1. Partner Communication Behaviors and Diurnal Cortisol Patterns
Hi Everyone! My name is Tasha Seiter, I’m from Colorado State University, and the title of my presentation is Partner Communication Behaviors and Diurnal cortisol patterns.
Natasha Seiter
Colorado State University
NCFR 2017

2. Why is marital communication related to health?
Background
Why is marital communication related to health?
Stress physiology, endocrine function
(e.g. cortisol)
Health
(e.g. morbidity, mortality, immune health)
Marital Variables
(e.g. marital communication behaviors)
Extensive research has suggested a link between marriage and health-
More specifically, more positive communication behaviors are associated with positive health outcomes, while the opposite is true of negative communication behaviors.
This link may be explained by stress physiology, and specifically the actions of cortisol, a stress hormone that’s produced by the HPA axis and important in the fight or flight response
Stress physiology may be an important link between marital variables and health
(e.g. Taylor, Repetti & Seeman, 1997)

3. Background
Cortisol reactivity during marital conflict discussions has been related to communication behaviors as observed by objective coders.
During marital conflict discussions, objectively observed positive communication behaviors are related to lower cortisol reactivity as well as better cortisol recovery, while the opposite is true of negative communication behaviors.
(e.g. Aloia & Solomon, 2015b; Feinberg, Jones, Granger, & Bontempo, 2013; Kiecolt-Glaser et al, 1997; Laurent et al., 2013; Miller, Dopp, Myers, Stevens & Fahey, 1999, only for men; Robles, Shaffer, Malarkey, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2006)

4. Background/Current Study
Observed / self-reported communication behaviors diurnal cortisol patterns?
Positive self-reported communication behaviors
Not only is cortisol released in response to stress, it is also released according to a natural cycle following a circadian rhythm.
A normative diurnal cortisol rhythm involves a relatively high waking response and a steep decline in levels throughout the day, like the red line, while a less healthy pattern is characterized by lower waking levels or a flatter slope throughout the day, like the blue line. This pattern alludes to dysregulation of the stress system and is associated with negative health outcomes.
Studies using daily diary and self-report methods have suggested that positive self-reported communication behaviors are associated with healthier diurnal cortisol patterns, while the opposite is true of negative communication behaviors.
However, research has yet to investigate the relationship between observed communication behaviors and diurnal cortisol patterns, the purpose of this study. We also include self-reported marital conflict and resolution as predictors in our study.
Negative self-reported communication behaviors
(Barnett, Steptoe, & Gareis, 2005; Blake-Mortimer, & Spiegel, 2000; Crockett & Neff, 2013; Ditzen, Hoppmann, & Klumb, 2008; Floyd, 2006; Floyd & Riforgiate, 2008; Kim et al., 2015; Saxbe et al, 2015; Stawski, Cichy, Piazza, & Almeida, 2013; Turner-Cobb, Sephton, Koopman)

5. Methods Participants: Marital conflict discussion task Measures:
Heterosexual couples (N=124)
Long-term relationships (M= years, SD=5.81)
At least one adolescent child
Income Median= $85,937, SD= $68,531
Range: $3,375 to $450,000
Marital conflict discussion task
Positive to negative communication behavior ratios
Measures:
Marital Conflict
Marital Resolution
Collection of diurnal cortisol
Two days
At waking,
30 minutes after waking,
At 4 PM,
Bed time
Participants were 124 heterosexual couples of relatively diverse incomes and ethnicities in long-term relationships who had at least one adolescent child in the home
Participants completed a marital conflict discussion task which was coded for negative as well as positive communication behaviors, for example withdrawal and affection, respectively, and a ratio was computed of positive relative to negative communication behaviors for each partner.
Participants also completed questionnaires assessing marital conflict frequency and intensity and conflict resolution.
To collect diurnal cortisol samples, participants were asked to provide samples immediately after waking, 30 minutes after waking, at 4 pm, and at bed time for two days.
(Braiker & Kelly, 1979; Cummings et al., 2007; (Kerig, 1996)

