Partner Responsiveness Research Articles

Factors of relationship satisfaction for autistic and non-autistic partners in long-term relationships.

Previous research has found that autistic people report lower satisfaction in their romantic relationships compared to non-autistic people. However, the majority of this research has focused on autistic traits as barriers to relationship satisfaction, while overlooking the role of their partners in these relationships. Our study explored a range of factors in both autistic people and non-autistic partners of autistic people and how they may be linked to long-term relationship satisfaction. These factors included social and communication skills, personality traits, social loneliness, partner responsiveness, and sexual satisfaction. We found that partner responsiveness was a strong predictor of relationship satisfaction for both autistic and non-autistic partners, suggesting that rather than focusing intervention solely on the autistic person, the role of their partner should also be considered. Service providers who work with couples involving an autistic person to enhance their relationship satisfaction could focus on assisting their clients to identify each other's needs and how best to meet them.

EphB2-dependent prefrontal cortex activation promotes long-range social approach and partner responsiveness

Social behavior starts with dynamic approach prior to the final consummation. The flexible processes ensure mutual feedback across social brains to transmit signals. However, how the brain responds to the initial social stimuli precisely to elicit timed behaviors remains elusive. Here, by using real-time calcium recording, we identify the abnormalities of EphB2 mutant with autism-associated Q858X mutation in processing long-range approach and accurate activity of prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). The EphB2-dependent dmPFC activation precedes the behavioral onset and is actively associated with subsequent social action with the partner. Furthermore, we find that partner dmPFC activity is responsive coordinately to the approaching WT mouse rather than Q858X mutant mouse, and the social defects caused by the mutation are rescued by synchro-optogenetic activation in dmPFC of paired social partners. These results thus reveal that EphB2 sustains neuronal activation in the dmPFC that is essential for the proactive modulation of social approach to initial social interaction.

Cross-cultural differences in supportive responses to positive event disclosure

ABSTRACT Perceived reactions to sharing of good news (capitalization), can have important implications for romantic relationships. Typically, when European Americans perceive that their partners respond in an active constructive (versus passive and/or destructive,) manner, they tend to perceive their partners as more responsive and report higher relationship quality. However, cross-cultural differences in norms can influence peoples’ preference for different capitalization responses and whether different capitalization responses convey partner responsiveness. In a combined sample of European Americans, East, and South Asians (N = 915), we investigated whether links among capitalization responses, perceived partner responsiveness, and relationship quality differed by culture. People who perceived active constructive and passive destructive responses reported higher and lower levels of partner responsiveness and relationship satisfaction, respectively. Further, European Americans who perceived active destructive, and European Americans and East Asians who perceived passive constructive, responses, reported less partners responsiveness and relationship satisfaction. South Asians who perceived passive constructive responses reported greater partner responsiveness and relationship satisfaction. East and South Asians who perceived active destructive responses did not differ in relationship satisfaction. Our findings provide a cross-cultural perspective on the study of romantic couples’ positive event disclosure and expand capitalization research to an understudied sample of South Asians.

Positive crossover: Parent perceived partner responsiveness and health of youth with asthma

AbstractRomantic relationship functioning has implications that extend beyond the romantic dyad. This study tests whether a key positive aspect of relationships, perceived partner responsiveness, can cross over from parents' romantic relationships to children's health and well‐being via parenting behavior. In a sample of 112 youth with asthma and their primary caregivers, when caregivers perceived higher partner responsiveness in their romantic relationship, youth experienced improved self‐reported asthma symptoms, pulmonary functioning, and positive affect. The associations were robust while controlling for parents' relationship conflict and other relevant covariates, except for the pulmonary functioning outcome, which was instead predicted by parents' conflict. However, parenting behavior (i.e., positive and negative parenting) did not appear to mediate these links. This work highlights the importance of positive romantic relationship processes for youth health and well‐being, emphasizing the relevance of clinical intervention work and the need to continue investigating mechanisms through which these processes may be linked.

The moderating role of perceived partner responsiveness on the association between communal orientation and subjective well-being

This study examined whether perceived partner responsiveness in romantic relationships would moderate the association between communal orientation and subjective well-being. An online survey was conducted among 516 Japanese adults involved in romantic relationships. Participants first completed the Communal Orientation Scale and answered questions about their perceived partner responsiveness. Participants were then asked to recollect their experiences when they provided benefits to their partner in the past month and to indicate their feelings about these experiences. Finally, participants completed scales measuring subjective well-being (Life Satisfaction Scale and the PANAS). The results revealed a positive association between communal orientation and subjective well-being, observed only among those who perceived high partner responsiveness. Contrary to the hypotheses, moderated mediation effects of participants’ felt authenticity and regret in providing benefits to their romantic partner were not found. These results suggest that communal orientation is more likely to be associated with one’s well-being when individuals feel secure about their partner’s responsiveness.

