals and their spouses.

Links between parental monitoring and parent-adolescent conflict: A multimodal test of bidirectional relations.

During adolescence, youth increase in both independence and conflict with parents. Parents vary in how much they know about their adolescents' whereabouts and activities and how they acquire this information (i.e., the sources of what parents know). We probed how parental knowledge of adolescents' whereabouts and activities-and their information sources-relates to (a) domains of parent-adolescent conflict (fighting about, or having different beliefs about, daily life topics) and (b) parent and adolescent attachment-related behavior during a conflict discussion task. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, we tested links between parental knowledge and its sources and conflict processes. Eighty-seven adolescents (Mage = 15.18; 55% female) and parents completed surveys about parental knowledge and its sources (i.e., parental solicitation of adolescents' activities, adolescent disclosure to parents about their activities) and separate interviews on conflict domains. A subset of parent-adolescent dyads (n = 65) interacted for 5 min about an adolescent-identified conflict topic. Different beliefs about daily life topics related to parental knowledge: parents' reports of greater different beliefs about daily life topics predicted less knowledge of adolescents' activities/whereabouts, solicitation, and disclosure, for both parent and adolescent reports of these domains. For adolescents, greater different beliefs related to less solicitation and disclosure. Only adolescent reports of parental knowledge, solicitation, and disclosure predicted attachment-related behaviors both dyad members displayed during the conflict discussion task. Findings reveal links between parental knowledge of adolescents' activities and conflict processes and demonstrate dyadic interdependence between parental knowledge of adolescents' activities and conflict processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Daily Family Interactions are Associated with Body Mass Index in Couples with Children Experiencing Pandemic Stress

A host of factors, including family distress, may contribute to obesity. While weight gain happens over time, day-to-day interactions may explain how family interactions between one's romantic partner and one's children relate to weight (i.e., individuals may use food to compensate for poor relationships). The study aimed to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and daily family distress (e.g., romantic partners and children) with couples experiencing pandemic-related stress. This diary method designed study sampled heterosexual couples with children ( n = 59, N = 118) reporting pandemic stress. We conducted Actor-Partner Interdependence Models to test actor-partner effects between romantic partners. Results suggested, for men, more upsetting partner interactions were related to their own higher BMI. Women's BMI increased when their romantic partner reported upsetting interactions with them and when the women reported parenting distress.

Morality in romantic relationships: The role of moral disengagement in relationship satisfaction, definitions of infidelity, and committed cheating

AbstractDespite the moral condemnation of infidelity in romantic relationships, its prevalence remains widespread. This might be partly explained by moral disengagement (MD), the ability to decouple one's actions from internalized moral standards. While social influences are an inherent part of the conceptualization of MD, they have not been studied in romantic couples. We investigated connections between MD and relationship satisfaction, cheating definitions, and cheating in a sample of 236 dating and married couples. Partners' levels of MD were positively correlated. Actor‐Partner‐Interdependence Models (APIMs) revealed negative actor and partner effects of MD on relationship satisfaction. MD was not connected to which behaviors are seen as cheating, but there were positive actor and partner effects on committed self‐defined cheating. Additionally, individuals high in MD suspected their partners to cheat more. These results indicate a gap between moral beliefs and moral actions. Individuals high in MD do not necessarily deny cheating on their partner but rather choose not to follow their inner moral compass.

Childhood and Midlife Cultural Awareness and Activity Engagement Among Korean Married Couples.

Cultural reproduction theory posits that cultural resources are transmitted across generations, suggesting early parental influences on cultural experiences in adulthood. Further, cultural resources may be transferred within the same generation-through significant others, such as spouses. This study investigates cultural engagement among middle-aged adults, focusing on individual and spousal influences of childhood cultural engagement. A sample of 1,271 couples (age 49-66) from the 2012 Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study and the Korean Forgotten Generation Study was analyzed. Each respondent reported the number of arts and cultural activities (e.g., paintings, literature, and classical music) and levels of perceived cultural engagement (i.e., cultural awareness) during childhood and at midlife. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM) were estimated to examine how spouses' childhood and midlife cultural engagement were linked within couples. Findings showed that wives reported higher levels of activity participation and cultural awareness in childhood and midlife, compared to husbands. The APIM results indicated that beyond one's own childhood cultural engagement, spouse's childhood cultural awareness was associated with both levels of participation in arts and cultural activities (only for husbands) and cultural awareness (for both husbands and wives) at midlife. Cultural activities and awareness can be valuable assets to enhance overall well-being in later life. Given the cross-spousal associations in cultural engagement among Korean middle-aged couples, both spouses' cultural resources need to be considered for the design of interventions and policies to cultivate cultural competence and promote cultural engagement in adulthood.

