School of Public Health

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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

Note: Prior to July 1, 2007, the School of Public Health was named the College of Health & Human Performance.

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DETERMINANTS AND BEHAVIORAL CORRELATES OF STATE-LEVEL ANXIETY IN CLINICAL COUPLE INTERACTIONS
(2005-08-19) Dezfulian, Taryn Marie; Epstein, Norman E.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Extant research demonstrated that clinically diagnosable disorders such as depression and anxiety have detrimental effects on dyadic satisfaction in couple relationships, but studies have focused almost exclusively on trait-level emotional responses. Consequently, little is known about state-level emotional responses, including factors influencing negative emotional states during couple interactions, and associations between emotional states and the partners' subsequent communication behavior. This study investigated the associations between: (a) each partner's attachment security and negative attributions about the other's malicious intent for them; (b) the degree of state-level anxiety partners experience immediately before engaging in a discussion about a conflictual relationship issue; and (c) partners' use of constructive and destructive behaviors during the discussion. State-level anxiety mediated the relationship between partners' pre-existing attachment security and negative attributions about the partner and each partner's use of constructive and destructive communication. Implications for clinical assessment and intervention with state-level anxiety responses in distressed couples are discussed.