PERCEIVED PARTNER RESPONSIVENESS AND INTIMATE PARTNER CYBERSTALKING: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED SATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION

Cyberstalking in romantic relationships can have psychological consequences for victims, suggesting that there is a need to understand the factors behind such behaviors. Hence, the present study explored the relationship between perceived partner responsiveness and cyberstalking. It also investigated the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration in this relationship. The final sample consisted of 212 Turkish individuals (Mage = 27.31, SD = 8.14, Min-Max = 18-58 years) who were in a romantic relationship for over one month. They completed an online questionnaire package to measure perceived partner responsiveness, cyberstalking in intimate romantic relationships, and basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration. The results of current study showed that perceived partner responsiveness and basic psychological need frustration were significantly correlated with cyberstalking in intimate romantic relationships. In addition, perceived partner responsiveness was indirectly related to cyberstalking through need frustration. In conclusion, these findings provide insight into the negative relationship between perceived partner responsiveness and cyberstalking and the mediating role of basic need frustration on this relationship Keywords Cyberstalking, romantic relationships, basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration, perceived partner responsiveness

Interest in and perceived benefits and risks of Alzheimer’s disease clinical and biomarker results disclosure among diverse participants and care partners

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarker disclosure is a potential avenue for tailoring person‐centered care for patients and families and targeting known health disparities. However, disclosure cannot take a one‐size‐fits‐all approach. It is critical to understand whether older adults with and without cognitive impairment (i.e., mild cognitive impairment (MCI)) and their care partners are interested in engaging in biomarker disclosure, and what perceived benefits and risks exist, as a function of race, social determinants, and clinical status.Method57 participant‐care partner dyads [participants: 56.1% female; 36.8% Black, 74.3±5.98 years, 42.1% with MCI; partners: 79.0% female; 33.3% Black, 66.9±10.9 years] completed a semi‐structured interview assessing demographic factors, healthcare access, economic stability, social support, and perspectives on AD biomarker disclosure. Fisher’s exact tests were used to assess participant and partner characteristics associated with interest in, and perceived benefits and risks of the participant engaging in results disclosure. Differences in participant and care partner responses were evaluated using two‐sample t‐tests.ResultWhen asked to select the main benefit and disadvantage of knowing AD risk (out of 9 benefits and 10 disadvantages), participants and partners described varied benefits. Participants and partners both endorsed having the opportunity to engage in Alzheimer’s disease treatments and/or clinical trials (23.2% v. 29.8%), followed by having the opportunity to inform long‐term care plans (14.3% v. 17.5%) and learning more about the participants’ health (12.5% v. 15.8%) as primary motivators for engaging in biomarker disclosure. In contrast, the majority of participants (80.8%) and partners (82.1%) endorsed no perceived disadvantages of learning the participants’ biomarker information for risk of dementia‐Alzheimer’s Type. Nearly all dyads endorsed moderate to strong interest in cognitive test results (96.5% participants; 93.0% partners), structural neuroimaging (94.8%; 89.4%), genotyping (94.8%; 87.7%) and protein biomarker disclosure (98.3%; 87.7%). Interest was not associated with diagnosis, race, or social determinants of health.ConclusionParticipants and care partners endorse almost universal interest, varied benefits and few disadvantages of learning the participant’s AD biomarker results. Pre‐disclosure education and decisional‐capacity assessment are needed to ensure informed decision‐making. Further data on how social determinants may influence motivations for, reactions to, and risks of AD biomarker disclosure are needed.

