Longitudinal Actor-partner Interdependence Models Research Articles

Methodology for Identification, Visualization, and Clustering of Similar Behaviors in Dyadic Sequences Analyzed Through the Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model With Markov Chains

Methodology for Identification, Visualization, and Clustering of Similar Behaviors in Dyadic Sequences Analyzed Through the Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model With Markov Chains

Perceived Pressure for Perfection Within Friendships Triggers Conflict Behaviors, Depressive Symptoms, and Problematic Drinking: A Longitudinal Actor–Partner Interdependence Model

Friendships are important for the mental well-being of emerging adults. Socially prescribed perfectionism, where individuals feel pressured to be perfect by others, can be destructive, leading to conflict with others, depressive symptoms, and problematic drinking. However, its impact on friendships is not well-explored. This study examined 174 emerging adult friendship dyads using a 4-wave, 4-month dyadic design. Data were analyzed using longitudinal actor–partner interdependence models. Using a novel friend-specific measure of socially prescribed perfectionism, we found that an individual’s perceived expectation to be perfect from a friend was positively associated with increased conflict between friends, as well as with higher levels of depressive symptoms and problematic drinking in the individual. Findings lend credence to longstanding theoretical accounts and case histories suggesting socially prescribed perfectionism leads to harmful individual and relational outcomes and extends them to the specific context of friendships.

Fostering healthy relationships: A preliminary investigation of relationship education

AbstractRobust and healthy relationships are pivotal for overall well‐being and wellness. Social support, the reduction of stigma, and the cultivation of quality time are critical elements in establishing and nurturing a healthy relationship as they bolster emotional well‐being, enhance communication, and alleviate stress. The aim of this research study was to investigate the associations between quality time, social support, and self‐stigma among couples (N = 518 dyads) engaged in a randomized controlled relationship education intervention, whether online or face to face. Longitudinal Actor–Partner Interdependence Models (L‐APIM) were employed to investigate the dyadic correlations and the influence of the intervention's modality on the three outcomes observed at the 1‐month postintervention follow‐up. Results indicated that individuals tend to exhibit consistent perceptions of quality time, social support, self‐stigma related to help‐seeking, and threats to self‐confidence regarding help‐seeking, both at baseline and the subsequent 1‐month follow‐up. Results and implications are discussed.

DAILY NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE EVENTS AND DAILY WELL-BEING: DYADIC LINKS IN COUPLES LIVING WITH EARLY-STAGE DEMENTIA

Abstract Spouses have powerful influences on well-being in middle and later life, but we know little about how daily events impact well-being in older couples that include persons living with dementia (PLWD). We examined associations between daily negative and positive events and daily well-being (negative mood and positive mood) in 36 heterosexual married couples living with early-stage dementia. Participants included PLWD (M = 71.47 years, SD = 6.90, range = 53-82 years) and their spouses (M = 69.69 years, SD = 7.26, range = 59-87 years) who both completed brief morning and evening phone interviews over 7 consecutive days. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models controlled for own and partner reports of daily well-being in the previous day, whether each day was a weekend day, and the gender of PLWD. We estimated separate models for negative mood and positive mood. Both PLWD and their spouses reported higher negative mood when they reported more negative events in the same day and when their partner reported more negative events in the previous day. Over and above these associations, both partners in the couple reported lower negative mood on days when spouses of PLWD reported more positive events. Spouses of PLWD reported higher positive mood on days when they reported more positive events, but lower positive mood on days when PLWD reported more positive events. These findings highlight the importance of understanding dyadic influences on daily well-being among PLWD and their spouses.

The dyadic effects of individual resilience on family resilience among Chinese parents and children during COVID-19.

Previous studies have mainly focused on examining families' struggles during the adaptive process of adversity, while the strength of family and how it arises were neglected. This study aims to explore the relationships between individual and family resilience among parents and children in families during COVID-19. Guided by the longitudinal actor-partner interdependence model, one parent and a child in 136 Chinese families completed assessments of pandemic media exposure and individual resilience in mid-February 2020 and family resilience in early March. Results showed that the child's individual resilience was positively associated with their own and their parents' family resilience, while parents' resilience was only positively associated with their own. The evidence indicated that a child's individual resilience was critical for all core family members' perceived family resilience and provided implications for family intervention programs.

Retraction of Kivlighan et al. (2016).

