Stress, Dyadic Coping, and Social Support: Moving toward Integration

Many events that cause distress in the lives of individuals who are part of a couple affect both individuals, because of their shared concerns, resources, goals, and social ties. Two approaches have been articulated for how couples respond when one or both members need assistance, encouragement, or comfort: the social support approach (e.g., Cutrona, 1996; Pasch & Bradbury, 1998; Sullivan & Davila, 2010) and the dyadic coping approach (e.g., Bodenmann, 1995;Coyne & Fiske, 1992; Delangis & O'Brien, 1990; Revenson, 1994). While these two approaches have considerable overlap, they originated in two different research traditions and evolved relatively independently. The social support approach emerged From research on the effects of stressful IiFe events on health and how these effects were moderated by social resources (e.g., Kaplan, Cassel, & Gore, 1977). Although early studies focused on all sources of support within individuals' social network, over time, interest developedin the special importance of support from an intimate partner (e.g., Acitelli, 1996; Brown & Harris, 1978; Cutrona, 1996). The dyadic coping approach built on the literature that addressed how individuals cope with daily hassles and stressful life events (e.g., Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)and expanded the coping model to include both members of the couple. An entire chapter of the current volume is devoted to a description of new developments in social support research (Feeney & Collins, Chapter 21, this volume). The current chapter focuses primarily on new research in dyadic coping and ideas about how the social support and dyadic coping approaches to stress in couples can be usefully integrated. Disciplines Counseling Psychology | Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling | Psychology Comments This chapter is published as Cutrona, C. E. , Bodenmann, G. , Randall, A. K. , Clavel, F. & Johnson, M. (2018). Stress, dyadic coping and social support: Moving toward integration. In D. Perlman & A. Vangelisti (Eds.) Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships (2nd edition). Campbridge, England: Cambridge University Press. For more information please click here. This book chapter is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/psychology_pubs/55 Stress, Dyadic Coping, and Social Support Moving toward Integration CAROLYN CUTRONA. GUY BODENMANN, ASHLEY K. RANDALL. FREDERICKD. CLAVEL. AND MELISSA JOHNSON Many events that cause distress in the lives of individuals who are part of a couple affect both individuals, because of their shared concerns, resources, goals, and social ties. Two approaches have been articulated for how couples respond when one or both members need assistance, encouragement, or comfort: the social support approach (e.g., Cutrona, 1996; Pasch & Bradbury, 1998; Sullivan & Davila, 2010) and the dyadic coping approach (e.g., Bodenmann, 1995;Coyne & Fiske, 1992; Delangis & O'Brien, 1990; Revenson, 1994). While these two approaches have considerable overlap, they originated in two different research traditions and evolved relatively independently. The social support approach emerged From research on the effects of stressful IiFe events on health and how these effects were moderated by social resources (e.g., Kaplan, Cassel, & Gore, 1977). Although early studies focused on all sources of support within individuals' social network, over time, interest developedin the special importance of support from an intimate partner (e.g.,Acitelli, 1996; Brown & Harris, 1978; Cutrona, 1996). The dyadic coping approach built on the literature that addressed how individuals cope with daily hassles and stressful life events (e.g., Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)and expanded the coping model to include both members of the couple. An entire chapter of the current volume is devoted to a description of new developments in social support research (Feeney & Collins, Chapter 21, this volume). The current chapter focuses primarily on new research in dyadic coping and ideas about how the social support and dyadic coping approaches to stress in couples can be usefully integrated. In this chapter, an overviewis provided of the most important tenets of the dyadiccoping approach, followed by a more detailed description of the most widelyused dyadic coping model, Bodenmann's systematic transactional model (STM; Bodenmann, 1995, 1997b, 2005). Two contributions of the STM are highlighted: dyadic consrruals of stressors and common dyadic coping, a symmetrical process of coping in which both members of the couple participate as equal partners. DYADIC COPING Multiple approachesare encompassed under the r-ubricof dyadic coping (see review by Bodenmann, Meuwly, & Kayser, 2011). Contributions highlighted in the current chapter were derived primarily from Bodenmann's model (STM) of dyadic coping (Bodenmann, 1995, 1997b, 2005; Falconier. Randall, & Bodenmann, 2016), which emphasizes how partners evaluate stressors and cope together as a unit. The STM views the process of stress and copingas a series of dyadicactions and transactions, all of whichaffect and modify the system in which the individuals are embedded. The STMdescribes the interpersonal events that transpire in the wakeof a stressful event, including communication of the stressor to one's partner, the partner's reactions to the disclosure, the appraisal of the stressor that involves an assessment of individual and couple resources, and a range of options for acting to deal with the stressor, individuallyor together. This entire processdyadic copingconsiders the dyad as the unit of coping. Bodenmann's model extends the stress appraisal process (lazarus & Folkman, 1984) from an individual process to a dyadic process that includes both individual and joint appraisals of the stressor by both members of the couple. An important dimension of this appraisal process is the extent to which each member of the couple "owns" the stressor. Whenboth members of the couple acknowledge the impact of the stressor on them and take responsibility for dealing with it, they have appraised it as a common stressor, termeda "dyadic stressor," or a "we-stress" rather than an "Lstress. "Important psychologicalconsequences are associated with appraisal as a dyadic stressor. From a dyadic appraisal (vwe-stress"). common dyadic goals may result, which guide a team approach to dealing with problems. Bodenrnann's STM broadens the range of behavioral options that couples may use when confronted with a stressor. In addition to prosocial acts that correspond closely to traditional dimensions of social support and various typesof negative responses (i.e. hostile, ambivalent, or superficial dyadic coping), the STM introduces