Identifying dementia care needs of family physicians, people living with dementia, and care partners in Canada: Results of a national survey

AbstractBackgroundThere is consensus that timely detection, diagnosis and ongoing care of people with dementia is primarily the responsibility of family physicians in Canada. Yet evidence indicates low to moderate diagnosis rates and significant challenges in management of dementia. With the growing number of Canadians living with dementia, there is an increasing need to develop effective practice tools for family physicians and to understand the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers. This nationwide study was conducted to identify the gaps in tools currently being used, and to identify the domains of care that people with lived experience of dementia and their caregivers feel are being done well, and those that require improvement by their family physician.MethodThree nationwide surveys were distributed to target audiences: the 39‐item Dementia Care Needs Assessment Survey for family physicians, the 35‐item Dementia Journey Survey: Caregiver Experience for caregivers, and the 33‐item Dementia Journey Survey: Living with Dementia Experience for persons living with dementia. Survey questions were both multiple choice and open‐ended. Descriptive analyses were conducted on closed‐ended survey questions. Qualitative analyses of open‐ended questions were both inductive, based on observed patterns, and deductive, based on the study objectives.ResultThe surveys received 288 physician, 78 people with dementia, and 485 care partner responses. Preliminary analysis indicates consensus between physicians, people with dementia, and care partners on 15 of 22 barriers to diagnosis and care. Barriers highlighted included gaps in education and support, community resources, and access to specialists, as well as the need for improved communication around care and diagnosis. A further 4 themes were highlighted by physicians and 3 themes by people with dementia that did not overlap, indicating divergent needs. 24.7% of physicians reported using practice tools for dementia care, 10% of whom use only 1 tool for all aspects.ConclusionOptimal primary care is a cornerstone of a comprehensive approach to supporting people with dementia and their care partners. Identifying gaps in knowledge and tools to support practice and developing new educational programs that are aligned with the needs of people with dementia are vital to improve primary dementia care.

Chimpanzee play sequences are structured hierarchically as games.

Social play is ubiquitous in the development of many animal species and involves players adapting actions flexibly to their own previous actions and partner responses. Play differs from other behavioural contexts for which fine-scale analyses of action sequences are available, such as tool use and communication, in that its form is not defined by its function, making it potentially more unpredictable. In humans, play is often organised in games, where players know context-appropriate actions but string them together unpredictably. Here, we use the sequential nature of play elements to explore whether play elements in chimpanzees are structured hierarchically and follow predictable game-like patterns. Based on 5,711 play elements from 143 bouts, we extracted individual-level play sequences of 11 Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of different ages from the Bossou community. We detected transition probabilities between play elements that exceeded expected levels and show that play elements form hierarchically clustered and interchangeable groups, indicative of at least six games that can be identified from transition networks, some with different roles for different players. We also show that increased information about preceding play elements improved predictability of subsequent elements, further indicating that play elements are not strung together randomly but that flexible action rules underlie their usage. Thus, chimpanzee play is hierarchically structured in short games which limit acceptable play elements and allow players to predict and adapt to partners' actions. This "grammar of action" approach to social interactions can be valuable in understanding cognitive and communicative abilities within and across species.

State Mindful Attention Awareness as a Dyadic Protective Factor During COVID-19: a Daily Diary Study.

Accumulating evidence suggests that mindfulness, as a trait, can be a form of personal resilience to stress. However, mindfulness is considered a present-moment state which makes it important to focus on its state-level (vs. trait-level) effects. Modern theories of stress suggest that coping with stress often involves interpersonal processes, and it is therefore valuable to clarify mindfulness interpersonal (vs. intrapersonal) stress-buffering effects. The current study examined mindful attention awareness as a dyadic protective factor at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A convenience sample of 72 cohabiting romantic couples participated in a 21-day daily diary study. The background (pre-diary) questionnaire assessed their experience of COVID-related stressors (e.g., financial and health-related burdens). The diary assessed state mindful attention awareness, mood, COVID-related stress, relationship satisfaction, and perceived partner responsiveness (PPR). A series of Actor-Partner Interdependence Multilevel Models were used to analyze the dyadic data. Actor state mindful awareness was associated with better daily personal (mood and stress) and relational (PPR and satisfaction) outcomes. Partner state mindful awareness was associated with higher PPR. Actor state mindful awareness also attenuated the association between pre-diary COVID-related stressors and daily COVID-related stress. State mindfulness may serve as a dyadic protective factor when couples face stressful circumstances. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-02025-z.

Cultural Variations in Perceived Partner Responsiveness: The Role of Self-Consistency

Past research has shown that perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) is a key process contributing to individual and relational outcomes and identified dispositional, relational, and situational factors that can influence it. However, little is known about how cultural factors play a role in the process of PPR. In Studies 1 ( n = 4,041) and 2 ( n = 414), we examined whether the degree of PPR differs across cultures by comparing European Americans and East Asians. We found that East Asians are less likely to experience perceived responsiveness from others than European Americans (Cohen’s d = 1.11–1.25 for Study 1 and Cohen’s d = 0.23 for Study 2). Furthermore, we found that self-consistency explained the cultural difference in PPR, indicating that East Asians underperceived partner responsiveness compared with European Americans because they behave less consistently across social situations. We conclude by highlighting the importance of exploring the process of PPR from a cultural perspective.

