Wanna Hear a Secret?: The Burden of Secret Concealment in Personal Relationships From the Confidant's Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengyu (Tracy) Zhang ◽  
René M. Dailey
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Personal Relationships ◽  
Secret Keeping ◽  
Relationship Model ◽  
Face Threat ◽  
Interpersonal Consequences ◽  
Negative Face ◽  
Relational Partner

The current study assessed the burden associated with secret-keeping from confidants’ perspective. We proposed a cognition-affect-relationship model to explicate the interrelations between intra- and interpersonal consequences of confidants’ secret concealment. A total of 231 participants (Mage = 32.6 years) completed a survey on their experiences in keeping secrets for a close relational partner. A path model was conducted to test all hypotheses simultaneously. Results indicated that secret importance, valence, and negative face threat served as indicators of cognitive burden regarding secret-keeping. As predicted, cognitive burden was positively associated with negative affect. In addition, negative affect mediated the association between cognitive burden and relationship satisfaction, whereas secret characteristics were directly related to relational distancing. Overall, examining confidant burden provides insights on how secret-keeping might affect individuals and their relationships.

Cross-cultural testing of face threats to predict apology and thanks intentions

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1643-1654
Author(s):  
Hye Eun Lee ◽  
Hyunjin Park
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
North Americans ◽  
Face Threats ◽  
The Face ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Face Threat ◽  
Korean College Students ◽  
Favor Asking ◽  
Negative Face

We examined whether Koreans intended to make an apology and North Americans intended to express thanks in a message asking for a favor. Because one reason for apologizing or thanking is to lessen the face threat occurred by favor asking, four face threats were empirically measured to predict participants' intentions. Participants were 104 North American and 90 Korean college students who took the role of an email sender making a favor request and selected from options for apologizing or thanking the receiver to lessen the four types of face threat. Results showed that North Americans intended to express thanks, and both North Americans and Koreans intended to make an apology when asking a favor; further, for Koreans, a speaker's positive face threat triggered intention to make an apology and, for North Americans, a receiver's negative face threat triggered an intention to express thanks. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Negative affective reaction to partner’s dominant behavior influences satisfaction with romantic relationship

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1324-1346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gentiana Sadikaj ◽  
D. S. Moskowitz ◽  
David C. Zuroff
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Affective Reaction ◽  
Cohabiting Couples

Dominant behavior has been related to lower quality romantic relationships. The present study examined two processes through which dominant behavior affects the quality of romantic relationships: (1) the extent to which the partner’s dominance increases the person’s negative affect by thwarting the person’s sense of autonomy and (2) the degree to which the person’s negative affect in reaction to the partner’s dominant behavior affects relationship satisfaction. Using an event-contingent recording (ECR) methodology, 92 cohabiting couples reported their dominant behavior, negative affect, and autonomy in interactions with each other during 20 days. Relationship satisfaction was measured at the end of the ECR period. The results indicated that when a partner engages in dominant behavior, the person experiences greater negative affect in part due to a sense of thwarted autonomy and that greater negative affective reaction in association with the partner’s dominant behavior is related to lower relationship satisfaction in the person.

Fathers Faring Poorly

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 395-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Durette ◽  
Chandler Marrs ◽  
Peter B. Gray
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
General Health ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Poor General Health ◽  
Psychological Distress Scale ◽  
Distress Scale

Fathers of young children may face health challenges. In this article, the authors sought to characterize health-related challenges among fathers of young children (aged 4 years or younger) through the use of an Internet survey. Questions covered an unusually large battery of outcomes related to men’s health, including general health, affect, and sexual function. A total of 126 adult fathers provided usable data. The most notable findings were that scores on the General Health Questionnaire, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and negative affect indicated poor general health and high levels of distress and negative affect compared with normative data. Relationship satisfaction, sexual desire, and sexual activity were similar to normative data, although sexual enjoyment with and without a partner were lower among fathers participating in this study. Some variables were associated with each other (e.g., relationship satisfaction and affect) but most were not. This study also indicates that fathers can be successfully recruited through Internet-based survey research.

