Physiological linkage (i.e., the covariation of moment-to-moment physiology between individuals) is thought to play an important role in relationship functioning. The present study examined physiological linkage across interbeat interval (IBI) and skin conductance levels (SCL) in a sample of married spouses (N=106) during both a pleasant and a conflict conversation and looked for associations with spouses’ marital satisfaction and subjective emotional experience. When physiological linkage was operationalized with anti-phase and in-phase linkage constituting opposite ends of a continuum (i.e., overall linkage), results indicated a significant negative association between overall linkage and subjective experience of disgust; and this finding generalized across conversations and physiological channels. When physiological linkage was operationalized with anti-phase and in-phase linkage constituting one end of a continuum and no linkage constituting the other end of a continuum (i.e., total linkage), similar patterns were seen, except certain additional results that suggested a positive correlation between total linkage and marital satisfaction. Overall, these findings provide insight into the relationship between linkage, marital satisfaction and emotional experience and suggest the need for further research.

Last modified

• 06/13/2018

Creator

• In Jung Jang
• Ryan C. Svoboda
• Kuan-Hua Chen
• Claudia M. Haase

Contributors

• Claudia Haase (advisor)

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/N2FB00

Subject

• Biology
• Psychology

Keyword

• physiological linkage
• emotional experience
• marriage

Date created

• 2018-05-31

Resource type

• Research Paper
• Poster

Rights statement

• In Copyright