Directedness and engagement in chimpanzee vocal ontogeny.

Directedness and engagement during pre-verbal vocal communication play a major role in language development. What was their role in the evolution of language? This question invites us to examine these behaviours in chimpanzee vocal ontogeny. We collected observational data on infant (N=15) and juvenile (N=13) chimpanzees at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage, Zambia. We examined the impact of age and vocalization type (grunts, whimpers, laughs and screams) on directed cues (gaze directedness and face directedness) and engagement (mutual face directedness) during vocal communication. We also assessed the impact of directed cues and engagement on social interactions by coding the behaviour of social partners before, during and after a vocalisation, and examining whether they contingently changed their behaviour in response to the vocalisation if it was directed or if engagement occurred. We found that face directed vocalisations showed a general increase during ontogeny and we observed call-type dependent effects of age for mutual face directedness. Only face directed vocalisations were significantly predictive of behavioural responses in social partners. We conclude that like young humans, young chimpanzees routinely exhibit directed behaviours and engagement during vocal communication. This social competency improves during ontogeny and benefits individuals by increasing the chances of eliciting behavioural responses from social partners. Directedness and engagement likely provide a foundation for language phylogenetically, as well as ontogenetically. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We show that directedness and engagement routinely occur during early chimpanzee vocalisations. Directedness increases throughout chimpanzee vocal ontogeny, similar to human infants. Directedness enhances social partner responsiveness, demonstrating a direct benefit to this style of communication. Directedness and engagement could provide a route towards language phylogenetically as well as ontogenetically.

Differences in patient and caregiving partner responses to individual items on the FACIT-COST questionnaire.

183 Background: The financial impacts of cancer diagnosis and treatment extend beyond patients to affect intimate partners. Understanding how both members of the dyad experience financial toxicity (FT) can help inform dyadic interventions to address FT. We compare patient and partner responses to items on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)-COST, a patient-reported outcome measure of cancer-related financial distress. Methods: Adult patients with stage II-IV breast, lung, or colorectal cancer and their spouse/ cohabiting partner independently completed the 11-item FACIT-COST. Correlations between responses by both members were calculated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: There were 336 dyads (median patient age 53, 45% stage IV, 84% white) included in the analysis. Both members of the dyad had similar FT experiences in 74% of cases (26% and 48% reported FT and no FT respectively) while 26% diverged in their experience of FT. Responses to items 3, 6, 7, 10, and 11 (Table) were highly correlated (r > 0.6) while responses to questions 4 (I feel I have no choice about the amount of money we spend on care) and 5 (I am frustrated that I cannot work or contribute as much as I usually do) were weakly correlated (0.3 > r > 0), with patients generally reporting worse scores than partners on these items. Conclusions: Within-couple correlation between FACIT-COST items varies, with multiple responses weakly correlated. Future research should assess the impact of this variation on psychosocial functioning and explore approaches to facilitate dyadic communication around this important issue.[Table: see text]

Lightening the load: Perceived partner responsiveness fosters more positive appraisals of relational sacrifices.

Romantic partners regularly sacrifice their own self-interest when partners' needs and preferences diverge. The present work examines the role of perceived partner responsiveness (PPR)-impressions that one's partner is understanding, caring, and validating-in positively shaping people's appraisals of their relational sacrifices. In Study 1, a preregistered experiment of romantically involved individuals (N = 548), we manipulated PPR (high, low, or control) in a hypothetical sacrifice scenario. In Study 2, we tracked romantic couples' (N = 126) in-lab conversations about a sacrifice (Study 2a), and their sacrifices in daily life (Study 2b). In Study 3, romantic couples (N = 111) engaged in lab conversations about a sacrifice that entailed making a change that one partner desired from the other, and reported on their progress 2 weeks later. In Study 4, we surveyed romantically involved individuals (N = 230) who recently made a life-changing sacrifice by relocating to a new city or country to support their partner's career. Across studies, results showed that higher PPR fostered more positive sacrifice appraisals (i.e., lower costs and viewing the act as less of a sacrifice, greater satisfaction, greater personal and relational benefits, lower regret) and greater sacrifice behavior (Study 3)-in part due to greater closeness with and lower negative affect toward the partner. Additionally, Study 4 suggested that PPR partly originated from the partner's efforts to fulfill fundamental psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness). Thus, PPR can play a critical role in lightening the load of daily and even life-changing sacrifices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Pemberdayaan Kelompok Masyarakat Suryasari dalam meningkatkan pelayanan dan pemasaran Agrowisata Petik Belimbing melalui Model Eduwisata STAR (Sharing, Trying, and Adventuring) berbasis produk Nata de Averrhoa carambola

