Statistical adjustments (i.e., partialing) for between-partner correlations on the same variable and for correlations among multiple predictors within individuals are common in relationship research. Although useful, partialing can alter the construct validity or meaning of measured variables in ways that are typically not considered. In this study of 300 middle-aged and older couples, unadjusted, partner-partialed, partialed warmth and hostility component, and common fate model scores for observer-rated behavior during marital conflict discussions were compared using interpersonal circumplex-based spouse ratings of targets' behavior during those discussions, as well as self-reports of marital quality (i.e., overall marital adjustment, support from spouse, conflict). Unadjusted scores for observer-rated affiliation-and its two components, warmth, and hostility-had expected associations with interpersonal circumplex-based spouse ratings and self-reports of marital quality. Compared to unadjusted scores, partner-partialing, analogous to the actor-partner interdependence model, resulted in significantly weaker associations of behavioral scores with the expected interpersonal content of spouse ratings, and weaker associations with reported marital quality. Partialing of warmth and hostility within individuals also resulted in weaker associations with spouse ratings and marital quality, and some shifts in the theme of spouse ratings. In contrast, common fate model scores had expected associations with these criteria that equaled or exceeded the magnitude for unadjusted scores. Thus, common forms of partialing in relationship research can weaken the construct validity of behavioral observation variables, and common fate model scores represent a viable alternative in some instances. Implications for the design, reporting, and evaluation of couple research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

OBJECTIVE:Despite robust evidence linking psychological stress to cardiovascular disease (CVD), explanations for how risk is transmitted are limited by a lack of ecologically valid models. Recent conceptual advances including generalized unsafety theory of stress and social safety theory articulate persistent physiological activation driven by contextual exposure and compensatory situational vigilance as a pathway. This study provides an integrated first test of generalized unsafety theory of stress and social safety theory models on preclinical CVD. METHOD:A diverse community sample of 300 adults (Mage = 42.44 years; 50% women; 60% non-Hispanic (NH) Whites, 19% Hispanic/Latinos, 15% NH Blacks, 6% NH Others) completed a 2-year longitudinal study with surveys, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and carotid artery scans measuring disease progression. Residential data were geo-coded to assess risk for crime exposure. Data collection occurred in 2012 and 2014. RESULTS:As hypothesized, greater environmental unsafety (geo-coded crime rates; B = 0.02, p < .05) and greater daily social vigilance (EMA self-report; Bs = 0.09, ps < .05) were associated with greater disease progression. Although higher daily social safety (EMA self-report; B = -0.04, p < .001) was associated with lower social vigilance, social vigilance did not mediate associations between either safety indicator and disease progression. CONCLUSIONS:Results align with a persistent activation conceptualization of stress and modestly support the specific theoretical assertions. These findings suggest future stress-CVD investigations should account for multilevel safety influences and continuous monitoring behavior to more accurately capture daily stress experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Variability in daily emotional experiences may be important for both mental and physical health and may be influenced by individual differences such as age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Research on individual differences in affect variability is limited, and what is available does not encompass diverse, multilayered identities. Therefore, the present study aims to provide more inclusive evidence of the role of individual differences in affect variability. We assessed momentary positive and negative affect in a diverse community sample of adults. A sample of 300 adults (age 18-80; 50% women; 19% Hispanic, 15% Black) completed 2 days of ecological momentary assessment sampling randomly within 45-min blocks during waking hours. Using individual standard deviation for positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) variability, independent samples t tests were conducted to assess individual differences in PA and NA variability. General linear models were used to assess interaction effects between individual differences in PA and NA variability. Correlation analyses demonstrate that older age was correlated with lower PA and NA variability. Independent sample t tests demonstrate that being female was associated with greater PA variability, and identifying as White was associated with lower PA and NA variability. Two-way and three-way interactions between age, gender, and race/ethnicity showed no significant association with PA or NA variability. Although the observed effects were not uniform across all demographics, together they highlight the relevance of individual differences in affect dynamics and underscore the value of incorporating them into research on affect variability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

