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“The Future of Longitudinal Studies: What we know; What we don’t know; What we need to know” Biology And Biomedical Studies Chaired by Joseph Campos, University of California, Berkeley Saturday, March 22, 2003 Robert W. Levenson "Psychophysiological Studies of Emotion in Marriage" University of California, Berkeley In the marital studies done in this lab, there is a paradigm used to study socioemotional behavior in its natural state with biological, psychological, and social interactional levels of analysis. Couples have three conversations: Events of the Day Conflict Positive Events Various measures are recorded: Physiological: Autonomic and Somatic Behavior: Coding of Videotapes Subjective Experience: Rating dial used while watching videos Two primary kinds of studies performed: Prediction and Longitudinal Prediction Studies: Major findings Predictors of Marital Distress: Couples high in negative affect Couples high in corrosive affect sequences For Husbands, Husband Negativity ? Wife Negativity For Wives, Wife Negativity ? Husband Neutrality High in autonomic linkage – his negative arousal linked with hers and vice versa. Predictors of Marital Dissolution: Low ratio of positive/negative affect High negative affect reciprocity High in judgemental emotion High in autonomic arousal In general, it seems that low autonomic arousal predicts: Higher levels of physical health Higher levels of mental health Higher levels of retirement satisfaction These types of findings allow us to create a “recipe for success” for married couples. Longitudinal Studies: Major Findings What we know: Elderly couples are more satisfied than middle-aged couples. We also know that marital dissatisfaction correlates with poor health. Happy Marriage = Healthy Spouse. Longitudinal studies allow researchers to follow marital satisfaction over time, which enables us to infer causality direction. Findings: A decline in marital satisfaction is correlated with a decline in health after controlling for education and income. In terms of causality, it appears that a decline in health predicts decline in marital satisfaction. Longitudinal Studies of Neurodegenerative Disease Frontotemporal Dementia Deterioration of neurons in the brain Initial symptoms are more in the realm of emotion, personality, and social behavior As the brain is deteriorating, personality is changing The patient is often perceived as “cold;” emotions are blunted We can use longitudinal methods to look at the link between neural change and socioemotional change. Here, brain/behavior relations can be studied with some control for premorbid conditions. Robert W. Levenson's presentation "Psychophysiological Studies of Emotion in Marriage" can be viewed in PDF format, using Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®.

“The Future of Longitudinal Studies:
What we know; What we don’t know; What we need to know”

Biology And Biomedical Studies
Chaired by Joseph Campos, University of California, Berkeley
Saturday, March 22, 2003

Robert W. Levenson
"Psychophysiological Studies of Emotion in Marriage"
University of California, Berkeley

In the marital studies done in this lab, there is a paradigm used to study socioemotional behavior in its natural state with biological, psychological, and social interactional levels of analysis.

Couples have three conversations:

Events of the Day
Conflict
Positive Events

Various measures are recorded:

Physiological: Autonomic and Somatic
Behavior: Coding of Videotapes
Subjective Experience: Rating dial used while watching videos

Two primary kinds of studies performed: Prediction and Longitudinal

Prediction Studies: Major findings

Predictors of Marital Distress:

Couples high in negative affect
Couples high in corrosive affect sequences
High in autonomic linkage – his negative arousal linked with hers and vice versa.

Predictors of Marital Dissolution:

Low ratio of positive/negative affect
High negative affect reciprocity
High in judgemental emotion
High in autonomic arousal

In general, it seems that low autonomic arousal predicts:

Higher levels of physical health
Higher levels of mental health
Higher levels of retirement satisfaction

These types of findings allow us to create a “recipe for success” for married couples.

Longitudinal Studies: Major Findings

What we know: Elderly couples are more satisfied than middle-aged couples. We also know that marital dissatisfaction correlates with poor health. Happy Marriage = Healthy Spouse.

Longitudinal studies allow researchers to follow marital satisfaction over time, which enables us to infer causality direction.

Findings: A decline in marital satisfaction is correlated with a decline in health after controlling for education and income. In terms of causality, it appears that a decline in health predicts decline in marital satisfaction.

Longitudinal Studies of Neurodegenerative Disease

Frontotemporal Dementia

Deterioration of neurons in the brain
Initial symptoms are more in the realm of emotion, personality, and social behavior
As the brain is deteriorating, personality is changing
The patient is often perceived as “cold;” emotions are blunted

We can use longitudinal methods to look at the link between neural change and socioemotional change. Here, brain/behavior relations can be studied with some control for premorbid conditions.

Robert W. Levenson's presentation "Psychophysiological Studies of Emotion in Marriage" can be viewed in PDF format, using Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®.

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