Reports the retraction of "Working alliance, real relationship, session quality, and client improvement in psychodynamic psychotherapy: A longitudinal actor partner interdependence model" by Dennis M. Kivlighan Jr., Clara E. Hill, Charles J. Gelso and Ellen Baumann (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2016[Mar], Vol 63[2], 149-161). The following article is being retracted (https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000134). This retraction is at the request of coauthors Kivlighan, Hill, and Gelso after the results of an investigation by the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB found that the study included data from between one and four therapy clients of the Maryland Psychotherapy Clinic and Research Laboratory (MPCRL) who either had not been asked to provide consent or had withdrawn consent for their data to be included in the research. Baumann was not responsible for obtaining and verifying participant consent but agreed to the retraction of this article. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2015-57048-001.) We used the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 2000) to examine the dyadic associations of 74 clients and 23 therapists in their evaluations of working alliance, real relationship, session quality, and client improvement over time in ongoing psychodynamic or interpersonal psychotherapy. There were significant actor effects for both therapists and clients, with the participant's own ratings of working alliance and real relationship independently predicting their own evaluations of session quality. There were significant client partner effects, with clients' working alliance and real relationship independently predicting their therapists' evaluations of session quality. The client partner real relationship effect was stronger in later sessions than in earlier sessions. Therapists' real relationship ratings (partner effect) were a stronger predictor of clients' session quality ratings in later sessions than in earlier sessions. Therapists' working alliance ratings (partner effect) were a stronger predictor of clients' session quality ratings when clients made greater improvement than when clients made lesser improvement. For clients' session outcome ratings, there were complex three-way interactions, such that both Client real relationship and working alliance interacted with client improvement and time in treatment to predict clients' session quality. These findings strongly suggest both individual and partner effects when clients and therapists evaluate psychotherapy process and outcome. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining intervention hours attended for couples randomly assigned to receive relationship education.

Relationship education (RE) has shown promise as an effective intervention for couples. Yet, challenges exist with retaining low-income couples and federal funding required that grantees provide at least 12 h of core content. We conducted a follow-up analysis to a randomized trial of RE with low-income couples. We focused on couples randomly assigned to the treatment (N = 579) and examined the influence of intervention hours on emotion regulation, dyadic coping, and individual distress at 1 and 6-month follow-up. Results of longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models indicated that women who completed the program reported fewer difficulties in emotion regulation at 6-month follow-up than women who attended fewer intervention hours. Additionally, men who completed reported more individual distress at 1-month follow-up than men who attended fewer hours. Given that most couples were Hispanic, we conducted an exploratory analysis to examine language as a covariate with mixed results.

EMOTION REGULATION AND POSITIVE AFFECT IN SPOUSAL DEMENTIA CARE DYADS

Abstract The early stages of dementia can be a time of stress and uncertainty for spouses, yet little attention is paid to positive experiences. It is important to understand whether there are individual differences in emotion regulation that impact the positive affect of the individual and the partner. Drawing from interdependence theory, we hypothesized that one spouse’s greater difficulty regulating emotions would be associated with their spouses lower positive emotions over time. We used self-report data from an intervention study with three assessment points (baseline, two weeks, and three months) of 45 older adult married couples (N=90) where one spouse has early-stage dementia. Both partners completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Results from the longitudinal actor partner interdependence model showed that when care partners were high in difficulty regulating emotions, their partner’s positive affect decreased (β = -0.343, p <.01), controlling for intervention arm and covariates.

Adolescents with Few Friend Alternatives are Particularly Susceptible to Influence from Friends.

Friend influence in adolescence is well-documented, but the characteristics that contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to influence are not well understood. The present study tests the novel hypothesis that within a friend dyad, having fewer friends than one's partner (i.e., relative lack of alternatives) increases susceptibility to influence as it reduces dissimilarity and thereby promotes compatibility. Drawn from diverse California (USA) public middle schools, participants were 678 adolescents (58% girls) in reciprocated friendships that were stable from the fall to the spring of sixth grade (M = 11.53 years old). Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Models assessed peer influence, operationalized as individual change in the direction of increased friend similarity. Consistent with the hypothesis, partners with fewer friends were influenced by partners with relatively more friends in self-reported social anxiety and somatic complaints, as well as teacher-reported academic engagement and prosocial behavior. Academic engagement was the only domain wherein partners with more friends were also influenced by partners with relatively fewer friends. For those with few friends, conformity (i.e., becoming more similar to a partner) can be an important strategy to promote compatibility for strengthening existing friendships.

