Conflict Management and Problem Solving as Relationship Maintenance

Leo, Karena; Leifker, Feea R.; Baucom, Donald H.; Baucom, Brian R.

doi:10.1017/9781108304320.011

Cited by 8 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Two independent yet complementary coding systems are used to characterize participants’ communicative behaviors and affective expressions captured during the 15-min couple conversations: (1) the Asymmetric Behavior Coding System ( Leo et al, 2020 ) and (2) the Relational Affective Topography System ( Leo et al, 2020 ). Drawing from the Valence Affective Connection model ( Leo et al, 2019 ), the systems delineate communicative behavior and affect as positive or negative and as promoting togetherness or engagement with the partner vs. individuation or separation from the partner.…”

Section: Methods and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(1) the Asymmetric Behavior Coding System (Leo et al, 2020) and (2) the Relational Affective Topography System (Leo et al, 2020). Drawing from the Valence Affective Connection model (Leo et al, 2019), the systems delineate communicative behavior and affect as positive or negative and as promoting togetherness or engagement with the partner vs. individuation or separation from the partner.…”

Section: Observational Codingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Couple Communication in Cancer: Protocol for a Multi-Method Examination

et al. 2022

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Cancer and its treatment pose challenges that affect not only patients but also their significant others, including intimate partners. Accumulating evidence suggests that couples’ ability to communicate effectively plays a major role in the psychological adjustment of both individuals and the quality of their relationship. Two key conceptual models have been proposed to account for how couple communication impacts psychological and relationship adjustment: the social-cognitive processing (SCP) model and the relationship intimacy (RI) model. These models posit different mechanisms and outcomes, and thus have different implications for intervention. The purpose of this project is to test and compare the utility of these models using comprehensive and methodologically rigorous methods. Aims are: (1) to examine the overall fit of the SCP and RI models in explaining patient and partner psychological and relationship adjustment as they occur on a day-to-day basis and over the course of 1 year; (2) to examine the fit of the models for different subgroups (males vs. females, and patients vs. partners); and (3) to examine the utility of various methods of assessing communication by examining the degree to which baseline indices from different measurement strategies predict self-reported adjustment at 1-year follow up. The study employs a longitudinal, multi-method approach to examining communication processes including: standard self-report questionnaires assessing process and outcome variables collected quarterly over the course of 1 year; smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments to sample participant reports in real time; and laboratory-based couple conversations from which we derive observational measures of communicative behavior and affective expression, as well as vocal indices of emotional arousal. Participants are patients with stage II-IV breast, colon, rectal, or lung cancer and their spouses/partners, recruited from two NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers. Results will be published in scientific journals, presented at scientific conferences, and conveyed to a larger audience through infographics and social media outlets. Findings will inform theory, measurement, and the design and implementation of efficacious interventions aimed at optimizing both patient and partner well-being.

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Section: Methods and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Observational Codingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Couple Communication in Cancer: Protocol for a Multi-Method Examination

et al. 2022

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“…Similar to the RATS, the ABCS measures communication behavior along two dimensions, valence (positive vs. negative) and communality (approach vs. avoidance). These dimensions were selected on theoretical grounds (see Leo et al, 2019 for additional discussion) as well as to allow for comparisons with previous studies that assessed similar constructs using observational coding methods (see Heyman, 2001 for caveats regarding comparability of scales in observational coding systems with similar labels).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The RATS is conceptually rooted in Jacobson and Christensen's (1996) description of affective responding during couple conflict and builds on the empirical work of Sanford (2007) in developing self-report and naïve observational measurements of these constructs. Additional discussion of the conceptual basis for the RATS is presented in Leo, Leifker, Baucom, and Baucom (2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A replication and extension of the interpersonal process model of demand/withdraw behavior: Incorporating subjective emotional experience.

