Couples’ emotional disclosure and affect after negative events: a combined dyadic experience-sampling and laboratory approach

Abstract

Background: Affective responses to daily hassles may contribute to associations between daily stress and health. Social exchange processes are assumed to influence these responses. For example, people may disclose negative experiences to others. Past research suggests that this spontaneous behaviour – emotional sharing – helps individuals to downregulate negative affects after the event. Methods: We used multiple methods to test this hypothesis. In a dyadic experience-sampling study with 100 cohabitating, heterosexual couples, both partners repeatedly used mobile phones to document whether they had recently experienced a hassle and whether they had told their partner about it. Both partners also repeatedly rated their current affect. In an additional laboratory paradigm, we analysed the content of spontaneous dyadic conversations among 69 couples before and after watching emotional film clips. Both partners also rated their current affect before and after the session. Results: Data from both studies suggest that emotional sharing in couples is a frequent behaviour after negative events. There was no evidence supporting the notion that such social exchange processes contribute to reducing negative affect. In the laboratory, emotional content in dyadic conversations increased after watching emotional videos compared to baseline, but associations with changes in affective experiences were inconclusive. Multilevel analyses of the experience-sampling data showed that both partners‘ affect was worse after one partner had experienced a hassle. Both partners’ affect was additionally worsened after emotional sharing, compared to undisclosed hassles. Discussion: We discuss these results considering potential functions of emotional sharing for emotion regulation, relationship regulation, and health.