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Coppola AM, Mehl MR, Tackman AM, Dawson SC, O’Hara KL, Sbarra DA. Sleep Efficiency and Naturalistically-Observed Social Behavior Following Marital Separation: The Critical Role of Contact with an Ex-partner. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2023; 40:1920-1942. [PMID: 37637857 PMCID: PMC10448982 DOI: 10.1177/02654075221135855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Marital disruption is associated with increased risk for a range of poor health outcomes, including disturbed sleep. This report examines trajectories of actigraphy-assessed sleep efficiency following marital separation as well as the extent to which daily social behaviors and individual differences in attachment explain variability in these trajectories over time. One hundred twenty-two recently-separated adults (N = 122) were followed longitudinally for three assessment periods over five months. To objectively assess daily social behaviors and sleep efficiency, participants wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) during the day (for one weekend at each assessment period) and an actiwatch at night (for seven days at each assessment period). Greater time spent with an ex-partner, as assessed by the EAR, was associated with decreased sleep efficiency between participants (p = .003). Higher attachment anxiety was also associated with decreased sleep efficiency (p = .03), as was the EAR-observed measure of "television on." The latter effect operated both between (p = .004) and within participants (p = .005). Finally, study timepoint moderated the association between EAR-observed measure of "television on" and sleep efficiency (p = .007). The current findings deepen our understanding of sleep disturbances following marital separation and point to contact with an ex-partner and time spent with the television on as behavioral markers of risk.
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Sbarra DA, Whisman MA. Divorce, health, and socioeconomic status: An agenda for psychological science. Curr Opin Psychol 2021; 43:75-78. [PMID: 34298203 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
This brief review article discusses marital dissolution and health with a focus on two specific themes. First, we introduce and discuss the search for plausible causal pathways that link the end of marriage to distal health outcomes. Second, we suggest that the socioeconomic status disruptions that follow divorce represent a plausible causal pathway and emphasize the need for more psychological science in this area of study. Although there is substantial literature that demonstrates that divorced adults, especially divorced women, experience significant financial disruptions, the research in this area remains broad and largely the province of family sociology and demography. Research is needed to better understand adults' psychological and behavioral responses to changes in their financial situation after the end of marriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Sbarra
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Mark A Whisman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
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Danvers AF, Milek A, Tackman AM, Kaplan DM, Robbins ML, Poslinelli A, Moseley S, Raison CL, Sbarra D, Mehl MR. Is frequent sighing an indicator of dispositional negative emotionality? A multi-sample, multi-measure naturalistic-observation study. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2020.104046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Best practices for Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) research: A practical guide to coding and processing EAR data. Behav Res Methods 2021; 52:1538-1551. [PMID: 31898289 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-019-01333-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Since its introduction in 2001, the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) method has become an established and broadly used tool for the naturalistic observation of daily social behavior in clinical, health, personality, and social science research. Previous treatments of the method have focused primarily on its measurement approach (relative to other ecological assessment methods), research design considerations (e.g., sampling schemes, privacy considerations), and the properties of its data (i.e., reliability, validity, and added measurement value). However, the evolved procedures and practices related to arguably one of the most critical parts of EAR research-the coding process that converts the sampled raw ambient sounds into quantitative behavioral data for statistical analysis-so far have largely been communicated informally between EAR researchers. This article documents "best practices" for processing EAR data, which have been tested and refined in our research over the years. Our aim is to provide practical information on important topics such as the development of a coding system, the training and supervision of EAR coders, EAR data preparation and database optimization, the troubleshooting of common coding challenges, and coding considerations specific to diverse populations.