Longitudinal Dyadic Associations between Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction among Chinese Married Couples and the Moderating Effect of Within-Dyad Age Discrepancy.

Family systems theory defines the family unit as a complex social system in which individual members influence and are influenced by each other. The current study aimed to investigate the longitudinal dyadic associations between life satisfaction and depressive symptoms among a sample of Chinese married couples and the moderating effect of within-dyad age discrepancy. The current sample included 5773 married couples who completed three waves of assessments of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2012, 2016, and 2018. The sample was categorized into two groups based on the within-dyad age discrepancy: the younger-wife–older-husband dyads (n = 4280, 74.13%) and the older-wife–younger-husband dyads (n = 1493, 25.86%). The longitudinal actor–partner interdependence models with multiple-group analysis were used to analyze the data. The results showed that a majority of actor effects were significant across time, and the two groups exhibited the same pattern among the actor effects. The older-wife–younger-husband dyads showed fewer significant partner effects than the younger-wife–older-husband dyads, and most partner effects indicated mutual rather than unidirectional influence. These findings yielded support for the statement of family systems theory that family members interconnect and that the development of one’s well-being needs to be understood in the context of the spouse’s well-being.

Mapping the progress of the process: Codevelopment of the therapeutic alliance with maltreated adolescents.

We used a longitudinal actor-partner interdependence model to examine the codeveloping alliance in alliance empowerment therapy (AET; Escudero, 2013), a manualized team-based approach developed in Spain specifically for child welfare-involved youth. In this first evaluation of AET, we sampled 102 adolescents, 83% of whom had been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, and 40% of whom were in crisis at the time of referral. Before each session, clients rated their improvement-so-far; after each session, both clients and therapists completed a brief alliance measure, an adaptation of the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances (SOFTA-s; Friedlander et al., 2006) for individual therapy. In terms of outcome, clients' improvement ratings were significantly associated with posttreatment changes in overall functioning and personal goal attainment. With respect to the change process, growth was observed in both clients' and therapists' ratings of the alliance over 12 sessions, and an increased similarity in alliance ratings was due to more rapid growth in the therapists' ratings than the clients' ratings. Dynamic structural equation modeling indicated that at higher levels of adolescent goal attainment, a stronger association was observed between increased therapist-rated alliance and goal attainment. In other words, in the most effective cases, therapists were more responsive to how the adolescents seemed to have experienced the alliance in the previous session. The cocreated alliance perceptions were due to therapist (rather than client) responsiveness, as well as to unspecified aspects of sharing a therapy environment over time, such as familiarity with the process, regular meetings, and so on. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Fitting the Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model as a Dynamic Structural Equation Model in Mplus

Though the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) has been extended to accommodate longitudinal data in the multilevel modeling (MLM) and structural equation modeling (SEM) frameworks, intensive longitudinal dyadic data with many (20+) timepoints provide technical challenges for researchers that neither framework fully addresses. We provide an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of MLM and SEM for intensive longitudinal APIMs, then discuss how dynamic structural equation models (DSEMs) are a more general form of both methods and can address their weaknesses in longitudinal APIM analyses. We illustrate how to fit a longitudinal APIM as a DSEM in Mplus with three examples from a daily diary study of heterosexual couples. Specifically, we show (1) when the MLM, SEM, and DSEM will produce similar results, (2) how DSEM can address research questions that traditional MLM and SEM cannot accommodate, and (3) how to specify increasingly complex longitudinal APIMs as DSEMs in Mplus.

Examining food intake similarities in adolescent best friend dyads using longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Models

Little is known about how adolescent best friends may affect each other's food intake. This study explored whether friendship selection and socialization mechanisms explained potential food intake similarities in adolescent reciprocated best friend dyads. We also tested whether socialization processes were moderated by dyad member's relative zBMI. Members of 145 same-gender best friendship dyads (56% female; Mage = 12.79; SDage = 0.61) reported on their intake of food obtained from home and from outside the home at the beginning and the end of the school year through food frequency questionnaires. Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Models results showed no indication of selection or socialization, and very limited evidence for the moderation of socialization processes by relative zBMI. These findings indicate that focusing on adolescent reciprocated best friends in dietary interventions may not be valuable.

