Couple Identity Gaps and the Management of Stress and Conflict in Romantic Relationships

• In Event: Only Change is Constant: Negotiating Critical Moments in Interpersonal Relationships

Abstract

This study investigated the role of couple identity gaps in romantic partners’ communicative and physiological management of stress associated with relational conflict. It was hypothesized that couple identity gaps would predict romantic partners’ a) perceptions of anxiety, stress, and negativity and b) their salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to a conflict-inducing discussion. One hundred eighteen couples participated in a laboratory study, in which they engaged in a discussion about conflict-inducing topic and provided saliva samples to assess biological stress markers. The results revealed that perceptions of couple identity gaps were associated with greater perceptions of conflict anxiety, stress, and negativity, as well as heightened cortisol and sAA reactivity. The current study extends the research on couple identity by introducing the concept of identity gaps (Hecht, 1993) into relational contexts as a way to explain why couples vary in their ability to manage stress.

Authors

• Anne Merrill, Pennsylvania State University

• Tamara D. Afifi, U of Iowa