Effects of emotional spillover and exposure to interparental psychological aggression on momentary physiological linkage during naturalistic couple conflicts.
Journal Article
Overview
abstract
Research demonstrates that physiological activity in romantic partners is interdependent, fluctuates with emotional states, and is closely tied to relationship functioning. This coordination, known as physiological linkage, can manifest as in-phase (partners' responses rise and fall together) or anti-phase (one rises as the other falls). Although previous research has linked physiological linkage to relationship functioning, less is known about how proximal emotional states and distal developmental stressors shape these patterns in everyday life. This study examined how stress and anger experienced in the hour preceding conflict, as well as childhood exposure to psychological interparental aggression (PIA), shape real-time electrodermal activity linkage during naturally occurring couple conflicts. Romantic couples (N = 73) participated in an at-home study involving continuous physiological monitoring, audio-recorded daily interactions, and hourly mood surveys. Multilevel models showed that higher levels of men's self-reported pre-conflict stress and anger were associated with greater in-phase linkage, whereas lower levels were associated with anti-phase linkage. In contrast, greater women's childhood exposure to PIA was linked to more in-phase linkage, whereas lower exposure was linked to anti-phase linkage. These findings highlight how both proximal mood states and early-life adversity dynamically shape interpersonal physiological processes, offering insight into stress regulation and relationship functioning in naturalistic contexts.