The Associations Between Health-Related Knowledge and Health Beliefs Regarding Risk for Gestational Diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native Female Adolescents and Young Adults at Risk for Gestational Diabetes and Their Female Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Dyadic Analysis.

Research on associations between knowledge and health beliefs for women at risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has focused on adults at risk for or having GDM. Gaps also exist in examining interpersonal associations with family members or peers. We examined dyadic associations between knowledge and health beliefs about the risk for GDM between and within American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) female adolescents and young adults (FAYAs) at risk for GDM and their mothers or adult female caregivers (FCs). Grounded in the Expanded Health Belief Model, we employed a cross-sectional design using baseline data from 147 dyads of AIAN FAYAs at risk for GDM and their FCs who participated in the Stopping GDM in Daughters and Mothers trial. FAYAs were 12.0 to 24.5 years of age, and 89.1% were students. FCs had a mean (SD) age of 44.0 (9.3) years, 87.0% were AIAN, 44.9% were college educated, 19.7% had ever had GDM, and 81.0% were the FAYA's mother. FAYAs and FCs completed surveys about knowledge and health beliefs (benefits, barriers, severity, susceptibility) regarding GDM risk and prevention. Bivariate correlational analyses were performed to examine associations between and within dyad members. Dyadic associations were investigated using actor-partner interdependence modeling (APIM) assuming distinguishable dyad members. Compared with their FCs, FAYAs had lower health-related knowledge and perceived benefits of GDM prevention and susceptibility regarding GDM risk. APIM revealed actor and partner effects of health-related knowledge on health beliefs for dyads. In particular, positive actor effects were found for FAYAs and FCs for GDM-related knowledge with perceived benefits (P <.001), and positive partner effects of GDM-related knowledge for FCs were related to perceived susceptibility and severity for FAYAs (P <.05). As shown in these AIAN dyads, FAYAs and their FCs, as members of one another's social network, may influence each other's health beliefs regarding GDM risk and prevention.

The Relationship between Addictive Use of Short-Video Platforms and Marital Satisfaction in Older Chinese Couples: An Asymmetrical Dyadic Process.

Increasing evidence indicates that the addictive use of social media can have a detrimental effect on marital satisfaction, due mainly to the decrease in time and focus given to one's spouse. However, the impact of social media use among older couples remains under-investigated, and the research that does exist relies on individual-level data that do not allow the exploration of the dynamics between the dyadic partners. Therefore, the present study focused on older adults' use of short-video platforms, as these have been shown to be particularly addictive for older adults. A sample of 264 older couples was gathered (meanage = 68.02, SD = 8.68), and both spouses completed surveys reporting addictive use of short-video platforms, negative emotions, and marital satisfaction. Using an actor-partner interdependence model, we found an asymmetrical dyadic process in that the addictive use of short-video platforms by the wives was not only related to their own negative emotions, but also those of their spouse, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Meanwhile, addictive use by the husbands seemed to relate only to their own increased negative emotions, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Together, the findings from this study reveal dyadic dynamics with delineated pathways through which the addictive use of short-video platforms can damage older couples' interactive processes and marital satisfaction.

Impulsive Decision-Making, Affective Experiences, and Parental History of Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors within Parent-Adolescent Dyads.

Impulsive decision-making, particularly during states of affective intensity, is associated with greater risk of engagement in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) during adolescence. The proximal (dyadic parent-adolescent affect and impulsivity) and distal (family history of SITBs) risk factors that occur within the family system could be relevant processes at stake in the intergenerational transmission of risk. The current study tests the interdependence of parent-adolescent factors associated with risk for SITBs and probes the extent to which parent-adolescent affective states influence their own (actor-effects) and each other's (partner-effects) impulsive decision-making, and further whether these relationships are moderated by a parent's history of SITBs. Participants included 212 (106 dyads) community parents and their adolescents who completed self-report and behavioral tasks related to positive and negative affective states, impulsive decision-making, and lifetime history of SITBs. Application of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) revealed a partner-effect where greater parent negative affect in the past week was associated with elevated adolescent impulsive decision-making among families with a history of SITBs (Estimate = 0.66, Standard Error = 0.13, p < 0.001). In addition, a significant actor-effect was observed where greater positive affect was associated with decreased impulsive decision-making among adolescents (Estimate = -0.21, Standard Error = 0.10, p = 0.03), however, moderating effects of parent history of SITBs were not detected. Findings from the present study shed light on the interdependence of affect and impulsivity within parent-adolescent dyads, and the extent to which these interactions may be particularly salient for families with known vulnerabilities for SITBs.

