Relational savoring in long-distance romantic relationships

Abstract

Relationship satisfaction is crucial for health and happiness. In the absence of physical contact, people in long-distance romantic relationships (LDRs) may use alternate means of maintaining relationship satisfaction, such as mentally activating feelings of closeness to their partners. This experiment examined the effects of relational savoring, relative to two control conditions, on emotion and relationship satisfaction following a laboratory-based stress task, among 533 people in an LDR. Relational savoring yielded greater positive emotion among participants, particularly those with medium to high baseline relationship satisfaction. Further, emotional state mediated the link between relational savoring and post-stressor relationship satisfaction for participants with average or higher baseline satisfaction. Savoring relational memories resulted in short-term benefits among people in LDRs with average or higher satisfaction. The promise of relational savoring as a brief intervention is discussed as well as the implications of the results for couples in LDRs.

Cherish the good times: Relational savoring in parents of infants and toddlers

“…This study builds upon and extends previous work in this area. To date, only two studies have examined relational savoring using an experimental design (Borelli, Rasmussen, et al, ; Borelli, Sbarra, et al, ). The two previous studies focused on romantic relationships, rendering the current study the first to evaluate relational savoring in parents.…”

“…We developed the mental reflection tasks for the purposes of the current investigation, though the design and structure of the personal and relational savoring tasks were adapted from previous work (Borelli, McMakin, & Sbarra, ; Borelli, Rasmussen, Burkhart, & Sbarra, ; Borelli, Sbarra, et al, ). The participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: neutral control, personal savoring, or relational savoring.…”

Effects of a Savoring Intervention on Resilience and Well-Being of Older Adults

“…The savoring intervention could be extended to include relational savoring, which is a form of savoring that focuses on attachment-related experiences in relationships (e.g., . Previous research suggests that relational savoring is associated with higher quality relationships and greater relationship satisfaction (e.g., Borelli et al, 2015;Gable, Reis, Impett, & Asher, 2004).…”

Secure Base Script Content Explains the Association Between Attachment Avoidance and Emotion-Related Constructs in Parents of Young Children

“…Participants completed a protocol previously used to evoke moments of intensely positive connections between relationship partners (Borelli, Rasmussen, Burkhart, & Sbarra, ; Borelli, Sbarra et al., ). Participants are directed to recall and reflect on a positive memory of a time in which they felt especially connected to their child.…”