W10 STRESS, CONFLICT & VIOLENCE

Question 1

What is the relationship context?

Answer 1

The relationship “context” begins when the dyad ends
- Physical environment
- Social environment
- Things that happen to each other outside of the relationship (which includes stress)

Question 2

How does stress affect relationships?

Answer 2

External stress forces couples to spend resources on coping, yet at the very same time, stress renders support processes ineffective (maladaptive/adaptive)

Question 3

What is a stressor and types of stressors?

Answer 3

Stressor: An aspect of the environment of a couple that makes demands on the partners

Can be chronic or acute
- Chronic: Stable and enduring (e.g. poverty);
- Acute: Clear onset and endpoint (e.g. LDR)

Question 4

What are resources?

Answer 4

Resources: Sources of support for the couple (inside/outside)

Question 5

What is the VSA model?

Answer 5

Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation Model
3 factors contributing to (in)stability: enduring vulnerabilities, adaptive processes, stressful events

Question 6

What is stress spillover vs crossover?

Answer 6

Stress spillover: The experience of stress outside the relationship affects one’s experiences in the relationship
- E.g., A’s work stress→A’s relationship thoughts and behaviours

Stress crossover: The experience of stress outside the relationship affects one’s partner’s experiences in the relationship
- E.g., A’s work stress→ B’s relationship thoughts and behaviours

Question 7

W10 research: Stress spillover and self-regulatory depletion

What is the main finding of this paper?

Answer 7

1. Stress spillover was observed:
   On days when their stress was higher than usual, participants reported enacting more negative behaviours toward their partner and endorsed less positive appraisals of the relationship
2. Self-regulatory depletion accounted for majority of these spillover effects

• Don’t need to know equations, but on the days on which you feel more stress → more stress spillover → more negative appraisal → less satisfaction

Question 8

W10 research: Stress spillover and self-regulatory depletion

What is self regulatory depletion?

Answer 8

Depletion of resources that we use to regulate ourselves/ control our thoughts and behaviours

Resources are finite; using self-regulatory resources to deal with stressors means less resources to
(1) inhibit negative thoughts and behaviours wrt relationship, and
(2) make decisions to engage in relationship-enhancing thoughts and behaviours

But it doesn’t mean that you’re not strong!

Question 9

W10 research: Stress spillover and self-regulatory depletion

How do you think we can cope with stress spillover?

Answer 9

1. Ask for solitude
2. Communicate/Ask for understanding from partner
3. Reappraise stress as challenges, not threats
4. Therapy
5. Sleep

Question 10

What model shows the effects of stess?

Answer 10

Two-Route Model
1. external stress > creates additional relationship problems > diminished relationship satisfaction

2. external stress > hinders constructive response to problems > diminished relationship satisfaction

Question 11

What is conflict?

Answer 11

Conflict can be defined as a discord or clash arising between interdependent people due to the presence of scarce resources, incompatible goals, or perceived interference, leading to a state of negative affect reciprocity where emotions and reactions intensify within the relationship or interaction.

Question 12

How can conflict be understood?

Answer 12

1. Frequency
2. Topics discussed
3. Course of conflict

Question 13

What is frequency of conflict linked to?

Answer 13

(1) Personality: high neuroticism → more conflict, high agreeable → less conflict
(2) Attachment Style: anxiety > abandonment makes conflict more threatening and frequent
(3) Stage of Life: older couples have fewer conflicts than younger couples do
(4) Similarity: the less similar partners are to each other → more conflict
(5) Alcohol: intoxication exacerbates conflict (fuel to fire)

Question 14

What are topics that are most susceptible to conflict?

Answer 14

1. CARING FOR AND DISCIPLINING CHILDREN
2. CHORES
3. COMMUNICATION DEFICIENCIES
4. LEISURE-RELATED DISAGREEMENTS
5. WORK-RELATED DISAGREEMENTS
6. MONEY ISSUES
7. ANNOYING HABITS

Question 15

What is the eventual course/responses of conflict?

Answer 15

Responses to conflict are either active/passive, constructive/destructive

Leads to
1. Exit
2. Neglect
3. Loyal
4. Voice

Question 16

What is the relationship between power and CLalt?

Answer 16

CLalt puts a lower limit on the outcomes one would tolerate in a relationship

If outcome dips below CLalt, one is likely to leave the relationship to pursue the alternative (partner has lower power)

Principle of least interest - person who is less emotionally invested or less dependent on the relationship holds more power or influence within that relationship.

Question 17

What was the Goal Conversation Study about and what were the results?

Answer 17

POWER AND AGGRESSION
- Heterosexual couples engaged in video recorded conversation about most important personal goals, and were coded for aggression

• Participants had previously reported their relationship power before AND situational power after on how needy they felt
• Results: Men (not women) were more aggressive when low in both types of power

Question 18

What is violence?

Answer 18

Violence involves acts carried out with the intention of physically hurting another person. Violent acts range from little harm (i.e. grabbing/pushing) to inflicting atrocious injury

Question 19

What does research show regarding norms of what is considered abusive?

Answer 19

People judge physical abuse as unacceptable, but psychological abuse as tolerated even though it’s judged as negative

Question 20

What is the I-Cubed theory?

Answer 20

Theory presents a structure by which aggression can be predicted:
1. Instigating Forces - situational factors that induce aggression (i.e. conflict, betrayal, direct provocation, goal obstruction, rejection)
2. Impelling Forces - factors that determine the strength of the aggressive impulse (i.e. narcissism, testosterone, jealousy, high temperature, neuroticism)
3. Inhibiting Forces - factors that reduce tendencies to aggress (i.e. self-control, beliefs that aggression leads to poor outcomes, being sober, thoughtful)

High, high, low leads to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

Question 21

What research study is associated with I-Cubed theory? What were the results?

Answer 21

Voodoo Doll Study
- Participants completed nightly survey for 35 consecutive nights
- Voodoo Doll task - number of pins (aggression)
- Instigation: level of provocation today
- Impellance: trait aggressiveness
- Inhibition: executive control (Stroop performance > faster response means higher inhibition)

Results (found…)
- Effect of inhibition when instigation/impellence high
- Effect of impellence when instigation strong & inhibition weak
- Effect of instigation when impellence strong & inhibition weak

Question 22

What is the theory behind why people don’t people leave abusive relationships?

Answer 22

Investment Model:
Investments + CLalt > Commitment > Decision to Stay/Leave

Question 23

What are psychological mechanisms that keep people STUCK?

Answer 23

1. Non-Voluntary Dependence → “The thought of how my partner would handle a break up frightens me”
2. Affective Forecasting → “How happy would you be if you left the relationship?”
3. Focalism & Immune Neglect → Individuals prefer known and imperfect path over the unknown

Question 24

What are the psychological mechanisms of MANAGING an abusive relationship?

Answer 24

1. Adopting more tolerant standards (Common aggression viewed as more normal/less of a dealbreaker, especially when one is highly committed)
2. Minimising/denying partner’s abuse
3. Blaming oneself or things beyond partner’s control
4. Re-appraising things as jokes when actual abuse happens