Dyadic coping and associated factors in women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses: Do they interact?

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the present situation of dyadic coping in pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses, as well as the relevant factors and the interactions between partners. MethodsFrom October 2022 to September 2023, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken, involving 460 pairs of pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy who were hospitalized for childbirth and their accompanying spouses. These participants completed self-assessments on dyadic coping, marital satisfaction, perceived stress, and self-efficacy through the completion of paper questionnaires. The collected data was then subjected to analysis utilizing correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. The actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) was then developed using the structural equation modeling(SEM) to test the binary association. FindingsPregnant women preferred to utilize stressful communication, whereas their spouses employed supportive and delegated coping. Both external (such as education level, employment status, and medical insurance) and internal (such as marital satisfaction, perceived stress, and self-efficacy) factors were associated with pregnant women's dyadic coping. Education level and internal factors were also associated with the spouses' dyadic coping. In contrast to spouses, who can only have a partner effect on pregnant women through marriage satisfaction, all pregnant women's internal elements played the partner effect on the spouses' dyadic coping. ImplicationsThe study's findings help identify populations with inadequate coping ability. Promoting marital satisfaction, self-efficacy, and reducing perceived stress are associated with enhancing the dyadic coping ability of pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses. It also suggests that antenatal care should intervene with pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses as a whole, and emphasize collaborative coping and effective mutual support between couples rather than spousal support alone.

Burnout Syndrome and Emotional Labor in Leaders and Subordinates: A Dyad Analysis

Burnout Syndrome is considered a chronic response to occupational stressors in the work environment. Social interactions constitute one of the stressors at work that can generate negative feelings that trigger a process of contagion of the syndrome among workers in interdependent relationships. This study aimed to analyze whether emotional labor (emotional demands, emotional dissonance) at the level of the leader and subordinate dyad contributes to the manifestation of Burnout Syndrome. The participants included 244 leader–subordinate dyads who answered a questionnaire with sociodemographic and labor data, the Spanish Burnout Inventory, a subscale of the Questionnaire on the Experience and Assessment of Work, and a subscale of the Frankfurt Emotion Work Scale. Analyses were performed using the actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) through path analysis. The results indicate that the emotional demands of the leaders and the emotional dissonance of the subordinates predict the leader’s Burnout Syndrome. The Burnout Syndrome of subordinates was predicted only by the emotional demands of subordinates. Organizational actions are necessary for the better functioning of this dyad, aiming to mitigate the negative consequences of emotional labor on workers’ mental health.

FirstStep2Health: A cluster randomised trial to promote healthy behaviours and prevent obesity amongst low-income preschoolers.

To evaluate the preliminary effects of a theory-based, multi-component intervention on improving healthy lifestyle behaviours and preventing obesity amongst low-income preschoolers. A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted at 10 daycare centres. The 16-week FirstStep2Health intervention, grounded in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and the Social Cognitive Theory, included five components: a Facebook-based parent programme, three virtual parent meetings, three weekly motivational text messages, parent-child learning via weekly child letters and daycare centre-based child programme. A total of 95 preschoolers (53 intervention and 42 control) participated. Preschoolers' mean age was 49.27 months, with 57.9% being female, 12.6% being Hispanic and 40% being African American. The intervention significantly decreased intervention preschoolers' fat intake (B = -33.76, p = 0.047) and % body fat (B = -1.18, p = 0.036) compared to the control. During year 2, there were significant intervention effects on increasing skin carotenoids (B = 87.06, p = 0.035). Although not statistically significant, the intervention showed positive effects on increasing preschoolers' fruit/vegetable intake; and decreasing screen time, body mass index z-score and proportion of overweight/obesity. Even with some potential limitations (small sample size, measurement concerns and confounding with Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic), the study's results support the preliminary efficacy of the FirstStep2Health intervention in preventing obesity amongst low-income racially diverse preschoolers.

Cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma and parental stress: The role of partner support

Parents who have experienced cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma (CCIT, i.e., an accumulation of different types of abuse) tend to experience higher parental stress following the birth of a child. As CCIT is associated with lower levels of partner support, which is linked to increased parental stress, partner support could explain the link between CCIT and parental stress. Yet, these variables have never been studied using a dyadic approach. This study examined the role of received and provided partner support in the association between CCIT and parental stress. A randomly selected sample of 1119 couples with infants completed online questionnaires assessing CCIT, partner support, and parental stress. An actor-partner interdependence model path analysis showed that both parents’ CCIT were associated with increased paternal stress through fathers’ lower received and provided support, and with increased maternal stress through mothers’ received and provided support. Overall, the findings highlight the significance of examining the interdependence between both parents’ experience and the role of partner support as a key factor explaining the link between CCIT and parental stress, thereby emphasizing its importance as an intervention target.

