Final Exam Flashcards
Why are good intimate relationships associated with good mental health?
They have been found to protect against subsequent development of problems:
- Decrease in major depression, alcohol use, and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
What did improvements in relationship satisfaction between prior sessions predict?
Time predicted improvements in psychological distress between subsequent sessions (and vice-versa)
Where do we see the biggest positive effect size for interventions for mental health?
Bigger positive effects are seen on those initially distressed -> higher results are seen with anxious individuals
What do interventions improve?
Relationship and mental health (more problems -> worse mental health)
Can genes that influence problematic alcohol use contribute to conflict?
Yes, it can be partially mediated between the ruthless/daring gene and substance use disorder in men
What does the diathesis-stress model state?
Genetic influence on internalizing disorders are strongest when marital quality is poor
What does the bio-ecological model say?
Non-shared environmental influences (e.g., job stress) on problematic alcohol use were greater when levels of marital support were low
Are stress and marriage quality correlated?
Yes, having a happy marriage is like having a reset button for your biological levels of stress
Is the length of telomere correlated with marital status?
Yes, separated/divorced individuals had telomeres shorter than those continuously married/never married
*Also included those with history of divorce
What are the mechanisms through which a relationship improves perceived physical health?
- Communication conflict (strain)
- Emotional support (strength)
- Psychological distress, alcohol abuse, insomnia (psychological mechanisms)
What did the heart failure study show?
If you are unhappy and have heart failure, you are more likely to die
Are general survival rates for men influenced by marital status?
Yes, it is higher among married men. Those likely to die earlier are the ones never married.
What does the Two-Stress Model indicate?
That external stress creates additional marital problems or hinders constructive responding, altering marital satisfaction.
What is the difference between acute and chronic stress?
Acute stress is only a stressor until it is fixed. Chronic stressors are more prolonged.
What happens to couple activities on days with more stress?
- More distraction/less responsive when interacting
- Spend less time participating in leisure activity
- Less likely to express affection and engage in sex
What is dyadic coping?
How couples cope with common daily life stressors and how they try to solve them cooperatively together as a couple.
How do differences become problems?
- Differences around a central theme become increasingly sensitive
- Couple then get caught up in an interaction cycle, causing them to become more polarized over time
What does a DEEP understanding stand for?
- Differences
- Emotions
- External Stress
- Patterns of communication/polarization over time
What is the polarization process?
States that because one or both partners’ repeated efforts to change the other, the partners become more extreme over time
What are predictors of divorce and satisfaction?
Violence is a predictor of divorce. Lack of humor and verbal communication are predictors of satisfaction.
What is Rusbult’s Investment model?
States that satisfaction levels plus the quality of alternatives plus investment site lead to commitment levels and the probability of persistence.
What is divorce proneness?
- Have you ever thought that your marriage might be in trouble?
- Has the thought of getting a divorce crossed your mind in the last 3 years?
Is there an association between avoidant attachment and infidelity?
Those who are avoidantly attached tend to have lower commitment levels which leads to high rates of infidelity.
How does infidelity impact health?
- It increases risk for STDs [e.g., women acquiring HIV from primary partner]
- Increases depression/anxiety and PTSD
