Although theorists, researchers, and therapists alike emphasize emotional
intimacy as an important aspect of a couple’s relationship, empirical data to understand
the underlying processes behind this concept are lacking. The purpose of this study is to
examine Reis and Shaver’s interpersonal process model of intimacy in a community
sample of couples and to contribute to the current understanding of constructs that may
moderate the process of intimacy. Reis and Shaver’s model suggests that vulnerable
self-disclosure by one partner, coupled with empathic responding by the other partner,
results in greater subjective emotional intimacy. Previous studies have examined this
interpersonal process model in a sample of community couples in committed romantic
relationships. The present study aims to contribute to the extant literature by testing
emotion dysregulation as a potential moderator in Reis and Shaver’s interpersonal
process model of intimacy. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze data from 108
community couples. Couples completed measures and were asked to participate in
videotaped interactions in which each partner discussed a time that someone other than
the partner hurt their feelings (low threat condition) and a time the partner hurt their feelings (high threat condition). For each interaction, partners were assigned to a
designated role (speaker or listener). Results lend support to Reis and Shaver’s
interpersonal process model of intimacy suggesting that both vulnerable self-disclosure
and empathic responding by the partner are key components to one’s subjective
experience of emotional intimacy. Results also lend support to the idea that emotion
dysregulation moderates the relation between self-disclosure, empathic responding, and
resulting post-interaction intimacy; however, when measuring how emotion
dysregulation affects post-interaction intimacy within this study, results varied based on
whose intimacy was being measured (speaker or listener) and based on the condition
(low or high threat.) Clinical implications as well as directions for future research were
discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-3053 |
| Date | 15 May 2009 |
| Creators | Herrington, Rachael |
| Contributors | Snyder, Douglas K. |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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