the science of love. our laboratory’s methods split screen setup

The Science of Love

OUR LABORATORY’S METHODS

SPLIT SCREEN SETUP

PHYSIOLOGICAL MONTAGE

PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING

VIDEO RECALL AFFECT RATING DIAL

RATING DIAL CLOSE UP

CONTROL ROOM

COMPUTER-ASSISTED CODING

PREDICTING IF A COUPLE WILL DIVORCE

PREVIOUS STUDIES

• SIX PREVIOUS STUDIES, ALL USE QUESTIONNAIRES

• CLOSE TO CHANCE LEVELS OF PREDICTION (MAX CORR = .25).

• NOT MUCH USE THEORETICALLY• BENTLER & NEWCOMB: CLOTHES

CONSCIOUSNESS PREDICT DIVORCE. GUESS HOW.

OUR FIRST STUDY

STARTED IN 1979 WITH BOB LEVENSON

DOW JONES GRAPH OF A MARITAL CONVERSATION

CUMULATIVE POS-NEG STABLE

DIVORCING

REPLICATION OF THE PREDICTION

• PREDICTING DIVORCE IN SEVEN SEPARATE LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE

• ALSO CAN PREDICT RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION

• CAN PREDICT ADAPTATIONTO MAJOR LIFE TRANSITIONS: TO PARENTHOOD, MIDLIFE, AND RETIREMENT

Five Couple Types

STABLE COUPLES MATCHED INFLUENCE FUNCTIONS

Validators Volatile Avoiders

5 to 1 positive to negative ratio

UNSTABLE COUPLES MISMATCHED INFLUENCE FUNCTIONS

Hostile (Validator/Avoider)

Hostile-Detached (Validator/Volatile)

0.8 to 1 positive to negative ratio

“PREDICTING” WHEN A COUPLE WILL DIVORCE

14-YEAR LONGITUDINAL DATA NOW AVAILABLE. VARIABLE IS YEARS TO DIVORCING. THIS IS POST-DICTION

NOT PRE-DICTION

BIMODAL DISTRIBUTION OF TIME UNTIL DIVORCE

IMPORTANT RESULT IS THAT:DIFFERENT TIME-1 PROCESSES PREDICT EARLY VS.

LATER DIVORCING

• ESCALATING NEGATIVEAFFECT: ATTACK-DEFEND CYCLE PREDICTS EARLY DIVORCING 5.6 YEARS AFTER WEDDING

• LACK OF POSITIVE AFFECT AND LACK OF NEGATIVE AFFECT: EMOTIONAL DISENGAGEMENT PREDICTS LATER DIVORCING 16.2 YEARS AFTER WEDDING

THREE MARITAL OUTCOMES

CUMULATIVE POS-NEG HAPPY STABLE

LATER DIVORCING

EARLY DIVORCING