Dyadic Links Between Health Changes and Well-Being: The Role of Non-Spousal Confidants.

Although the marital relationship is often the primary source of emotional support in adulthood, sole reliance on the spouse to discuss health-related issues may be harmful to the well-being of both partners. The first aim of this study was to examine whether declines in health during later life would be associated with poorer psychological well-being in self and partner. We further investigated whether declining health would have a stronger impact on own and partner psychological well-being in the absence of non-spousal health confidants. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) were used to test both hypotheses with dyadic data from Wave 2 (2010-2011) and Wave 3 (2015-2016) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). Contrary to prediction, increased anxiety following spousal declines in gait speed and cognitive function occurred for those whose spouse did (rather than did not) have additional health confidants. A much fuller understanding is needed in regard to whether close relationships provide resources or present unwanted complications to dyadic coping, and the processes by which effects occur.

PowerLAPIM: An application to conduct power analysis for linear and quadratic longitudinal actor–partner interdependence models in intensive longitudinal dyadic designs

The longitudinal actor–partner interdependence model (L-APIM) is used to study actor and partner effects, both linear and curvilinear, in dyadic intensive longitudinal data. A burning question is how to conduct power analyses for different L-APIM variants. In this paper, we introduce an accessible power analysis application, called PowerLAPIM, and provide a hands-on tutorial for conducting simulation-based power analyses for 32 L-APIM variants. With PowerLAPIM, we target the number of dyads needed, but not the number of repeated measurements for both partners (which is often fixed in longitudinal studies). PowerLAPIM allows to study moderation of linear and quadratic actor and partner effects by incorporating time-varying covariates or a categorical dyad-level predictor to test group differences. We also provide the functionality to account for serial dependency in the outcome variable by including autoregressive effects. Building on existing study that can yield estimates and thus plausible values of relevant model parameters, we illustrate how to perform a power analysis for a future study. In this illustration, we also demonstrate how to run a sensitivity analysis, to assess the impact of uncertainty about the model parameters, and of changes in the number of repeated measurements.

The long-term impact of loneliness and social isolation on depression and anxiety in memory clinic attendees and their care partners: A longitudinal actor-partner interdependence model.

IntroductionThis study examined the long‐term influence of loneliness and social isolation on mental health outcomes in memory assessment service (MAS) attendees and their care partners, with a focus on interdependence and bidirectionality.MethodsLongitudinal data from 95 clinic attendees with cognitive impairment, and their care partners (dyads), from four MAS in the North of England were analyzed. We applied the actor–partner interdependence model, seeking associations within the dyad. At baseline and 12‐month follow‐up, clinic attendees and care partners completed measures of loneliness and social isolation, depression, and anxiety.ResultsSocial isolation at baseline was more prevalent in care partners compared to MAS attendees. Social isolation in MAS attendees was associated with higher anxiety symptoms (β = 0.28, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 0.11 to 0.45) in themselves at 12 months. We found significant positive actor and partner effects of loneliness on depression (actor effect: β = 0.36, 95% CIs = 0.19 to 0.53; partner effect: β = 0.23, 95% CIs = 0.06 to 0.40) and anxiety (actor effect: β = 0.39, 95% CIs = 0.23 to 0.55; partner effect: β = 0.22, 95% CIs = 0.05 to 0.39) among MAS attendees 1 year later. Loneliness scores of the care partners have a significant and positive association with depressive (β = 0.36, 95% CIs = 0.19 to 0.53) and anxiety symptoms (β = 0.32, 95% CIs = 0.22 to 0.55) in themselves at 12 months.DiscussionLoneliness and social isolation in MAS clinic attendees had a downstream effect on their own and their care partners’ mental health. This highlights the importance of including care partners in assessments of mental health and social connectedness and expanding the remit of social prescribing in the MAS context.

