Try to Empathize with Me, Show Me Support: Effects of Perceived and Observed Social Support and Empathy on Relationship Satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose: Romantic relationships are common throughout the lifespan of many and are associated with mental and physical health. Research has suggested that satisfaction is a key variable in these health benefits. Using attachment theory and a clinical approach guided by it, the variables of social support and empathy were examined. Therefore, the current study used both self-report and observational measures of social support and empathy, building on work that has been done in the past with empathy alone.

Methods: Seventy-nine couples were videotaped during a discussion of a conflict topic as part of a prior project called the DisCUSS (Blasko, 2016) study, of which seventy-six were used for the present study. The videos were then transcribed and coded by three coders using an observational coding system. Perceived social support was assessed by a self-report measure that each member of the couple completed.

Results: Gender differences between the study and demographic variables were explored. Contrary to predictions, there was no association between EA and any of the subscales of social support in the observational coding system for each men or women. Perceived partner empathic accuracy (PPEA) and self-reported social support each shared a statistically significant correlation with relationship satisfaction for both men and women. Additionally, a subscale of observed social support, attentiveness, was significantly correlated with relationship satisfaction again in both women and men.

Conclusion: The findings overall did not support the hypotheses. Results, however, did show that perceptions of both support and empathy appear to be important to prediction of relationship satisfaction. Moreover, observationally coded attentiveness in both men and women was associated with greater satisfaction. The results of the study are severely limited by the lack of reliability of observational coding measure. However, encouraging spouses to attend to one another and engage in behavioral exchanges that could be perceived as supportive/empathic could ultimately improve relationship satisfaction.