6. *Men’s greater observed communication quality= lesser allostatic load=
Women’s P/N Communication Behavior
Women’s Intercept
7.23a
*Men’s greater observed communication quality=
lesser allostatic load=
healthier cortisol patterns for both men and women
.64 e
.42**
.66***
.57 e
Men’s P/N Communication Behavior 1
.61***
-.35
.43***
.47
.63*** 2 e
-.73***
Women’s Self- reported Marital Conflict
-.41*
Women’s Slope
-2.16a
-.16**
.67 3 e
.79***
*Men’s greater reported marital conflict=
women’s greater allostatic load= women’s lower (less healthy) waking levels
Men’s Self- reported Marital Conflict
-.34*; Education, Income
.81*** 4
.65
.77 e
Women’s Self- reported Resolution e
-.24*; With women’s education, depressive symptoms
Men’s Self- reported Resolution
Separate growth curve models for men and women were fit into separate structural equation models to examine associations among cortisol intercepts/slopes and potential communication predictors
Models were tested first without control variables, for which results are presented here with black lines
Then models were tested with health behavior control variables (including wake time, prescription drug use, cigarettes consumed, and amount of exercise)
Lastly, sensitivity analyses were conducted adding demographic control variables to the models one by one. These included age, ethnicity, income, education, depressive symptoms, and relationship duration. Results that were only significant in any of these analyses are presented here in green as I will describe.
As hypothesized, I found significant associations among partner communication variables and diurnal cortisol patterns. In regards to observed communication quality, men’s P/N communication behavior increased as women’s cortisol waking levels increased (in all models except with women’s age).
Men’s greater P/N communication behavior also demonstrated marginal significance in predicting women’s steeper slopes. In addition, men who demonstrated greater communication quality also displayed steeper cortisol slopes (in all models except for those with health behavior covariates).
Thus, men’s greater communication quality is negatively associated with patterns suggestive of dysregulation for both men and women. It may be that the stress of conflict with men who are more negative and/or less positive in couple interactions contributes to greater wear and tear on the body, or allostatic load, and thus dysregulation of cortisol production. This is consistent with research that finds that both husbands and wives are most physiologically sensitive to husbands’ behaviors in marital conflict discussions.
Concerning self-reported marital conflict, women with husbands who reported greater marital conflict demonstrated lower cortisol waking levels in all models.
As the stress of more frequent or intense marital conflict may lead to greater allostatic load, women with men who report greater marital conflict may display a lower cortisol waking level as a result of allostatic load and cortisol dysregulation.
Results of analyses investigating self-reported resolution as a predictor indicated that, in models with family income and women’s education, women’s greater self-reported resolution significantly predicted, and in models with women’s education and women’s depressive symptoms, men’s greater self-reported resolution marginally predicted, women’s lower waking cortisol levels. It may be that greater resolution of conflict is stressful for women, as they are often the ones who carry the burden of resolving conflicts in their relationships. Thus, greater resolution of conflict may be a reflection of the greater effort that women must put into resolving conflicts with their spouses, which could explain a greater allostatic load for women who report greater levels of resolution.
Results also suggested that, in models with women’s depressive symptoms, women’s greater self-reported resolution significantly predicted, and in models with family income marginally predicted, men’s steeper cortisol slopes. Women’s more positive evaluations of marital conflict resolution may have a positive effect on men’s physiological stress functioning, in contrast to the negative effect seen for women’s stress functioning. It may be that resolution of conflict is more helpful in reducing allostatic load for men than for women, as men may feel less responsible for initiating conflict resolution. e
Women’s P/N Communication Behavior
.89
*Women’s greater reported resolution=
women’s greater allostatic load, men’s lesser allostatic load= less healthy pattern for women, but more healthy pattern for men
Men’s Intercept
4.03a
.82***
.33 e 1
Men’s P/N Communication Behavior
-.55**
.71***
.58***
.79***
.44 2 e
-.82***
Women’s Self- reported Marital Conflict
-.05*;
With income
Men’s Slope
-.87a
-.06
.67 3 e
.78***
Men’s Self- reported Marital Conflict
.91*** 4
.61 e
.64
Solid arrows= significant
Dashed arrows= marginal
Black= models without covariates
Green = only models with demographics
Women’s Self- reported Resolution e
-.37*; With women’s depressive symptoms
Men’s Self- reported Resolution

7. Conclusion/Discussion Q’s
*Men’s greater observed communication quality = women’s higher waking levels, men’s steeper slopes
*Men’s greater self-reported marital conflict= women’s lower waking levels
*Women’s greater reported resolution= women’s lower waking levels,
men’s steeper slopes
In conclusion, this study found relations among both self-report communication behaviors and observed communication behaviors with diurnal cortisol patterns. Specifically, in some models, men’s greater observed communication quality was related to women’s higher waking levels and men’s steeper slopes, men’s greater self-reported marital conflict was associated with women’s lower waking levels, and women’s greater reported resolution was associated with women’s lower waking levels and men’s steeper slopes.
In being the first to investigate the association among individuals’ characteristic diurnal cortisol patterns and observed couple communication behaviors, this research adds to a body of literature that investigates possible pathways between marital interaction and health, with implications for interventions that target partner communication behaviors.
I want to thank you for listening to my presentation, and end with two discussion questions, one being:
1. Why might we see associations among couple communication behaviors and diurnal cortisol patterns? And the other being
2. Why might men’s observed communication quality be more predictive of both women’s and men’s diurnal cortisol patterns than women’s observed communication quality?
Discussion questions: *Why might we see associations among couple communication behaviors and diurnal cortisol patterns? *Why might men’s observed communication quality be more predictive of both women’s and men’s diurnal cortisol patterns than women’s observed communication quality?