Karangsari has a starfruit picking agrotourism which is managed by the Suryasari community service. The Agrotourism of starfruit provided visitors a very simple and less varied service. The most common package taken by visitors is the starfruit picking package. Meanwhile, the implementation of the education package is still not optimal because the education provided is only a brief explanation about the cultivation of star fruit that is given while walking around the garden while picking the starfruit. Priority partners problems arises are less than optimal services in Agrotourism, especially in education packages, lack of partner skills in processing star fruit, especially star fruit that is overripe or slightly defective (damaged), and not yet optimal digital marketing so that the number of visitors is still limited from the area. local. The purpose of this activity is to empower the Suryasari community service in improving agro-tourism services and marketing through the product-based STAR edutourism model to improve tourism services in Karangsari Belimbing Picking Agrotourism. The methods applied in this activity include: (a) socialization and discussion about the product-based STAR edutourism model, (b) training on how to become an edutourism guide indoors and outdoors, (c) training on making nata de Averhoa carambola, (d) training in technical- digital marketing techniques, and (e) assisting partners in implementing product-based STAR edutourism packages to digital marketing. The results of this service could increase the partner's quality to become indoor and outdoor edutourism guides, increase the partner's ability to process starfruit into nata, and increase the partner's ability in digital marketing as shown by the results of partner responses to training activities that are quite good with 95% reaction level indicators, learning level 87%, behavior level 83%, and result level 80%. PkM activities also increase digital marketing activities by partners with the Karangsari Picking starfruit Agrotourism website. This activity has a positive impact on the Suryasari community service so that it is more qualified and able to provide maximum service for visitors to Karangsari starfruit picking agrotourism, Blitar, East Java.

A Communal Coping Intervention for Couples Managing Chronic Illness: Proof-of-Concept Study.

Communal coping is an interpersonal coping strategy defined as the appraisal of a problem as shared and collaboration to manage it. Despite evidence establishing links of communal coping to health, few interventions have involved communal coping. This study seeks to establish proof of concept that an intervention rooted in communal coping theory can impact couple members' communal coping and intermediary outcomes. Couples (n = 40) in which one person has type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to intervention versus control in a parallel randomized trial with 1:1 allocation. The intervention consisted of a single session focused on discussion of shared stressors, communal coping education, and collaborative implementation intentions followed by 7 days of text message reinforcement. Couples were interviewed in-person, received the intervention or active control, and completed 7 daily questionnaires. Communal coping and intermediary outcomes associated with communal coping were assessed daily. Feasibility and acceptability were also assessed. The intervention increased reports of both patient and partner shared appraisal and collaboration and impacted some intermediary outcomes of communal coping. Compared to control, intervention participants reported greater perceived partner responsiveness, patient support receipt, and partner confidence in patient illness self-efficacy. This study provides initial proof of concept that an intervention based on communal coping theory can increase couples' communal coping-both shared appraisal and collaboration. Additionally, the intervention was able to impact some intermediary outcomes that may be linked to downstream health outcomes for both patients and partners.

Putting responsiveness in context: How a partner's responsiveness baseline shapes perceived responsiveness

AbstractPerceived responsiveness has been described as a “bedrock of intimacy.” For responsive acts to be optimally beneficial, recipients must perceive them as responsive. Thus, understanding the factors that influence perceptions of responsiveness is critical for promoting high‐quality relationships. To date, little research has examined how relationship‐specific variables affect how people interpret responsive acts. This paper examine how one such contextual factor—perceptions of a partner's typical level of responsiveness (responsiveness baseline)—shapes interpretations of responsive and unresponsive acts. Two studies employing complementary paradigms provide converging evidence that individuals who perceive their partner as having a high (vs. low) responsiveness baseline perceive greater situational responsiveness when interpreting responsive (but not unresponsive) acts from their partner. These findings reveal a novel, relationship‐specific contextual influence on perceptions of responsiveness and highlight the importance of considering behavioral baselines when examining how people interpret interpersonal behavior.