Companionship goals and marital goal concordance contribute to relationship satisfaction partly through dyadic coping in dating couples

ABSTRACT Background Marital goals reflect individuals’ understanding of the purpose of marriage and could influence the dyadic interactions and satisfaction in intimate relationships. The current study examines how each partner’s marital goals and the concordance of marital goals between the partners influence dating couples’ relationship satisfaction through dyadic coping. Method The sample consisted of 200 heterosexual dating couples from Hong Kong. Both partners completed a survey that assessed three types of marital goals, dyadic coping, relationship satisfaction, and other background variables. Path analysis was conducted to estimate the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) with each partner’s three types of marital goals and marital goal concordance between the two partners as the predictors, each partner’s dyadic coping as the mediators, and each partner’s relationship satisfaction as the outcomes. Results Women’s dyadic coping significantly mediated the effects of women’s companionship goals and marital goal concordance on both partners’ marital satisfaction. Meanwhile, men’s dyadic coping significantly mediated the effects of men’s companionship goals and marital goal concordance on their own relationship satisfaction. Conclusion The current study offered the first evidence supporting the importance of marital goals, the goal concordance between the partners, and dyadic coping in dating relationships.

Effects of Centrality of Religiosity and Dyadic Coping on Psychological Well-Being of Married Couples who Postpone Parenthood

Religiosity and dyadic coping are among the factors important for the quality of marriage, satisfaction with the relationship and the sense of happiness of the spouses. Well-being, mainly in the aspect of personal development or life goals, seems to be particularly important for couples planning to conceive a child in the near or distant future. The study involved 51 married couples postponing parenthood. Their dyadic coping, psychological well-being and the centrality of religiosity were studied. The actor-partner interdependence model was used for the dyadic analyses. There were no differences in the well-being between the spouses, however, women rated in dyadic coping and religiosity higher. The centrality of the spouses’ religiosity, and especially the congruence of their religious beliefs, seems to have a significant impact on their well-being. The obtained results seem to shed new light on the importance of dyadic coping by spouses and their religiosity for the well-being of each of them.

My Catastrophizing and Your Catastrophizing: Dyadic Associations of Pain Catastrophizing and the Physical, Psychological, and Relational Well-being of Persons With Endometriosis and Their Partners.

Endometriosis, a painful chronic gynecologic condition, contributes to disruptions in multiple areas of life for both those affected and their partner. Pain catastrophizing has been associated with worse pain outcomes and quality of life for women with endometriosis and with more cognitive load for partners. Examining both partners' pain catastrophizing dyadically with our variables of interest will enhance understanding of its associations with the distressing nature of experiencing and responding to pain during sex for couples with endometriosis. Persons with endometriosis experiencing pain during sex and their partners (n=52 couples; 104 individuals) completed online self-report measures of pain catastrophizing, depressive symptoms, sexual satisfaction, and partner responses to pain. Persons with endometriosis reported on pain during sexual activity. Analyses were guided by the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Persons with endometriosis' pain catastrophizing was associated with their higher pain intensity and unpleasantness during sex. When persons with endometriosis reported more pain catastrophizing, they were less sexually satisfied and reported their partners responded more negatively to their pain. When partners reported higher catastrophizing, they were more depressed and responded more negatively to the pain. Consistent with the Communal Coping Model of pain catastrophizing, although meant to elicit support from the environment, the often-deleterious cognitive process of magnifying, ruminating, and feeling helpless about one's pain (or one's partner's pain) is associated with poorer outcomes for the individual with pain and their romantic partner. Implications for pain management include the relevance of involving the partner and attending to the pain cognitions of both members of the couple.

Worrying about our children: Parental worry and psychological well-being among Korean middle-aged couples.