The Role of Pornography Use in Intimate Partner Violence in Different-Sex Couples: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Pornography use and intimate partner violence (IPV) are both prevalent in romantic relationships. However, information is lacking about whether pornography use predicts IPV. This study examined the relation between frequency of pornography use (FPU) and IPV across a span of 4 months in a sample of 132 different-sex couple dyads. At least one partner in each couple was attending a Canadian university. Participants (N = 264) completed online measures of pornography use, IPV, and social desirability at baseline and at a 4-month follow-up. Two longitudinal actor–partner interdependence models using a structural equation framework to conduct path analyses demonstrated that (a) higher FPU among men at baseline predicted increases in IPV perpetration and victimization from baseline to 4-month follow-up for both men and women and (b) women’s baseline FPU did not predict change in IPV over time for themselves or their partners. These findings suggest that frequent pornography use among male partners in different-sex romantic relationships may represent an under-recognized risk factor for IPV, and further research is needed to identify latent factors that may be contributing to this relation. Although women’s baseline FPU did not predict changes in IPV over time, this may be because women used pornography less frequently than men.

Suicidal ideation after acute traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal actor-partner interdependence model of patients and caregivers in Latin America.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with depression, anxiety, and even suicidality in individuals with TBI and in caregivers. Moreover, emotional functioning in individuals with TBI is linked with caregiver functioning. However, no known studies to date have examined linkages in suicidal ideation in individuals with TBI and family caregivers. This is especially important in Latin America, where TBI rates are high, and where cultural norms influence family caregiving. This study examined associations among self-reported suicidal ideation in individuals with TBI and their primary caregivers over time in Mexico and Colombia. Research Method/Design: A total of 109 individuals and their primary caregivers completed measures during hospitalization for TBI and at 2- and 4-months posthospitalization. The primary outcome was Item 9 from the Spanish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, assessing for thoughts of death or suicide in the previous 2 weeks. Patients and caregivers reported high levels of suicidal ideation (18.3%-22.4% and 12.4%-15.7%, respectively) at each time point, and suicidal ideation at one time point strongly predicted ideation at the next. When patients endorsed suicidal ideation in the hospital, their caregivers tended to endorse suicidal ideation 2 months later. Although unaccounted for variables could be driving these relationships, they may also provide possible evidence of causal preponderance between patient and caregiver suicidal ideation post-TBI. Clinicians and rehabilitation specialists can use these findings to inform suicide risk assessment by expanding these practices to caregivers of patients who endorsed suicidal ideation. Interventions after TBI should incorporate caregivers given this study showed significant interdependence of suicidality between patients and caregivers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Domestic bliss, or technological diss? Problematic media use, partner responsiveness, and relationship outcomes

The purpose of this study was to examine how problematic media use (technoference, internet gaming disorder symptoms, and pornography use) predicted later partner relationship outcomes, operating through the mediator of partner responsiveness. Participants ( N = 1039) were from Waves II–IV of a nationally representative quantitative study on marriage relationships across the United States. Both spouses completed surveys reporting problematic media use, partner responsiveness, and relationship outcomes at three separate time points each spaced a year apart. In order to test the hypotheses, three longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models with indirect paths were estimated, with each model corresponding to one type of problematic media use. Results indicated that at the cross-sectional level, all three types of problematic media use had significant indirect actor and partner effects, where problematic media use predicted lower relationship outcomes through the intervening variable of partner non-responsiveness. Longitudinally, wife technoference directly negatively predicted later partner responsiveness, but there were no full indirect paths of Wave II problematic media to Wave IV relationship outcomes through the intervening variable of Wave III partner responsiveness. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.

Take a sad song and make it better: Spousal activity limitations, caregiving, and depressive symptoms among couples

ObjectivesFramed around key concepts of the life course perspective, we examined the linkages between spousal activity limitations, caregiving transitions, and depression among married couples. The key study objectives were 1) to demonstrate how the caregiving-depression link widely reported in earlier research may have been over-stated, and 2) to investigate whether caregiving yields mental health benefits by weakening the link between spousal activity limitations and depressive symptoms. MethodsWe used longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2004–2016) to examine a national sample of coupled individuals (6,475 couples; 57,844 person-wave observations). A series of longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models were used to estimate within-person associations between spousal activity limitations, caregiving transitions, and depressive symptoms among coupled individuals. ResultsFindings demonstrated that spousal activity limitations function as a confounder for the association between caregiving transitions and depressive symptoms. Results further provided evidence that transitioning into a caregiving role in the context of spousal activity limitations alleviated symptoms of depression for the caregiver. ConclusionThe findings provide an explanation for the extended longevity benefit reaped by caregivers increasingly reported in recent population studies. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.