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Relatively happy: the role of the positive-to-negative affect ratio in Japanese and Belgian couples
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 05:00 authored by Alexander Kirchner HauslerAlexander Kirchner Hausler, Michael Boiger, Yukiko Uchida, Yoko Higuchi, Atsuhiko Uchida, Batja MesquitaSatisfied couples in European-American cultural contexts experience higher ratios of positive to negative affect during interactions than their less satisfied counterparts. The current research tests the possibility that this finding is culture-bound. It compares proportions of positive to negative affect during couple interactions in two different cultural contexts: Belgium and Japan. Whereas Belgian relationship goals (e.g., mutual affirmation and self-esteem) call for the experience of positive affect, Japanese relationship goals (e.g., harmony and self-adjustment) call for the avoidance of negative affect. We propose that these differences result in different affect ratios in close relationships. To test this idea, we tracked positive and negative feelings during couple interactions. Fifty-eight Belgian and 80 Japanese romantic couples took part in a lab interaction study, in which they discussed a topic of disagreement. Using a video-mediated recall, participants rated their positive and negative feelings during the interaction; relationship satisfaction was assessed before the interaction. As expected, Belgian couples’ positive-tonegative affect ratios were more positive than those of Japanese couples. Furthermore, in both cultures relationship satisfaction was positively associated with more positive affect ratios, but this effect was significantly stronger for Belgian than Japanese couples. Finally, mediation analyses showed that higher affect ratios were achieved in culturally different and meaningful ways: satisfied Belgian couples showed higher ratios primarily through higher levels of positive feelings, whereas satisfied Japanese couples showed higher ratios primarily through lower levels of negative feelings.
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Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Journal of Cross-Cultural PsychologyISSN
1552-5422Publisher
SAGE PublicationsExternal DOI
Issue
1Volume
53Page range
66-88Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2022-10-06First Open Access (FOA) Date
2022-10-06First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2022-10-06Usage metrics
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