Is it contagious? Affect similarity among spouses

Abstract

Theories of emotional contagion suggest that spouses mutually experience affective or emotional states. However, empirical support for this theory is limited. Using a dyadic approach, this study examines affect similarity of depressive symptoms between elders with vision impairment and their spouses. As part of an investigation on older couples dealing with disability, 123 elders dealing with a recent vision loss and their spouses were interviewed. Guided by a stress process model, predictors of spouse depressive symptoms were examined. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the spouse's race, health, care-giving appraisal, self-efficacy, conflict with other family members regarding their partner, and their partner's depressive symptoms significantly predicted spouse depression. Specifically, spouses who were white, in poorer health, experienced more care-giving burden, had more family conflict, and poorer self-efficacy, were more likely to be depressed. Entered in the final step, elder depression uniquely contributed to the prediction of spouse depression. This points to affect similarity among spouses, which suggests that when one spouse is depressed, the other spouse is likely to experience a similar depressive symptomatology.

Psychosocial Adaptations to Dual Sensory Loss in Middle and Late Adulthood

“…With regard to vision loss, Goodman and colleagues 102,103 examined affect similarity in older couples where one spouse was experiencing significant age-related visual impairment resulting in an application for vision rehabilitation services. Both the level of family conflict and the depressive symptoms of the spouse with sensory impairment were independent predictors of depression among the spouses of persons with visual impairment.…”

“…Generally speaking, marriage has been found to have a positive impact on physical and mental health and the marital relationship seems to mediate the impact of mutually experienced live events, such as the onset of visual impairment in later life. 102,103 Spouses are the most likely to serve as informal caregivers when one member of the couple experiences chronic illness or disability. 104 However, one must consider that family and significant others may also be affected by the dual loss on the part of one member.…”

Identifying Modifiable Factors associated with Depression across the Lifespan in Stroke Survivor-Spouse Dyads

“…Hatfield and colleagues (Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1993) were among the earliest contemporary researchers to develop theory related to the concept of emotional contagion in humans. Alternatively known as affect similarity (Goodman & Shippy, 2002), mood convergence (Bookwala & Schultz, 1996), affect concordance (Epstude & Mussweiler, 2009), transference or countertransference (Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1993), or emotional transmission (Thompson & Bolger, 1999), emotional contagion has been defined as "the tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements with another person's and, consequently, to converge emotionally (Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1993, p. 96).…”

Estado emocional de familiares de adultos con degeneración retiniana.

“…It has also been pointed out that there could be an emotional contagion, referring to a process by which the state of mind of people with visual difficulties can affect or extend to others, in this case family members that are in close contact with them (Bambara et al, 2009b;Bookwala & Schultz, 1996;Goodman & Shippy, 2002).…”

“…In this sense, family members of adults with low vision often provide practical support (Barron, Foxall, von Dollen, Jones, & Shull, 1994;Cimarolli & Boerner, 2005;Reinhardt, 1996) and emotional support (Goodman & Shippy, 2002), frequently acting as an informal extension of medical care, without possessing sufficient training for this task, like those who help family members with difficulties of other types (Dreer, Berry, Elliot, & Rivera, 2007). The role of the family members depends on such diverse factors as the severity of the visual impairment, the impact of vision loss on everyday living, the existence of other co-morbid health problems and type and level of help given (Bambara et al, 2009a).…”