When children reach a certain age of maturity, middle-aged parents often reflect on their parenting, harboring continuous worries about their adult children. These parenting experiences are also shared within couples and continue to impact parents' well-being. Utilizing couple data from the 2010 Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study, we examined the dyadic associations of worry about child issues and psychological well-being among middle-aged couples (N = 1,091; aged 47-55) who have at least one adult child (Mage = 23.13 years). Results from the actor-partner interdependence model showed that one's own parental worry was significantly associated with psychological well-being for both husbands and wives (i.e., actor effects). Further, wives' worry about children was significantly associated with husbands' psychological well-being (i.e., partner effects)-but not vice versa. These findings highlight that aspects of parenting not only impact children but also extend to the linked lives of midlife parents themselves. Research on parental experiences at the couple level may inform interventions to enhance middle-aged parents' well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations between adolescent friends' responses during problem talk and depressive symptoms.

The present study examined how friends' responses to each other during problem talk predicted depressive symptoms over time. Participants included 271 adolescent friend dyads (69 female and 69 male early adolescent dyads; 72 female and 61 male middle adolescent dyads; 66.4% White and 26.6% Black). The adolescents were observed discussing a problem with the friend and reported on depressive symptoms at the time of observation and 9 months later. Friends' responses were coded into one of nine response type categories (i.e., four positive/engaged response types, one neutral response type, and four negative/disengaged response types). Actor-partner interdependence models revealed significant actor and partner effects for both positive and negative responses. Notably, receiving and/or producing positive/engaged responses, including saying something supportive, sharing related experiences, and asking questions, were associated with lower depressive symptoms over time. Receiving and/or producing negative/disengaged responses, including sharing one's own experience in a distracting way, changing the subject, saying something unsupportive or minimizing the problem, and saying nothing at all heightened risk for depressive symptoms. Additionally, significant Actor × Partner interactions revealed that greater differences between the friends in the degree to which they produced supportive responses were associated with increased depressive symptoms and that both friends saying nothing at all was associated with increased depressive symptoms. When gender and grade differences were found, the associations typically were particularly strong for middle-adolescent girls. These results highlight the importance of attending to friends' specific behaviors in social support contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Dyadic associations and prediction of maternal and paternal sexual satisfaction in couples–Findings from an 18-year longitudinal study

Background: Sexual satisfaction is one of many crucial factors for the long-term success of romantic relationships. Longitudinal studies examining the dyadic associations between maternal and paternal factors in middle adulthood for predicting sexual satisfaction in later adulthood are scarce. MethodThe German longitudinal intervention study "Future Family” followed families with at least one child over 18-years (Pre: N = 477, mothers: M = 35.2 years, fathers: M = 38.8 years, children: M = 4.1 years). At the time of the 18-year follow-up, N = 150 mothers (M = 54.1 years) were still living together with the biological fathers (M = 56.1 years; mean relationship duration: 32 years). Dyadic associations between individual and dyadic factors at Pre were analyzed with Actor-Partner Interdependence models to predict sexual satisfaction 18 years later. ResultsHigher relationship quality was significantly associated with higher levels of one's own sexual satisfaction 18 years later. Higher levels of maternal and paternal mental health problems were linked to lower levels of sexual satisfaction in both the individual themselves and their partner. General life satisfaction of mothers and fathers only predicted their own sexual satisfaction. The model for dysfunctional parenting yielded no significant effects. ConclusionsThe results indicate that relationship quality, mental health problems, and general life satisfaction of both parents could be starting points for preventive and therapeutic interventions to achieve long-term effects in sexual satisfaction in married couples.

Attachment style and distress in couples experiencing sexual desire discrepancy

Intimate partners’ sexual desire for each other can fluctuate throughout the course of their relationship, and greater difference between partners’ habitual level of sexual desire (i.e., sexual desire discrepancy [SDD]) is linked to lower sexual and relationship satisfaction ( Mark, 2015 ). Although some couples view SDD as a natural and normal part of a sexual relationship, others experience significant distress and may seek therapy. Based on a prominent literature on attachment among couples ( Birnbaum &amp; Reis, 2019 ; Mark et al., 2018 ; Mikulincer &amp; Shaver, 2007 ), the current study incorporated an actor-partner interdependence model to examine the dyadic associations between insecure attachment style (i.e., anxious, avoidant) and sexual desire among couples experiencing distressing or non-distressing levels of SDD. Couples ( N = 202; 51% female, 48% male, 1% different gender; M = 28 years old, SD = 5.05) were recruited through social media (e.g., Instagram, Twitter) and completed a survey assessing sexual distress, adult attachment style, and sexual desire. Although anxious and avoidant attachment did not moderate an association between SDD and sexual distress, higher levels of avoidant attachment were associated with sexual distress for the individual, but not with their partner’s distress. Findings suggest attachment may be essential for understanding individuals’ experience of sexual distress when coping with discrepant levels of sexual desire in romantic relationships.