Dyadic regulation processes to promote health and well-being in romantic couples

Abstract

Aims: This symposium aims to present state-of-the-art research on dyadic regulation to promote health and well-being with a focus on romantic couples in different life contexts. Authors investigate a variety of specific social exchange processes as well as regulatory processes at the dyadic level, using strictly dyadic approaches and intensive longitudinal designs. Rationale: So far, the literature has mostly focused on individuals’ effort in regulating health and well-being. However, in daily life individuals are typically embedded in close relationships. Research for example showed that romantic couples are highly concordant on their health behaviors. Still little is known about the specific dyadic processes regulating health and well-being in romantic couples. This symposium addresses these issues by presenting new insights on innovative concepts of dyadic regulation in romantic couples, and provides implications for future research. Summary: First, Hohl and colleagues will discuss the inter-relations among partners’ support provision and self-efficacy over time in couples motivated to increase their physical activity. Next, Lüscher et al. will present findings on the daily associations between companionship, relationship satisfaction, affect and smoking in dual-smoker couples intending to quit smoking. Horn and colleagues will then discuss the role of interpersonal emotion regulation for daily well-being and adjustment in couples coping with the transition to retirement. Next, Berli and colleagues will report findings on affective and behavioral consequences of daily goal disengagement among couples pursuing behavior change across two different health contexts. Finally, Knoll and colleagues will present long-term findings from a dyadic planning intervention on both couple members’ physical activity and fitness. The individual presentations will be followed by a discussion of implications and future directions (Discussant: Gertraud Stadler).