Individual Differences in the Relationship Transition Context: Links to Physiological Outcomes

Abstract

The identification of relationship-relevant individual differences is central to elucidating how relationship experiences differentially impact individuals' health. To this end, we highlight the utility of studying the influence of individual differences on physiological outcomes (e.g., cortisol reactivity and recovery) in the context of normative relationship transitions. We argue that relationship transitions, such as falling in love and the process of committing to marry one's partner, amplify the influence of individual differences on relationship processes and, by extension, on physiological outcomes. Two such individual differences are highlighted-namely, relationship-focused processing and dependence-and suggestions for future work are provided.

Personality, Relationships, and Health

“…Perhaps most interesting is their hypothesis that personality traits, such as Neuroticism or attachment anxiety, have the potential to exacerbate the relation between the timing of support (i.e., before the stressful even or after the stressful event) and anxiety. Together, the articles by Neyer and colleagues (), Keneski and colleagues (), and McClure and colleagues () highlight the importance of our changing life circumstances and varying relationship dynamics. Models or theories of relationships that ignore issues of “timing” are doomed to provide motionless images of relationships, just as a photograph of a dancing Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would fail to convey their gesticulations and technical virtuosity.…”

“…(Loving, Crockett, & Paxson, ). Keneski and colleagues () present an overview of this and other research done in Timothy Loving's laboratory, examining how the stress resulting from falling in love and getting married strengthens the effects of personality characteristics on health‐related processes.…”

“…We may conclude the song with the same partner, but of greatest importance (at least in terms of our partner's toes) is how we worked together in order to navigate the tempo of the song. The final three articles—by Neyer, Mund, and Zimmermann (), Keneski, Schoenfeld, and Loving (), and McClure et al. ()—provide excellent examples as to why it is important for researchers to investigate the timing of life events in understanding links between personality, relationships, and health.…”

Young adults' romantic investment behaviors on social media

“…However, digitally connecting with a potential partner often precedes dating (Gesselman et al, 2019), and the ubiquity of both social media and online dating apps has likely created an environment in which digital spaces facilitate romantic and sexual connections, especially among young adults (Anderson et al, 2020; Rus & Tiemensma, 2017). Relationship transitions are often a time of heightened psychological and physiological arousal and include an intensified focus on the new partner and on building the relationship (Keneski et al, 2014; Aron et al, 2005). Because of the ease of accessibility, social media may be a common venue for channeling that focus in the foundational stage of a new relationship, allowing partners to interact and express affection and attraction via likes, comments, and direct messages.…”

“…Many relationships are temporary however, and the relationship dissolution transition is similarly characterized by heightened arousal and intense focus (Fisher et al, 2010; Langhinrichensen‐Rohling et al, 2000), albeit likely with a different valence. These emotions arise in response to perceived changes in the level of commitment and satisfaction with the relationship, along with feelings of (dis)connection (Fraley, 2019; Keneski et al, 2014; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016). Strong emotional states like these give way to motivated attachment behavior (Bowlby, 1982; Hazan & Shaver, 1987; Heffernan et al, 2012) partners may attempt to engage in investment behaviors to reconnect with a former partner, and possibly salvage or restart a relationship.…”