The Displaced Aggression Questionnaire (DAQ) assesses the trait tendency to aggress against innocent targets, following unrelated provocation. In a primary aim, interpersonal concepts and methods and other measures were used to evaluate the construct validity of DAQ subscales (i.e., angry rumination, revenge planning, behavioral displaced aggression). A second aim evaluated the extent to which partialing altered interpersonal and other correlates of the DAQ subscales. A representative online sample of 999 U.S. adults completed the DAQ, interpersonal circumplex measures of trait social behavior and problems, agentic and communal values, negative interpersonal experiences, social support, loneliness, and subjective social status, as well as measures of self-regulatory processes. In Structural Summary Method analyses, DAQ subscales had expected associations with hostile interpersonal style and more severe interpersonal problems. Additional correlations with interpersonal processes and self-regulation generally supported predictions. However, partialing DAQ subscales from each other severely undermined this otherwise supportive evidence of construct validity.

OBJECTIVE:Multiple psychosocial factors can influence any given health outcome. To establish independent effects, partialing correlated risk or protective factors (e.g., simultaneous inclusion in regressions) is a common strategy. However, partialing can alter construct validity for even well-established measures. The present studies used the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) and elements of the five-factor model as frameworks to evaluate this issue. METHOD:In Study 1, a representative sample of 1,356 U.S. adults completed measures of social anxiety, social support, and interpersonal problems. In Study 2, 300 middle-aged and older couples (total n = 600) completed measures of martial adjustment, depression, anger/hostility, and optimism, as well as IPC-based measures of the spouses' typical behavior during couple interactions and interpersonal style (i.e., trait social behavior), additional measures of marital support and conflict, and facets of the five-factor-model neuroticism domain. The (dis)similarity of associations of unadjusted and partialed variables with the external variables indicative of construct validity was evaluated in structural summary model analyses of IPC correlates and in comparisons of correlations with the additional measures. RESULTS:The primary effect of partialing was a significant reduction in the magnitude of expected associations with external variables in the nomological network, suggesting weaker representation of intended constructs. In some cases, partialing also produced a shift in the constructs assessed by partialed scores. CONCLUSIONS:Partialing can alter the validity of psychosocial measures. Implications for designing, reporting, and interpreting analyses of psychosocial risk and protective factors are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

OBJECTIVE:Social media use can promote social connection but also often includes negative experiences, raising questions about its associations with broader interpersonal functioning. METHODS:This preregistered study used the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) to examine associations of self-reported online social support and negativity, and excessive social media use with self-reports of general interpersonal problems, compared to associations for offline support and social anxiety, in a representative sample of U.S. adult social media users (n = 1356; mean age = 44.9; 52% women; 61.9% non-Hispanic White; median income $50k-75k). RESULTS:Online negativity and excessive social media use were strongly associated with more severe general interpersonal problems; online support had a small positive association with greater problems. These associations were stronger for men than women, and weaker for older participants. In contrast to online support, off-line social support was inversely associated with interpersonal problems, and the positive association for social anxiety was similar in magnitude to those for online negativity and excessive social media use. CONCLUSIONS:Findings suggest that online social experiences and excessive social media use are associated with broader interpersonal difficulties, and that the interpersonal perspective may be useful in understanding psychosocial issues emerging in the digital age.

