Loneliness in Partner Relationships: A Dyadic Examination of Short- and Long-Term Dynamics

当个体在社会关系中感知到个体的期望和他们实际体验到的亲密程度之间的差异时，孤独就会发生。伴侣关系一直被证明是对抗孤独的最强大的保护因素。与此同时，当伴侣关系被认为是不满意或低质量时，伴侣关系也会增加孤独感。目前的研究项目致力于调查导致伴侣关系中孤独感上升和持续存在的环境和机制，并从三个主要方面扩展了先前的研究：（1）调查孤独感和关系质量之间的相互影响，（2）调查这些相互影响背后的内部和人际过程，以及（3）采用一个包括最近组成的夫妇的两个成员的样本。在三年的时间里，每三个月都会对夫妻双方进行11次测量，包括他们性格的几个方面，他们感知的关系质量，以及他们对伴侣的看法。此外，该项目实施了三个日记阶段，重点是解开情感，认知和行为过程。每个日记阶段包括两个日终日记事件，每个事件持续14天。通过这种设计，该研究项目有助于在合作伙伴关系的过程中孤独和关系质量之间的宏观和微观动态的新见解。此外，该项目揭示了这些动态的内部和人际过程。这些见解对于了解孤独的前因、表现和后果至关重要。

Loneliness occurs when individuals perceive a discrepancy between individual's aspired and their actually experienced amount of closeness and intimacy in social relationship. Partner relationships have consistently been shown to be the single most powerful protective factor against loneliness. At the same time, partner relationships also have been found to increase loneliness when the relationship is perceived as unsatisfying or of otherwise low quality. The current research project is dedicated to investigate the circumstances and mechanisms leading to the rise and perpetuation of loneliness in partner relationships and extends prior research in three major ways by (1) investigating reciprocal influences between loneliness and relationship quality, (2) investigating the intra- and interpersonal processes underlying these reciprocal influences, and (3) employing a sample involving both members of recently formed couples. Over the course of three years, both couple members will be surveyed at eleven measurement occasions each three months apartregarding several aspects of their personality, their perceived relationship quality, as well as their perception of the partner. Furthermore, the project implements three diary phases, focusing on disentangling affective, cognitive, and behavioral processes. Each diary phase consists of two end-of-day diary episodes, of which each extends over 14 days. Through this design, the research project contributes new insights into the macro- and micro-dynamics between loneliness and relationship quality over the course of partner relationships. Furthermore, the project sheds light on both the intra- and interpersonal processes underlying these dynamics. These insights are crucial to understand the antecedents, manifestations, and consequences of loneliness.