Perceived similarity in emotional reaction profiles between the self and a close other as a predictor of emotional well-being

Cheng, Yanhua; Grühn, Daniel

doi:10.1177/0265407515590278

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Our findings are consistent with other studies on couples' perceptions of sad mood, including a daily diary study with the current sample, which showed that both husbands and wives were not accurate in rating their partner's negative mood, but rather relied on their own feelings to make evaluations of their partner's feelings (Kouros & Papp, 2019;Papp et al, 2010;Peters & Overall, 2019). Other studies have shown that perceiving similarity in values, thoughts, and feelings is associated with greater personal adjustment and satisfaction with the relationship (Cheng & Gru ¨hn, 2016;Murray et al, 2002). Thus, one potential explanation of the findings is that assuming similarity may boost feelings of closeness in relationships, particularly when both spouses report lower levels of depressive symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Couples’ perceptions of each other’s depressive symptoms: Empathic accuracy and assumed similarity bias

Carson

Kouros

2021

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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The link between depressive symptoms and relationship functioning has been well-documented. Evidence for affective concordance in depressive symptoms between partners suggests that couples are aware of each other’s mood and symptoms; however, there have been no direct tests of the extent to which couples accurately perceive their partner’s mental health. The present study assessed spouses’ empathic accuracy and assumed similarity bias in rating each other’s depressive symptoms using the truth and bias actor-partner interdependence model for indistinguishable dyads. We hypothesized that husbands and wives would show significant assumed similarity but not significant empathic accuracy when rating their partner’s depressive symptoms. Participants were 55 racially and ethnically diverse heterosexual couples ( N = 110 individuals) with a child between the ages of 10–16 recruited from the community. Results did not provide evidence for empathic accuracy in rating a spouse’s depressive symptoms. Instead, we found significant assumed similarity, such that ratings of a spouse’s depressive symptoms were associated with one’s own level of depressive symptoms. We also found evidence of directional bias, such that, on average, spouses overestimated each other’s level of depressive symptoms. These preliminary findings suggest that couples may not be particularly attuned to their partner’s subjective ratings of depression-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Future research should explore the processes accounting for partners’ perceptions of each other’s mental health, and the impact of these perceptions on relationship functioning.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Couples’ perceptions of each other’s depressive symptoms: Empathic accuracy and assumed similarity bias

Carson

Kouros

2021

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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“…A similar association was shown regarding the children's perspective toward parents (Cheng & Grühn, 2016). For example, emerging adults who believed that they share similar interests and behaviors with their fathers reported higher relationship quality and were likely to rate their fathers' parental investment higher (Gallup et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Similar minds in the family: COVID‐19 centrality and relationship quality

Buyukcan‐Tetik

Aydın

Eisma

2023

Personal Relationships

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We examined whether perceived similarity in COVID‐19 centrality (i.e., the extent to which one thinks of the pandemic as shaping current and future life) is associated with family relationship quality during the pandemic. Thinking that other family members are similar to oneself regarding the pandemic's centrality may improve the quality of family relationships. We collected data from Turkish family triads (i.e., mother, father, 18–25 years old child) and had 481 participants from 180 families. Participants rated their similarity in COVID‐19 centrality with the other two family members and reported the general and daily quality of their relationship with them (relationship satisfaction, closeness, conflict). We analyzed the data using the Social Relations Model. We found that family members who, on average, perceived more similarity in COVID‐19 centrality reported higher levels in positive attributes of general relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction and closeness). The effects on conflict and daily relationship quality were less conclusive. This research confirms that family members' reactions during the COVID‐19 pandemic are interdependent. Perceiving that other family members are of similar minds about the centrality of the pandemic relates positively to some aspects of relationship quality.

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“…First, in only a few studies of perceived self-other similarity have the target others been parents, but those studies suggest that perceived self-parent similarity can have intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences. Among adults, perceived selfmother similarity in emotional reactions to situations was found to positively predict emotional well-being (Cheng & Grühn, 2016). Among adolescents, perceived self-parent value agreement was found to positively predict perceiving their parents as caring and admirable and the self-parent relationship as close (Barni et al, 2011;Knafo & Schwartz, 2012).…”

Section: Communal Motives and Perceived Similaritymentioning

confidence: 87%

Communal Motives Towards Parents and Perceived Self-Parent Agreement

Locke

MacDonald

Barni

et al. 2021

Collabra: Psychology

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Associations have been found between communal motives to feel warmly connected with others and perceiving similarities between self and others, presumably because perceived self-other similarity helps satisfy those motives. The current research examined the phenomenon in a novel and consequential context: Young adults’ perceived self-parent agreement regarding the values or preferences the young adult should prioritize in making life decisions. First, we describe an unregistered study in which 2,071 undergraduates from eight countries reported the qualities (e.g., attractive, outspoken) they prioritized when evaluating a potential spouse and the qualities they believed their parents would want them to prioritize. Second, we describe a registered study in which 1,141 undergraduates from five countries reported their basic values (e.g., security, hedonism) and the values they believed their parents would want them to prioritize. As hypothesized, stronger communal motives towards parents predicted greater self-parent agreement (regardless of the order in which students completed the measures). We also introduce a method for differentiating sources of individual differences in perceived agreement reflecting covariation between normative (average) and/or distinctive (non-normative) components of participants’ profiles of self- and other-ratings. Analyzing these distinct components of agreement suggested that communal motives were associated more strongly with students projecting their values onto their parents than with students introjecting parents’ values onto themselves, although both mechanisms—projection and introjection—likely played a role.

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Perceived similarity in emotional reaction profiles between the self and a close other as a predictor of emotional well-being

Cited by 8 publications

References 48 publications

Couples’ perceptions of each other’s depressive symptoms: Empathic accuracy and assumed similarity bias

Couples’ perceptions of each other’s depressive symptoms: Empathic accuracy and assumed similarity bias

Similar minds in the family: COVID‐19 centrality and relationship quality

Communal Motives Towards Parents and Perceived Self-Parent Agreement

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