scholarly journals SOCIAL SUPPORT AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION AS PREDICTORS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT IN INFERTILE WOMAN DURING IVF TREATMENT

2021 ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Milica Mitrović ◽  
Jelena Opsenica Kostić ◽  
Damjana Panić
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Psychological Adjustment ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Fertility Problems

Infertility is a medical problem, but it can have significant consequences for mental health. Emotional problems caused by infertility are very common, so infertility can be called a life crisis. Therefore, it is very important to identify protective and risk factors that would determine the psychological adjustment to infertility. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in perceived social support, relationship satisfaction, and positive and negative affect between women undergoing IVF treatment and women who do not have fertility problems. The research also aims to examine whether perceived social support and relationship satisfaction were significant predictors of positive and negative affect in both groups. The study included 292 women – 163 who were undergoing the IVF treatment at the time of assessment and 129 without fertility problems who made up the control group. The following instruments were applied: the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Relationship Satisfaction Scale, and the Serbian Inventory of Affect based on PANAS. The results show statistically significant differences between the examined groups in the level of negative affect, which is more pronounced in the group of women undergoing IVF treatment. Regarding positive affect, there is a trend of a more frequent experience of positive emotions in the women from the control group. Perceived social support and relationship satisfaction are significant predictors of both positive and negative affect for the women undergoing IVF treatment. As for the control group, the results of the regression analysis show that perceived social support and relationship satisfaction are significant predictors of negative affect, while in the case of positive affect, relationship satisfaction stands out as a significant predictor. The results indicate that perceived social support and relationship satisfaction can be important protective factors when it comes to psychological adjustment to infertility, which can serve as a guideline for mental health professionals who work with infertile couples.

scholarly journals Relatively Happy: The Role of the Positive-to-Negative Affect Ratio in Japanese and Belgian Couples

2021 ◽  
pp. 002202212110510
Author(s):  
Alexander Kirchner-Häusler ◽  
Michael Boiger ◽  
Yukiko Uchida ◽  
Yoko Higuchi ◽  
Atsuhiko Uchida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Romantic Couples ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Culturally Different ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Couple Interactions

Satisfied couples in European-American cultural contexts experience higher ratios of positive to negative affect during interactions than their less satisfied counterparts. The current research tests the possibility that this finding is culture-bound. It compares proportions of positive to negative affect during couple interactions in two different cultural contexts: Belgium and Japan. Whereas Belgian relationship goals (e.g., mutual affirmation and self-esteem) call for the experience of positive affect, Japanese relationship goals (e.g., harmony and self-adjustment) call for the avoidance of negative affect. We propose that these differences result in different affect ratios in close relationships. To test this idea, we tracked positive and negative feelings during couple interactions. Fifty-eight Belgian and 80 Japanese romantic couples took part in a lab interaction study, in which they discussed a topic of disagreement. Using a video-mediated recall, participants rated their positive and negative feelings during the interaction; relationship satisfaction was assessed before the interaction. As expected, Belgian couples’ positive-to-negative affect ratios were more positive than those of Japanese couples. Furthermore, in both cultures relationship satisfaction was positively associated with more positive affect ratios, but this effect was significantly stronger for Belgian than Japanese couples. Finally, mediation analyses showed that higher affect ratios were achieved in culturally different and meaningful ways: satisfied Belgian couples showed higher ratios primarily through higher levels of positive feelings, whereas satisfied Japanese couples showed higher ratios primarily through lower levels of negative feelings.

