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Partner validation during couple conflict predicts reduced negative affect and better psychosocial adjustment to

Gabriel A León1, Olivia Dien1, Mona Khaled1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Southern California.

Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)
|July 13, 2026
PubMed

The transition to parenthood represents a critical period marked by shifting interpersonal dynamics. This study examines the role of partner validation during conflict in promoting psychosocial adjustment in 93 expectant-parent couples. Couples participated in a 15-min conflict discussion during pregnancy, which was video recorded and coded for affective behaviors using the Specific Affect Coding System. Using state-space grids and grid-sequence analysis, we tracked real-time affective exchanges to identify coregulatory patterns. We found that when participants display validation toward their partner (i.e., acknowledgment, interest, communicating sincere understanding), partners are more likely to transition from negative affect to either neutral or positive affect states. Moreover, validation during conflict was positively associated with postpartum relationship quality in both partners, and men who validated their partners more frequently reported lower parenting stress. These findings underscore the importance of partner validation as a potential behavioral mechanism of interpersonal emotion regulation (i.e., coregulation), suggesting that it may facilitate better adjustment to parenthood. Results highlight the potential for interventions focused on enhancing validation behaviors in expectant couples to improve psychosocial outcomes for parents and children alike. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

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