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O'Hara KL, Grinberg AM, Tackman AM, Mehl MR, Sbarra DA. Contact with an Ex-partner is Associated with Psychological Distress after Marital Separation. Clin Psychol Sci 2020; 8:450-463. [PMID: 33274123 DOI: 10.1177/2167702620916454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the association between naturalistically-observed in-person contact with one's ex-partner and separation-related psychological distress (SRPD). 122 recently-separated adults were assessed using the Electronically Activated Recorder (Mehl, 2017) on three occasions across five months. The association between in-person contact with one's ex-partner, as a between-person variable, and concurrent SRPD was not reliably different from zero, nor was the time-varying effect of in-person contact. However, more frequent in-person contact with one's ex-partner predicted higher SRPD two months later, above and beyond the variance accounted for by concurrent in-person contact, demographic, relationship, and attachment factors. Follow-up analyses yielded that this effect was only present for people without children; a one standard deviation increase in in-person contact offset and slowed the predicted decline in SRPD over two months by 112%. Our discussion emphasizes new ways to think about the role of in-person contact in shaping adults' psychological adjustment to separation over time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Austin M Grinberg
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.,David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles
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Tackman AM, Baranski EN, Danvers AF, Sbarra DA, Raison CL, Moseley SA, Polsinelli AJ, Mehl MR. ‘Personality in its Natural Habitat’ Revisited: A Pooled, Multi–sample Examination of the Relationships between the Big Five Personality Traits and Daily Behaviour and Language Use. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/per.2283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Past research using the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR), an observational ambulatory assessment method for the real–world measurement of daily behaviour, has identified several behavioural manifestations of the Big Five domains in a small college sample ( N = 96). With the use of a larger and more diverse sample of pooled data from N = 462 participants from a total of four community samples who wore the EAR from 2 to 6 days, the primary purpose of the present study was to obtain more precise and generalizable effect estimates of the Big Five–behaviour relationships and to re–examine the degree to which these relationships are gender specific. In an extension of the original article, the secondary purpose of the present study was to examine if the Big Five–behaviour relationships differed across two facets of each Big Five domain. Overall, while several of the behavioural manifestations of the Big Five were generally consistent with the trait definitions (replicating some findings from the original article), we found little evidence of gender differences (not replicating a basic finding from the original article). Unique to the present study, the Big Five–behaviour relationships were not always comparable across the two facets of each Big Five domain. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - David A. Sbarra
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USAz
| | - Charles L. Raison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | | | | | - Matthias R. Mehl
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USAz
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The association between loneliness, social isolation and inflammation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 112:519-541. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Sbarra DA, Cook CC, Hasselmo K, Noon MS, Mehl MR. DNA Methylation Across the Serotonin Transporter Gene Following Marital Separation: A Pilot Study. Ann Behav Med 2019; 53:1081-1087. [PMID: 31053862 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaz013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Marital separation and divorce are stressful life transitions associated with increased risk for a range of poor mental and physical health outcomes. A key task for research in this area is to identify individual differences that may index risk for these adverse outcomes. PURPOSE To examine the association between DNA methylation across the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) and self-reported emotional distress following marital separation. METHODS Genomic DNA methylation (from buffy coat fractions of whole blood) was quantified in a sample of 47 adults following a recent marital separation; concurrent with the blood draw, participants completed questionnaires on their psychological adjustment to the separation experience. RESULTS Relatively greater methylation of SLC6A4 was associated with less subjective separation-related psychological distress, and this association held after accounting for participants' age, length of the relationship, time since the separation, and SLC6A4 genotype, b = -211.99, SE = 94.91, p = .03, 95% CI: -402.22, -25.21. Significantly stronger negative associations were observed between methylation and psychological adjustment among participants who had more recently separated from their former partner. CONCLUSIONS Although results derived from small samples must be considered preliminary and hypothesis generating, the current study raises new questions about the role of DNA methylation and psychosocial adaptation to stressful life events such as divorce, and the findings can inform future studies in this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Sbarra
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Chelsea C Cook
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Karen Hasselmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Muhammad S Noon
- Data Science Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Matthias R Mehl
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Emotion, Social Relationships, and Physical Health: Concepts, Methods, and Evidence for an Integrative Perspective. Psychosom Med 2019; 81:681-693. [PMID: 31415000 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Emotional characteristics and processes are robust predictors of the development and course of major medical illnesses and premature mortality, as are a variety of indicators of the presence and quality of personal relationships. Despite clear evidence of close interconnection between these two domains of risk and protection, affective characteristics and relationships have largely been studied separately as influences on health. After a recent conference on integrative perspectives on emotions, relationships and health co-sponsored by the American Psychosomatic Society and the Society for Affective Science, the present review builds on prior calls for integration, related theory, and current research to outline what is known about the interconnection of these domains as it specifically relates to their overlapping influences on health. Areas of interest include the following: their interconnected roles over the course of development, which may inform current efforts to understand the influence of early life events on adult health; the parallel positive and negative factors in both domains that could have distinct influences on health; the role of emotion regulation in relationship contexts; and measurement, design, and analysis approaches to capture the dyadic and dynamic aspects of these interconnected influences on health. We conclude with a discussion of an emerging research agenda that includes the following: common biological foundations of affective and relationship processes, the cultural embeddedness of affective and relationship processes, the potential contribution of affective-relational processes to health disparities, and implications for intervention research.