Secrets, Psychological Health, and the Fear of Discovery

2020 ◽  
pp. 014616722094619
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Davis ◽  
Hannah Brazeau ◽  
Elisabeth Bailin Xie ◽  
Kathleen McKee
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Over Time

Keeping secrets from one’s partner has been associated with lower well-being and relationship satisfaction. Previous research has suggested that individual differences in self-concealment account for these effects. However, we propose that the fear of discovery (FoD)—defined as the fear that one’s secret may be revealed by means other than deliberate disclosure—predicts the extent to which secrets affect well-being beyond the effects attributable to individual differences. Both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal survey (combined N = 471; 54.4% female; Mage = 39.5) of adults in romantic relationships confirmed that FoD predicted greater preoccupation with the secret, more negative affect, and less relationship satisfaction and commitment beyond that of self-concealment. Multilevel modeling in Study 2 indicated that changes in FoD predicted changes in preoccupation over time. The data are consistent with the notion that FoD promotes greater preoccupation, greater negative affect, and lower levels of relationship well-being.

scholarly journals Problematic Internet Usage and Self-Esteem in Chinese Undergraduate Students: The Mediation Effects of Individual Affect and Relationship Satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6949
Author(s):  
Guang Zeng ◽  
Lijin Zhang ◽  
Sai-fu Fung ◽  
Jingwen Li ◽  
Yi-Man Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Problematic Internet Use ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the mediating effects of individual affect and relationship satisfaction on the relationship between self-esteem and Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Affect was measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), relationship satisfaction was assessed using a positive and negative semantic dimension scale, self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and PIU was measured using the Problematic Internet Use scale with a sample of 507 Chinese university students (Mage = 20.41 years, SD = 2.49). The relationships between the variables were tested using structural equation modelling with a multiple mediation model. The results revealed that negative affect and the negative semantic dimensions of relationship satisfaction mediated the relationship between self-esteem and PIU. The implications of the results and the study’s theoretical contributions are discussed.

Avoidant attachment and own and perceived partner’s conflict resolution in relationship satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 3123-3138
Author(s):  
Ione Bretaña ◽  
Itziar Alonso-Arbiol ◽  
Fernando Molero ◽  
Juan Pardo
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Conflict Resolution Strategies ◽  
Relationship Model ◽  
Conflict Resolution Strategy ◽  
Fit Indexes ◽  
Resolution Strategies

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of conflict resolution strategies in the links between the avoidant attachment dimension and relationship satisfaction. The sample comprised 274 participants (ranging from 18 to 73 years old, 58% women). A predictive model of relationship satisfaction was tested, taking into account avoidant attachment and both own and perceived partner’s conflict resolution strategies. Structural equation modeling was used. Fit indexes indicated that the suggested overall relationship model was confirmed. Own withdrawal conflict resolution was associated positively with individuals’ perception of partner demand. Specifically, there was an indirect effect between own withdrawal and relationship satisfaction mediated by demand strategy perceived in the partner. Own withdrawal was negatively associated with perceived partner’s problem solving, and perceived partner’s positive conflict resolution strategy was positively associated with relationship satisfaction. Practical implications for professionals working with couples are discussed.

scholarly journals Alexithymia, Fear of Intimacy, and Relationship Satisfaction

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110102
Author(s):  
Michael Lyvers ◽  
Louisa Pickett ◽  
Katarina Needham ◽  
Fred Arne Thorberg
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Couples Therapy ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Couple Relationship ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Fear Of Intimacy ◽  
Relationship Length ◽  
Relevant Covariates

Alexithymia, fear of intimacy, attachment security, and mood variables were examined as predictors of satisfaction in couple relationships after accounting for age, sex, relationship length, and marital status. Participants were 158 adults (52% women and 48% men) in an ongoing couple relationship for 1-19 years. They completed validated measures of the variables of interest online. Bivariate correlations were significant for all predicted associations. Multiple mediation modelling examined the hypothesis that the low relationship satisfaction reported by those with alexithymia can be explained by fear of intimacy, insecure attachment, and negative affect, after accounting for relevant covariates. Mediation was indicated for fear of intimacy and negative affect. Such factors may merit particular attention by clinicians working with alexithymic clients in couples therapy.

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