Love Together, Parent Together (L2P2): a protocol for a feasibility study of a conflict reappraisal writing intervention for interparental couples with young children

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has introduced or amplified stress and challenge within couples’ relationships. Among those who are particularly vulnerable to heightened conflict and lower relationship satisfaction during this time are interparental couples with young children, whose relationships may have already been tenuous prior to the pandemic. Stress within the interparental relationship may have ripple effects on all family subsystems and child adjustment. The Love Together Parent Together (L2P2) program is a brief, low-intensity writing intervention adapted for parents of young children that was designed to reduce conflict-related distress and prevent declines in relationship satisfaction. Based on an original writing intervention by Finkel and colleagues, L2P2 has adapted the intervention duration and study population to be appropriate to the current global context. This study will examine the key feasibility metrics related to this adapted program with the goal of identifying problems and informing parameters of future pilot and/or main RCTs.MethodsThe current study is a non-randomized feasibility study, using a single-arm, pre-test/post-test design to primarily assess the feasibility of an evaluative RCT, and to secondarily assess the potential effects on outcomes to be used in a future RCT. Couples will be recruited through three community-based agencies with the goal of obtaining a socio-demographically diverse sample. The first 20 couples to enroll will be included. Baseline and post-intervention surveys will be conducted, and a writing intervention will take place (three 7-min sessions over the course of 5 weeks). The primary outcomes will be feasibility metrics of recruitment rates, appropriateness of eligibility criteria, sample diversity, retention, uptake, adherence, and acceptability. In addition, we will develop an objective measure of couple “we-ness” based on an analysis of writing samples. The secondary outcomes will include couples’ measures (i.e., relationship quality, perceived partner responsiveness, self-reported responsiveness, conflict-related distress), and additional family outcomes (i.e., parent-child relations, parental/child mental health). Criteria for success are outlined, and failure to meet the criteria will result in adaptations to the measurement schedule, intervention design, recruitment approach, and/or other elements of the program.DiscussionThis feasibility study will inform several components of the procedures used for a subsequent pilot RCT, in which we will examine the feasibility of the methodology used to evaluate the program (e.g., randomization, attrition to follow-up assessment/across groups, and sample size estimation, preliminary effectiveness), as well as the main RCT, which will investigate the effectiveness of the intervention on primary outcome measures and mediating pathways.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05143437

Phubbed and curious: The relation between partner phubbing and electronic partner surveillance

Partner phubbing (Pphubbing) concerns the act of ignoring a romantic partner during a conversation by paying attention to the mobile phone. In previous research, Pphubbing has been associated with several negative relationship outcomes, such as relationship dissatisfaction. In this study, we propose that another consequence of Pphubbing may be that the partner who is being phubbed (i.e., phubbee) engages in electronic partner surveillance (EPS) behaviors to check on their partner's online activities. We propose that this relationship is mediated by perceived partner responsiveness and anxiety. Data were collected via online survey among an adult sample in Belgium (n = 346; Mage = 40.5 years; 75.7% women). Analyses revealed that a relationship exists between Pphubbing and EPS, and that it can (partially) be explained through the chained mediation pathway of partner responsiveness and anxiety. Specifically, Pphubbing decreases perceived partner responsiveness, which in turn increases anxiety in the phubbee. Consequently, the phubbee may resort to partner surveillance to cope with these feelings and to decrease uncertainty. Our findings imply that research and practice related to digital intrusion within romantic relationships should consider (the interplay between) intra- and interpersonal factors in trying to explain the occurrence and impact of these harmful digital behaviors.

The relational dynamics of anger and shame: scripts for emotional interactions in Germany and Japan

This study explored German and Japanese scripts for anger and shame interactions between romantic partners. We started from the idea that emotion scripts structure people’s knowledge about emotional interactions and should vary systematically between cultures in line with the cultural significance of the emotion that the script organizes. Specifically, we expected that emotions that are consistent with culturally dominant relationship ideals (anger in Germany, shame in Japan) compared to those that are inconsistent (anger in Japan, shame in Germany) are experienced more commonly and that scripts for culturally consistent compared to inconsistent emotions should represent more knowledge about interpersonal contingencies. German and Japanese participants (N = 344) indicated for eight anger (or shame) situations how frequently they encounter similar situations, how intensely they would respond with anger/shame, how their partners would react, and how angry/ashamed they would feel after the interaction. In line with our expectations, we found that people encounter shame situations with their partners frequently to the extent that they lead to culturally consistent emotions; this was partially also the case for anger situations. Moreover, we found that, overall, participants took imagined partner responses more into account when imagining interactions around culturally consistent compared to inconsistent emotions, supporting the idea that these scripts represent more interpersonal influence.