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Abstract
Immunological aging, which encompasses age-associated declines in the immune system (immunosenescence) and increases in inflammation (inflammaging), is associated with morbidity and mortality. A growing body of research suggests stress is one factor that may accelerate immunological aging. This article provides a brief overview of immunological aging, describes key biological pathways acting at multiple lifespan stages linking stress and immunological aging, and reviews recent innovative work characterizing associations between stress in several domains and immunological aging, as well as potential protective and risk factors. Important directions for future research include careful characterizations of the complexities of stress and rigorous measurement of immunological aging processes. Advancing knowledge of stress resilience and healthy immune aging may ultimately slow disease onset and extend healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G Reed
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Kentucky
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Bourassa KJ, Tackman AM, Mehl MR, Sbarra DA. Psychological Overinvolvement, Emotional Distress, and Daily Affect Following Marital Dissolution. COLLABRA: PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1525/collabra.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Martial dissolution is associated with risk for poor mental health outcomes, but less is known about the variables and processes that may explain this risk. In a sample of recently-separated adults (N = 138), this study examined the association of psychological overinvolvement—assessed using a composite of self-reported rumination, language use, and judge-rated recounting and reconstruing—with daily affect and psychological distress. We included objective measures of sleep, behavioral displays of distress, and social engagement as potential mediators of these associations. Consistent with the preregistered hypotheses, greater psychological overinvolvement predicted higher levels of psychological distress, lower happiness, and greater sadness five months later. Psychological overinvolvement also predicted change in sadness, but not happiness or psychological distress, over five months. Contrary to our predictions, none of the candidate mediators explained these associations. Exploratory analyses suggested that the self-reported rumination component of the psychological overinvolvement composite largely accounted for the association between psychological overinvolvement and the three outcomes. People’s tendency to become overinvolved in their psychological experience after divorce predicts increased risk for distress in the months following marital separation.
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Abstract
This article reviews evidence from several lines of work to describe how marriage and divorce can provoke health-relevant immune alterations, including ways that marital closeness can be perilous for health and divorce can be beneficial. The multiple stresses of a troubled relationship are depressogenic, and the development of a mood disorder sets the stage for psychological and biological vulnerability. Depression provides a central pathway to immune dysregulation, inflammation, and poor health; gender-related differences in depression and inflammation can heighten risk for women compared to men. Sleep and obesity can simultaneously feed off depression as they promote it. In addition, spousal similarities in health behaviors, gene expression, immune profiles and the gut microbiota offer new ways to consider the health advantages and risks of marriage and divorce, providing new perspectives on couples' interdependence, as well as new directions for research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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Milek A, Butler EA, Tackman AM, Kaplan DM, Raison CL, Sbarra DA, Vazire S, Mehl MR. "Eavesdropping on Happiness" Revisited: A Pooled, Multisample Replication of the Association Between Life Satisfaction and Observed Daily Conversation Quantity and Quality. Psychol Sci 2018; 29:1451-1462. [PMID: 29969949 PMCID: PMC6139582 DOI: 10.1177/0956797618774252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we aimed to replicate and extend findings by Mehl, Vazire, Holleran, and Clark (2010) that individuals with higher well-being tend to spend less time alone and more time interacting with others (e.g., greater conversation quantity) and engage in less small talk and more substantive conversations (e.g., greater conversation quality). To test the robustness of these effects in a larger and more diverse sample, we used Bayesian integrative data analysis to pool data on subjective life satisfaction and observed daily conversations from three heterogeneous adult samples, in addition to the original sample ( N = 486). We found moderate associations between life satisfaction and amount of alone time, conversation time, and substantive conversations, but no reliable association with small talk. Personality did not substantially moderate these associations. The failure to replicate the original small-talk effect is theoretically and practically important, as it has garnered considerable scientific and lay interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Milek
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona
| | | | | | | | - Charles L. Raison
- School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | | | - Simine Vazire
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
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Jaremka LM, Lebed O, Sunami N. Threats to Belonging, Immune Function, and Eating Behavior: an Examination of Sex and Gender Differences. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2018; 20:71. [PMID: 30094481 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-018-0939-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The first goal of this review is to discuss the evidence linking belonging threats to immune function and food intake. The second goal is to evaluate whether the links among belonging threats, immune function, and eating behavior differ based on gender. RECENT FINDINGS Threats to belonging are linked to elevated herpesvirus antibody titers, dysregulated appetite-relevant hormones, and increased food consumption. Furthermore, these relationships are largely consistent for both men and women. Threats to belonging are also linked to elevated inflammation. However, some studies showed that these effects were stronger among women, others demonstrated that they were stronger among men, and others determined that the links were consistent for men and women. Understanding why belonging threats are inconsistently linked to inflammation across men and women is an important next step. We conclude the review with four concrete recommendations for researchers studying belonging threats, immune function, and eating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Jaremka
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 212 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
| | - Olga Lebed
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 212 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Naoyuki Sunami
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 212 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
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