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Individual Differences in the Relationship Transition Context: Links to Physiological Outcomes
Author(s) -
Keneski Elizabeth,
Schoenfeld Elizabeth A.,
Loving Timothy J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/jopy.12057
Subject(s) - psychology , normative , context (archaeology) , social psychology , identification (biology) , transition (genetics) , developmental psychology , paleontology , philosophy , biochemistry , botany , chemistry , epistemology , gene , biology
The identification of relationship‐relevant individual differences is central to elucidating how relationship experiences differentially impact individuals’ health. To this end, we highlight the utility of studying the influence of individual differences on physiological outcomes (e.g., cortisol reactivity and recovery) in the context of normative relationship transitions. We argue that relationship transitions, such as falling in love and the process of committing to marry one's partner, amplify the influence of individual differences on relationship processes and, by extension, on physiological outcomes. Two such individual differences are highlighted—namely, relationship‐focused processing and dependence—and suggestions for future work are provided.