Couples' perceptions of interpersonal emotion regulation receipt and provision predict well-being across adulthood

Exchanges of interpersonal emotion regulation support between romantic couples may be especially important in older adulthood, a time when individuals tend to prioritize close relationships and emotional well-being. We examine the effects of support exchange perceptions in an adult lifespan sample of married couples.

In the present study, 134 married couples (N = 268) aged 23-85 (Mage = 52.80, SD = 18.27) completed a 9-day daily diary procedure in which they reported current emotions, relationship satisfaction, and the extent to which they provided support to and received support from their partner in terms of managing emotions each day. Using actor-partner interdependence modeling and dyadic response surface analyses, we examined the effects of receiving and providing support on daily relationship satisfaction and emotional well-being, with age as a moderator.

At between-person and within-person levels, providing and receiving support were generally associated with higher end-of-day relationship satisfaction and positive affect, although some associations varied by actor and partner reports. Across analyses, compared to younger adults, the well-being of older adults was more strongly linked to their partner's reported interpersonal emotion regulation. In some cases, between-person level alignment in perceptions was more strongly associated with end-of-day negative affect and positive affect among older couples than younger couples, as indicated by response surface analyses.

Findings suggest that both receiving and providing interpersonal emotion regulation support are central to couples' well-being across the lifespan. This study provides preliminary evidence that partner perceptions of support exchanges may become increasingly important for well-being throughout adulthood.