This article synthesizes how we think about groups and how we behave during interpersonal situations by integrating the influential stereotype content model from social psychology and the interpersonal perspective in personality and clinical psychology. The empirically derived structural model of the interpersonal circumplex closely resembles the stereotype content model in its general form and specific dimensions. Integration allows researchers to hypothesize and test precise mechanisms linking stereotypes and interpersonal interactions using the common metaconcepts of agency and communion to link cognitions (stereotypes) and behavior. The interpersonal perspective has also been studied extensively, and repeated patterns of interaction have been linked to mental and physical health. Thus, this integration also has the potential to inform our mechanistic understanding of associations between stereotypes and outcomes and thus inform interventions intended to reduce stereotyping and its harmful effects. Integration with the stereotype content model also extends the interpersonal perspective by highlighting the importance of stereotypes as a repetitive influence on interpersonal interactions, similar to interpersonal conceptualizations of personality. This integration of the stereotype content model and the interpersonal tradition helps create a holistic view of the influence of stereotypes during interpersonal situations and explain why benefits or risks may follow.

OBJECTIVE:Ambivalence in relationships is related to health-relevant biological outcomes. However, the antecedent processes that contribute to this association are unknown. The primary aim of this study was to test the prediction of the social ambivalence and disease model, which highlights the potential role of childhood trauma as an antecedent factor linking spousal ambivalence to inflammation. METHOD:A sample of 107 heterosexual couples who had been married for at least 10 years was recruited. Participants completed the social relationship index to assess spousal ambivalence and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Blood was drawn to determine levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 as measures of inflammation. RESULTS:Consistent with the social ambivalence and disease model, there was a significant indirect effect in which childhood trauma was related to greater spousal ambivalence which in turn was associated with higher hs-CRP levels. No evidence for the statistical mediational model was found for interleukin-6. CONCLUSIONS:These results highlight the potential role of childhood trauma as an antecedent factor linking spousal ambivalence to hs-CRP. It also highlights potential pathways that might be targeted for interventions pending further work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

OBJECTIVE:Adverse childhood experiences have been associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes and occur predominantly within the family. Many widely used assessments of early adversities have significant psychometric limitations and have not been adequately integrated with established theories relating parent-child interactions to similar outcomes. To examine the behaviorally specific ratings of parent-child interactions in early childhood associated with concurrent adverse childhood experiences believed to confer risk for poor health. METHOD:In total, 180 young adult undergraduates (52% female, Mage = 21, SD = 6.2 years) enrolled at a large public university in the Southwestern United States. The majority of participants identified as White (73.6%; 10.7% Hispanic, and 7.9% Asian American), were full-time students (81.4%), employed (60.3%), and made less than $15,000 annually (66.0%). Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between affiliation-hostility and autonomy-control in interactions between parents and children, and total early adverse experiences, subtypes of early adversity (e.g., abuse, neglect), and individual adverse experiences, separately. RESULTS:Greater hostility in interactions with fathers (β = -0.68, p < .001) and mothers (β = -0.48, p < .001), as well as greater autonomy with mothers (β = 0.14, p = .047) were significantly associated with total early adversities. Similarly, greater hostility was consistently associated with subcategories of adverse experiences (abuse, neglect, and household chaos), while associations with autonomy-control differed by subcategory. CONCLUSIONS:Results suggest that hostile and distant interpersonal processes in the early family environment may underlie and contribute to exposure to early adversities and associated outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Research has shown that ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) predicts education and mental health outcomes for adolescents. However, limited research has evaluated the ERS experiences of Latinx students. The current study examined ERS experiences of Mexican American youth in four focus group interviews that were transcribed and analyzed at both the individual and group level using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Main themes included feeling like an outsider, navigating discrimination, encountering social/emotional difficulties, and achieving a positive identity. Each theme contained two to three subcategories that provide further insight into the Mexican Americans' ERS experiences. Participants reported within-group discrimination, motivation to disprove stereotypes, and infrequent understanding or compassion from adults. Teachers, administrators, counselors, and school psychologists can attend to and seek to promote social connections, implement social-emotional learning interventions, foster resilience, work to dismantle racism, collaborate with parents, and create communities of inclusion. Mexican American students reported benefitting from ethnic-racial socialization that emphasized the positive aspects of their culture.Students desired solutions for racism, real-world skills for interacting across-cultures, and emotional support.Given the students' focus on social interactions, educators can foster connections rather than simply deliver messages about ethnicity and race.

