The Impact of Depressive Symptoms on Overidentification of Anger in Couples: A Daily Diary Study

Anger is intricately linked to symptoms of depression and has implications for functioning outcomes in romantic couples. There is a lack of research on whether symptoms of depression influence empathic accuracy of anger in couples, as well as whether perceptions of anger impact relationship quality for both partners. Using daily diary data, we examined these outcomes among 79 cohabitating couples (n = 158). Participants completed a baseline survey assessing relationship satisfaction and depression, as well as daily surveys rating their mood, their perception of their partner's mood, and relationship satisfaction and closeness. Results indicated that partners of individuals with higher depressive symptoms display empathic inaccuracy of anger. They evidenced a bias towards perceiving higher participant anger even when participants themselves report low levels of anger or low overall negative affect. Partner bias towards perceiving their partners as angry predicted poorer ratings of relationship satisfaction and closeness from both partner and participant perspectives. Findings suggest that for couples in which one individual struggles with symptoms of depression, empathic inaccuracy of anger or biased perception of anger may be a mechanism by which interpersonal dysfunction is maintained.