CAREER: Modeling the unique effects of verbal and physical contact on well-being

当人们无法与亲密的人保持联系时，情况就会很糟糕，这一点从大流行的社会隔离情况中已经清楚地体现出来。朋友、家人和伴侣之间日常身体接触的积极影响往往被认为是理所当然的，但当社交距离使人们身体分开时，身体接触的重要性就得到了关注。这个项目将注意力集中在日常亲密身体接触的独特好处上。这个项目的主要目的是测试为什么身体接触对个人和他们的关系是有益的。有什么心理影响的深情的身体接触区别于口头表达的感情？这项研究测试了身体和语言的情感如何影响人们持有的心理模式（关于他们是否值得爱和关心，他人是否支持和值得信赖的信念）和他们的夫妻身份（他们是否以“我们”和“我们”的方式思考）。此外，这个研究项目评估了由此产生的行为改变，增强了个人和关系的功能。这个项目的第二个目的是测试人们心理模式的初始差异如何调节身体和语言情感的心理影响，以确定谁从深情的身体接触中受益（也许谁没有受益）。了解身体和语言情感背后独特的心理过程——影响是如何发生的，对谁产生的——将为帮助夫妻增进关系和个人幸福提供基础。本研究项目采用多种方法，结合非实验（生态瞬间评估，观察者评价讨论）和实验设计，以确定自然发生的身体情感和为期一周的身体情感干预的独特后果。指导这项研究的机制模型假设：a)身体上的情感独特地将一种安全状态编码到现有的心理模型中，并独特地促进伴侣之间的自我-他人重叠，这b)使人们能够制定增强他们的关系和个人幸福的行为。该项目采用尖端的测量和分析策略来评估身体情感的即时和长期后果。生态瞬间评估组件捕捉日常水平的身体情感和自我-他人重叠。对夫妻讨论的即时分析揭示了身体情感（持续观察者对持续时间和强度的评级）与安全心理模型（与时间相关的安全感持续影响评级）之间的关联。此外，身体情感干预的结果正在使用敏感和客观的测量方法进行评估，包括一种隐含的依恋安全测量方法，该方法可以捕捉到心理模型的变化，以及在引导夫妻互动中发生的建设性关系行为的观察者评级。最后，这个研究项目通过分析相信和期望他人不可信任的大部分人（回避型依恋个体）来检验谁可能或可能不会从身体情感中受益。这个项目的一个重要组成部分是致力于为学生提供发展方法论和分析专业知识的机会。学生接受设计、指导和分析结合不同测量、设计和评估时间框架的多方法研究的直接培训。此外，该项目还支持开发和传播脚手架资源工具包，帮助本科生提出独立的研究建议。最终，该项目推进了人们如何思考和处理亲密关系的基本方面的知识，并可以为有效和可扩展的干预措施提供信息，以保护和增强个人和关系的福祉。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

People fare poorly when they are unable to remain in contact with close others, as has become clear from pandemic conditions of social isolation. The positive effects of routine physical contact between friends, family members, and relationship partners often are taken for granted, but the importance placed on physical contact was brought into focus when social distancing kept people physically apart. This project focuses attention on the unique benefits of everyday affectionate physical contact. A primary aim of this project is to test why physical contact is beneficial for individuals and their relationships. What are the psychological effects of affectionate physical contact that differentiate it from verbal expressions of affection? This research tests how physical and verbal affection influence the mental models people hold (beliefs about whether they are worthy of love and care and whether others are supportive and trustworthy) and their couple identity (whether they think in terms of "we" and "us"). Further, this program of research assesses resulting behavioral changes that enhance individual and relationship functioning. A second aim of this project is to test how initial differences in people's mental models modulate the psychological effects of physical and verbal affection to determine who benefits (and perhaps who does not benefit) from affectionate physical contact. Understanding the unique psychological processes underlying physical versus verbal affection – how and for whom effects occur – will provide a foundation to help couples enhance their relationships and personal well-being.This program of research uses a multi-method approach combining nonexperimental (ecological momentary assessments, observer-rated discussions) and experimental designs to identify the unique consequences of naturally occurring physical affection and a weeklong physical affection intervention. The mechanistic model guiding this research posits that a) physical affection uniquely encodes a state of security into existing mental models and uniquely fosters self-other overlap between partners, which b) enables people to enact behaviors that enhance their relationships and their personal well-being. This project incorporates cutting-edge measurement and analysis strategies to assess immediate and long-term consequences of physical affection. An ecological momentary assessment component captures daily levels of physical affection and self-other overlap. Moment-to-moment analyses of couple discussions reveal associations of physical affection (continuous observer ratings of duration and intensity) with secure mental models (time-linked continuous affect ratings of felt security). Additionally, the consequences of the physical affection intervention are being evaluated using sensitive and objective measures, including an implicit measure of attachment security that captures changes in mental models and observer ratings of constructive relationship behaviors that occur in guided couple interactions. Finally, this program of research examines who may or may not benefit from physical affection by analyzing the significant portion of people who believe and expect that others cannot be trusted (avoidantly-attached individuals). A significant component of this project is dedicated to providing opportunities for students to develop methodological and analytical expertise. Students receive direct training on designing, conducting, and analyzing multi-method studies that combine different measures, designs, and assessment timeframes. In addition, the project supports the development and dissemination of scaffolded resource toolkits that help undergraduate students produce independent research proposals. Ultimately, this project advances knowledge on fundamental aspects of how people think about and navigate their close relationships, and it can inform effective and scalable interventions to protect and enhance personal and relational well-being.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.