The Importance of a Few Good Friends: Perceived Network Support Moderates the Association Between Daily Marital Conflict and Diurnal Cortisol

Abstract

This study examined whether the extent to which spouses feel they have available and satisfying support outside their marriage buffers spouses from the potential negative physiological effects of conflict inside their marriage. Newlywed couples (N ¼ 214 spouses) reported occurrences of marital conflict in a daily diary and concurrently provided morning and evening saliva samples for the calculation of daily diurnal cortisol slopes. Extending prior work demonstrating links between marital conflict and acute cortisol responses in laboratory settings, results revealed that spouses exhibited flatter (i.e., less healthy) diurnal cortisol slopes on days of greater marital conflict. Although the quantity of spouses' support network connections was not associated with physiological responses to conflict, the quality of perceived network support attenuated the association between daily marital conflict and diurnal cortisol slopes. Thus, maintaining a satisfying network of social connections outside a marriage may protect spouses' well-being during periods of marital difficulty.

The Relationship Problem Solving (RePS) Model: How Partners Influence One Another to Resolve Relationship Problems

“…Indeed, external providers of support help reduce people's distress by consoling them and helping them to resolve their problems (Frone, Russell, & Cooper, 1995;Holahan & Moos, 1981;Serovich, Kimberly, Mosack, & Lewis, 2001) and, as just noted, people are likely to respond to opposition more constructively when their regulatory resources are not depleted. This idea is consistent with Finkel and colleagues' (2014) suffocation model of marriage that posits that neglecting nonromantic relationships can harm romantic relationships because nonromantic relationships buffer intimates against stresses associated with the romantic relationship and thus can facilitate constructive responses to relationship problems (see also Jackson, Kennedy, Bradbury, & Karney, 2014;Keneski, Neff, & Loving, 2018). In contrast, couples may benefit most from exchanging cooperative behaviors when they lack other sources of support because the numerous benefits of supportive behaviors may be more necessary.…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on same-sex couples’ conflict avoidance, relational quality, and mental health

“…As cohabiting couples spend greater time together and adjust to new responsibilities and routines, they are more vulnerable to new disagreements and resurfacing of old issues (Günther-Bel et al, 2020;Luetke et al, 2020). Reduced social support and economic hardship may also spill over to increase conflicts between romantic partners (Archuleta et al, 2011;Keneski et al, 2018). Indeed, one in five respondents in Spain and one in three participants in the U.S. indicated that they had experienced relational conflicts due to the pandemic (Günther-Bel et al, 2020;Luetke et al, 2020).…”

Enhancing Parenting Effectiveness, Fathers' Involvement, Couple Relationship Quality, and Children's Development: Breaking Down Silos in Family Policy Making and Service Delivery

“…Several studies suggest that the effects of economic stress on children are indirect—a result of cascading difficulties, including strained parents who are less effective as partners and coparents (Conger, Elder, Lorenz, Simons, & Whitbeck, 1994; Parke et al, ). Another body of work suggests that economic and other life stressors can be buffered by social supports from positive relationships inside and outside the family, religious institutions, and government agencies (e.g., Cutrona, ; Keneski, Neff, & Loving, ).…”