title: Associations Between Perceived Support in Older Adult Marriages and Dyadic Covariations in Momentary Affect and Aches.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Spousal support within marriage may be particularly important in old age when spouses become more likely to rely on each other's help. However, spousal support does not have to be unanimously positive. In fact, very little is known about covariations in spousal affect and aches as couples engage in their daily routines and environments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Up to 27 simultaneous, momentary assessments from 49 older adult married couples (M age = 72 years [60-83]; M relationship duration = 42 years) were used taking into account the perspective of both partners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study shows that social support within marriage was associated with reduced overall levels of negative affect (NA) but unrelated to positive affect (PA). Interestingly, high spousal support was both associated with reduced overall NA means but also with an increased covariation in NA between partners. No similar covariations were observed for aches and PA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spousal support may be a double-edged sword; it is associated with reduced overall NA, but it may also lead to more permeable boundaries between spouses that seem to be specific to NA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. vimic@psych.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Victoria I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Michalowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Christiane A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hoppmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerstorf
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010550:Personal Space; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
keywords: Aches; Affect; Couples; Social support; Time sampling