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Updated: May 8, 2026
10:16
Human Circadian Phenotyping and Diurnal Performance Testing in the Real World
Published on: April 7, 2020
Synchrony of diurnal cortisol pattern in couples
Siwei Liu1, Michael J Rovine, Laura Cousino Klein
1Human Development and Family Studies, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sweliu@ucdavis.edu
Summary
Spouses synchronize their daily cortisol patterns, particularly the diurnal cortisol slope. Marital strain affects cortisol awakening response synchrony, while support enhances individual stability.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Behavioral Science
- Social Neuroscience
Background:
- Cortisol is a key stress biomarker, with its diurnal pattern reflecting neuroendocrine health.
- Marital dyads are theorized as interdependent systems, yet spousal influence on biological stress remains understudied.
- Understanding daily physiological synchrony in couples offers insights into relationship quality and biobehavioral health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether individual cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) predict those of a spouse.
- To examine daily and next-day influences within heterosexual couples regarding cortisol patterns.
- To explore the association between marital relationship quality and cortisol synchrony/stability.
Main Methods:
- Collected saliva samples from 19 heterosexual couples four times daily for four consecutive days.
- Employed multilevel modeling to analyze cortisol data and spousal interdependence.
- Utilized cross-lagged regression to assess temporal stability and cross-spousal effects in cortisol patterns.
Main Results:
- Spouses demonstrated synchronization in their diurnal cortisol slope (DCS).
- Cortisol awakening response (CAR) synchrony was linked to higher marital strain and disagreement.
- Individual diurnal cortisol patterns showed stability, but no significant cross-spousal lagged effects were found for DCS or CAR.
Conclusions:
- Spouses exhibit day-to-day interdependence in their diurnal cortisol patterns.
- Cortisol synchrony and stability are associated with marital relationship quality, including strain and support.
- Findings advance understanding of marital processes, biobehavioral health, and longitudinal dyadic analysis.
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