Physiological Effects of Marital Conflict

婚姻冲突的生理影响

• 批准号: 6670180
• 负责人: DAVID VOGEL
• 金额: $ 7.3万
• 依托单位: IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-01 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6670180
• 关键词: arousal; autonomic nervous system; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; clinical research; communication behavior; conflict; dyadic interaction; emotional crisis; gender difference; heart rate; human subject; marriage /marital status; problem solving; psychophysiology; social behavior

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A central feature of a successful close relationship is the ability to resolve conflict. Accordingly, pattems of communication behaviors, and especially problem-solving behaviors, have become a central target for interventions aimed at alleviating or preventing marital distress. One particularly relevant set of behaviors occurs when one partner exhibits demanding behavior (e.g., pursuing changes in the relationship), while the other partner concurrently exhibits withdrawal behavior (e.g., attempting to avoid discussing the issue). This demand withdraw pattern (Christensen, 1987; 1988), while common in intimate relationships, is especially likely to be exhibited by distressed or less satisfied couples. This demand/withdraw pattern also shows reliable sex differences in the extent to which partners demand or withdraw during problem-solving discussions. Numerous studies have shown that, when attempting to resolve a problem, women are more likely to express demands and men are more likely to exhibit withdrawal. Some researchers have suggested that these sex-related differences are the result of physiological reactions to emotional stress. Gottman and Levenson (1988), for example, hypothesized that husbands exhibit greater degrees of withdrawal, because they experience aversive levels of physiological arousal during marital confrontations. Withdraw behavior is used by men to reduce the discomfort involved with such high arousal. Women, because they experience less arousal, are able to pursue confrontation (i.e., demand). Within the marital literature, this hypothesis has been widely discussed but rarely studied, and no studies have directly linked physiological responses of married partners during a problem-solving discussion to their behavior during that discussion. The first specific aim, therefore, is to determine whether elevated autonomic physiological reactions to emotional stress are in fact temporarily linked to the use of negative problem solving strategies (i.e., demand/withdraw behaviors) during marital conflict. The second specific aim is to determine whether these autonomic physiological reactions explain sex-related behavioral differences in women and men's marital problem-solving strategies. Finally, the third specific aim is to determine whether these autonomic responses are associated with marital distress. Testing these ideas will allow a better understanding of why demand and withdraw behaviors occur and will facilitate the prevention and treatment of negative marital interactions, which can decrease marital dissatisfaction and increase the probability of dissolution.

描述（由申请人提供）：成功密切关系的主要特征是解决冲突的能力。因此，沟通行为，尤其是解决问题的行为的赛道已成为旨在减轻或预防婚姻困扰的干预措施的核心目标。当一个伴侣表现出苛刻的行为（例如，追求关系改变）时，就会发生一组特别相关的行为，而另一个伙伴同时表现出戒断行为（例如，试图避免讨论问题）。这种需求撤回模式（Christensen，1987; 1988）虽然在亲密关系中很常见，但尤其有可能由苦恼或不满意的夫妇展示。这种需求/撤回模式还显示了在解决问题的讨论中要求或退出的程度上可靠的性别差异。许多研究表明，在试图解决问题时，女性更有可能表达需求，而男性则更有可能表现出戒断。一些研究人员认为，这些与性别相关的差异是对情绪压力的生理反应的结果。例如，Gottman和Levenson（1988）假设丈夫表现出更大的戒断程度，因为他们在婚姻对抗中经历了厌恶的生理唤醒水平。男性使用撤回行为来减少与如此高的唤醒有关的不适。妇女，因为她们的唤醒较少，因此能够追求对抗（即需求）。在婚姻文献中，这一假设进行了广泛讨论，但很少研究，并且在讨论期间，在解决问题的讨论中，未直接将已婚伴侣的生理反应与他们的行为联系起来。因此，第一个具体目的是确定对情绪压力的自主生理反应的提升实际上是否与婚姻冲突期间的负面问题解决策略（即需求/撤回行为）暂时联系在一起。第二个具体目的是确定这些自主神经反应是否解释了男女婚姻问题解决策略中与性别相关的行为差异。最后，第三个具体目的是确定这些自主性反应是否与婚姻困扰有关。测试这些想法将可以更好地理解为什么需求和撤回行为发生，并促进预防和治疗负面的婚姻相互作用，这可以减少婚姻不满并增加解散的可能性。