Physiological correlates of support for self-expansion and links to goal pursuit in retirement

Partner support for self-expansion has been associated with long-term health and retirement satisfaction, yet the underlying physiological correlates are unknown. We predicted that partner support for self-expansion would be associated with short-term physiology and behavior as well as long-term goal pursuit. And 100 couples with at least one retiree within 2 years of retirement visited the laboratory and had a discussion of the retirees' future goals for retirement. We recorded behaviors and physiological responses during the discussion, assessed immediate feelings of capability afterwards, and then assessed goal pursuit one year later. Laboratory results indicated that partner support for self-expansion was linked to increased stroke volume reactivity in the support-recipient (suggesting a greater challenge response), which in turn predicted greater feelings of capability of accomplishing the goal, particularly for males. In addition, decreases in the support-provider's pre-ejection period reactivity (greater sympathetic arousal) during the discussion were associated with greater partner support for self-expansion in the lab, suggesting that support providers offer greater levels of support when they exhibit greater physiological signs of task engagement. Longitudinal follow-up results indicated that immediate feelings of capability of accomplishing the goal following a discussion about that goal predicted goal pursuit 1 year later. This research leverages a dyadic design and a multi-method approach (involving physiology, observed behavior, and perceptions) to show that couple members' physiology during goal discussions has long-term implications for a support-recipient's ability to accomplish goals.