Emotion regulation and satisfaction in long-term marital relationships: The role of emotional contagion

Abstract

How couples regulate their emotions and how they converge emotionally with one another can critically affect relationship quality. We examined individual differences in two different classes of interaction-relevant processes—emotion regulation (ER) and emotional contagion (EC), the tendency to catch and converge with the emotions of others—in long-term marital relationships. Results from the actor–partner interdependence model analyses indicated that (a) actors’ and partners’ levels of cognitive reappraisal (but not suppression) and EC were independently associated with higher marital satisfaction and (b) both partners’ and actors’ levels of EC moderated associations between cognitive reappraisal (but not suppression) and marital satisfaction, such that this association significantly increased for lower levels of EC. EC at couple level had a direct effect on marital satisfaction and overrode individual-level effects of EC. These results indicate that both automatic (EC) and controlled (ER) processes have independent and conjoint effects on marital satisfaction in long-wed couples and, to an extent, coincide in attempts to synchronize couples’ emotional linkage. The results point to intrapersonal and interpersonal mechanisms in the regulation of emotion in longer term marital relationships.

Emotion regulation and romantic partners’ relationship satisfaction

“…However, the observed effect was relatively small, and obtained on newlywed couples only. The only remaining studies that explored this issue failed to observe any partner effects of suppression (Mazzuca et al, 2018;Vater & Schroder-Abe, 2015), which corresponds to our findings.…”

“…The observed actor effects and partner effects of reappraisal on RS are in line with the majority of the earlier studies (Mazzuca et al, 2018;Rusu et al, 2019). Actor effects of reappraisal on RS are theoretically clearer and studied more often than its partner effects (Gross, 1998;Rusu et al, 2019).…”

“…It positively predicted one's own RS in both genders (e.g., Rusu et al, 2019). Similarly, recent studies found positive effects of reappraisal on one's partner's RS in both genders (Mazzuca et al, 2018;Rusu et al, 2019). These findings are not surprising, since experimentally manipulated reappraisal was found to decrease cardiovascular activity and negative emotions during relationship conflict in both reappraising individuals and their partners (Ben-Naim et al, 2013).…”

“…The evidence supporting actor effects can be found in studies based on both APIM and other study designs, including cross-sectional (Chervonsky & Hunt, 2017;Velotti et al, 2016), quasiexperimental (Impett et al, 2012(Impett et al, , 2014Vater & Schroder-Abe, 2015), and longitudinal diary studies (e.g., Impett et al, 2012Impett et al, , 2014. Partner effects of reappraisal on RS were also previously found, although there were few such studies (Mazzuca et al, 2018;Rusu et al, 2019). In the study by Vater and Schroder-Abe (2015), in which there were no links between reappraisal and partner's RS, the reappraisal was measured as momentary spontaneous situational emotion regulation during a specific situation, rather than trait.…”

Understanding the Mental Health Implications of Emotion Regulation: A Journey Through Authenticity

“…Reappraisal was associated with decreased depression, and heightened life satisfaction, optimism, and self-esteem (Garnefski, Kraaij, & Spinhoven, 2001;Gross & John, 2003). Similarly, reappraisal also contributed to healthier interpersonal relatedness as indicated by increased social sharing, relationship closeness, peer liking, social support (Gross & John, 2003), and marital satisfaction (Mazzuca, Kafetsios, Livi, & Presaghi, 2018). However, suppression negatively influenced psychosocial functioning in contrast to reappraisal (Gross & John, 2003;John & Gross, 2004).…”