Leo

Crenshaw

Hogan

et al. 2021

Journal of Family Psychology

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The demand/withdraw (D/W) interaction pattern is a maladaptive cycle of behavior that is associated with a wide range of deleterious individual and relational outcomes. Partners' emotional responding during couple conflict has long been theorized to play a central role in the occurrence of D/W. The interpersonal process model of D/W behavior suggests that each partner's emotional responses are associated with their own as well as the other partner's behavior in the D/W cycle and that the nature of these associations varies across partners. A prior test of the interpersonal process model provided support for sex-and role-specific associations between vocal emotional expression and demanding and withdrawing behaviors. The current study expands the conceptual frame of the interpersonal process model by incorporating subjective emotional experience. Hypothesized associations between subjective emotional experience, emotional expression, and role-specific demanding and withdrawing behaviors were tested in a sample of 59 couples using an actor-partner interdependence model. Results reveal that spouses experience and express nonsignificantly different levels of negative affect but strongly differ in how the experience and expression of those emotions are related to demanding and withdrawing behaviors. High levels of women's demanding behavior were associated with the combination of experiencing and expressing high levels of negative affect, while high levels of men's withdrawing behavior were associated with experiencing high levels of negative affect but expressing low levels of negative affect. Implications of results for understanding emotional processes in maladaptive cycles and for clinical practice are discussed.

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“…The conversations will be coded using the Asymmetric Behavior Coding System (ABCS) to assess communication behavior and the Relational Affective Topography System (RATS) to assess emotional expression [54]. The systems are based on the Valence Affective Connection model [55] and delineate communication behavior and emotional expression into those that are positive or negative and those that promote togetherness or engagement with the partner [ABCS: positive approach (e.g., disclosure), negative approach (e.g., blame); RATS: positive joining (e.g., warmth), soft negative emotional expression (e.g., sadness)] and those that facilitate individuation or separation from the partner [ABCS: positive individuating (e.g., accommodation), negative individuating (e.g., avoidance); RATS: positive individuating (e.g., satisfaction), hard negative emotional expression (e.g., anger)]. For the RATS, coders will rate the extent to which they observe the emotions expressed on a scale of 0 (no emotion present) to 7 (high levels of emotion present).…”

Section: Mediatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating a couple communication skills training (CCST) intervention for advanced cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Porter

Ramos

Baucom

et al. 2022

Trials

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Background For patients and their intimate partners, advanced cancer poses significant challenges that can negatively impact both individuals and their relationship. Prior studies have found evidence that couple-based communication skills interventions can to be beneficial for patients and partners. However, these studies have been limited by reliance on in-person treatment delivery and have not targeted couples at high risk for poor outcomes. This study tests the efficacy of a Couples Communication Skills Training (CCST) intervention delivered via videoconference for couples reporting high levels of holding back from discussing cancer-related concerns, a variable associated with poorer psychological and relationship functioning. Methods This RCT is designed to evaluate the efficacy of CCST in improving patient and partner relationship functioning (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes include patient and partner psychological functioning and patient symptoms and health care use. We also examine the role of objective and self-reported communication behaviors as mediators of treatment effects. Two hundred thirty patients with advanced lung, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and breast cancer and their partners will be randomized to CCST or an education control intervention. Participants in both conditions complete self-reported outcome measures at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 3 months post-treatment. Objective measures of communication are derived from video-recorded couple conversations collected at baseline and post-treatment. An implementation-related process evaluation (assessing implementation outcomes and potential barriers to/facilitators of implementation) will be conducted to inform future efforts to implement CCST in real-world settings. Discussion This trial can yield important new knowledge about effective ways to improve patient and partner adjustment to advanced cancer. Trial registration This study trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (Trial # NCT04590885); registration date: October 19, 2020.

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Conflict Management and Problem Solving as Relationship Maintenance

Cited by 8 publications

References 52 publications

Couple Communication in Cancer: Protocol for a Multi-Method Examination

Couple Communication in Cancer: Protocol for a Multi-Method Examination

A replication and extension of the interpersonal process model of demand/withdraw behavior: Incorporating subjective emotional experience.

Evaluating a couple communication skills training (CCST) intervention for advanced cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

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