Summary Natural short sleepers (NSS)—individuals who report minimal sleepiness or daytime dysfunction despite habitually sleeping less than the recommended amount (i.e., <7 h)—are a focus of growing interest in sleep research. Yet, the predominance of research on NSS has relied on subjective reports of functionality. The present study examined subjective and objective sleepiness among actigraphy‐verified NSS in comparison with recommended (7–9 h/day) length sleepers (RLS) who reported similarly minimal daytime dysfunction. The study tested the hypothesis that under conditions of low environmental stimulation, NSS have increased risk of drowsiness and sleep onset, regardless of perceived alertness. The NSS and RLS groups were identified via screening and verified with a 14 day assessment with actigraphy, sleep diaries, and morning ratings of sleep restoration. In‐laboratory resting electroencephalography (EEG) data were analysed using a computerised EEG‐based algorithm (Vigilance Algorithm Leipzig; VIGALL) to classify second‐by‐second changes in objective sleepiness ranging from cognitively active alertness to sleep onset. Results demonstrated that NSS exhibited significantly higher drowsiness and sleep onset (‘microsleeps’) across 15 min of resting EEG despite perceptions of lower subjective sleepiness compared to RLS. Findings suggest that irrespective of perceived sleep restoration and alertness, NSS appear to be at high risk of objective sleepiness that is rapidly unmasked under conditions of low environmental stimulation. Such apparent discrepancy between subjective and objective sleepiness has potentially important public health implications. Future research directions, including tests of mechanisms and tailored sleep extension intervention, are discussed.

This study examined the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profiles of male law enforcement officers (LEOs) and civilians. CVD risk profiles were based on data collected using traditional objective (e.g., resting BP, cholesterol), novel objective (e.g., ambulatory BP) and self-report measures (e.g., EMA social vigilance). A subset of male LEOs ( n = 30, M age = 41.47, SD = 8.03) and male civilians ( n = 120, M age = 40.73, SD = 13.52) from a larger study were included in analyses. Results indicated LEOs had significantly higher body mass index [BMI], 31.17 kg/m2 versus 28.87 kg/m2, and exhibited significantly higher trait and state social vigilance across multiple measures, whereas perceived stress was higher among civilians. Findings highlight the need for future research examining CVD risk associated with occupational health disparities, including attributes of individuals entering certain professions as well as experiential and environmental demands of the work.

Abstract Stress management and related interventions are useful in the prevention and treatment of a variety of medical conditions, including coronary heart disease (CHD). These interventions improve emotional adjustment and reduce physiological stress responses that otherwise contribute to the underlying pathophysiology of the disease process. However, most of these interventions are based on a largely intrapersonal view of the psychophysiology of stress, with an emphasis on dampening physiological stress responses directly through relaxation, meditation or biofeedback approaches, or cognitive-behavioral approaches that alter stress-engendering cognitive processes (e.g., appraisals, cognitive distortions, rumination, worry). The present chapter presents an interpersonal view of stress and its impact on the development and course of CHD and discusses its implications for adjunctive interventions with this population. Based in the interpersonal tradition in clinical and personality psychology, this model identifies the two basic social motives of connection with others and status relative to others as key influences on physiological stress responses. The related dimensions of the interpersonal circumplex—affiliation and control—and other concepts in the interpersonal perspective provide an organizing framework for psychosocial risk and protective factors for CHD, as well as the psychophysiological mechanisms linking them with the disease process. Therapeutic implications of the affiliation dimension for stress management and related interventions include reduction of expression of and exposure to hostility, as well as increased expression of and exposure to warmth. For the control dimension, cultivation of autonomy as an alternative to both effortful expression of control or dominance and excessive deference or submissiveness is a potentially valuable focus for intervention. In pursuing these goals, several current psychological therapies can be incorporated into an interpersonally enhanced approach to stress management.