Good Theories in Need of Better Data: Combining Clinical and Social Psychological Approaches to Study the Mechanisms Linking Relationships and Health

Abstract

The study of intimate relationships and health is a fast-growing discipline with numerous well-developed theories, many of which outline specific interpersonal behaviors and psychological pathways that may give rise to good or poor health. In this article, we argue that the study of relationships and health can move toward interrogating these mechanisms with greater precision and detail, but doing so will require a shift in the nature of commonly used research methods in this area. Accordingly, we draw heavily on the science of behavior change and discuss six key methodologies that may galvanize the mechanistic study of relationships and health: dismantling studies, factorial studies, experimental therapeutics, experimental mediation research, multiple assessments, and recursive modeling. We provide empirical examples for each strategy and outline new ways in which a given approach may be used to study the mechanisms linking intimate relationships and health. We conclude by discussing the key challenges and limitations for using these research strategies as well as novel ideas about how to integrate this work into existing paradigms within the field.

Longitudinal associations between mindfulness and change in attachment orientations in couples: The role of relationship preoccupation and empathy

“…This dovetails with recent findings regarding the nuanced effects of general versus relationship mindfulness (e.g., Kimmes et al, 2020; Stanton et al, 2021), and has potentially important implications for attachment security-enhancing intervention development. Romantic relationship interventions often lack specificity, which can undermine their efficacy (Farrell et al, 2022), and it is important to tailor interventions to the needs of individuals and couples (e.g., Bradford et al, 2017). Our results show that it is likely that a general mindfulness intervention (e.g., mindfulness meditation) may be most efficacious if the targeted outcome is reducing attachment anxiety.…”

Dyadic, biobehavioral, and sociocultural approaches to romantic relationships and health: Implications for research, practice, and policy

“…Many health‐related prevention and intervention programs are not focused on or tailored to couples and thus do not target the root causes of relationship problems. Identifying relational “active ingredients” that have the greatest causal effect on biobehavioral mechanisms and developing interventions to target them may improve relationships and each partner's long‐term health (Farrell et al., 2022; Farrell & Stanton, 2019). Assessing biobehavioral mechanisms that foster health and longevity can allow us to determine whether our interventions are effective early in the biological time courses leading to disease and mortality (Farrell et al., 2022; Farrell & Stanton, 2019).…”

“…Identifying relational “active ingredients” that have the greatest causal effect on biobehavioral mechanisms and developing interventions to target them may improve relationships and each partner's long‐term health (Farrell et al., 2022; Farrell & Stanton, 2019). Assessing biobehavioral mechanisms that foster health and longevity can allow us to determine whether our interventions are effective early in the biological time courses leading to disease and mortality (Farrell et al., 2022; Farrell & Stanton, 2019). However, more research is needed to determine if these “active ingredients” have a unique causal effect on relationships, and how to target them efficiently and effectively.…”

“…When addressing the timing and magnitude of dyadic health effects, researchers can use multiple timescales (Farrell et al., 2022; Farrell & Stanton, 2019). Studies can capture how relational or systemic stressors contribute to each partner's sympathetic‐adrenal‐medullary system within seconds, minutes, or hours by capturing heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline, and noradrenaline; the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis response within 30 min via cortisol and glucose release; or proinflammatory signaling in serum samples within 30–120 min (Kiecolt‐Glaser et al., 2020; Marsland et al., 2017).…”

Social connectedness and suicidal ideation: the roles of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in the distress to suicidal ideation pathway

“…The case for examining TB and PB separately makes theoretical as well as practical sense. For example, it is possible to feel a deep sense of connection to other people while simultaneously believing oneself to be a burden on those others, [ 19 ] or to have few close relationships where beliefs of perceived burden could be attached [ 20 ]. The relatively smaller number of TB studies compared to PB also leaves an important gap in literature, given that the risk of death by suicide is known to decrease as the number of social connections increases [ 21 ].…”