Dyadic coping and discrete emotions during COVID-19: Connecting the communication theory of resilience with relational uncertainty

The current study applies the communication theory of resilience (CTR) to assess married individuals’ utilization of resilience communication during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines pathways between communicative resilience processes, relational uncertainty, discrete emotions, and evaluations of dyadic coping. Married individuals (n = 561) were surveyed during April 21–April 29, 2020 using Qualtrics panels. Structural equation analyses revealed that most of the resilience communication processes impacted evaluations of dyadic coping via three indirect pathways, including (a) relational uncertainty, (b) relational uncertainty → anger, and (c) relational uncertainty → fear. The alternative logic of humor did not impact dyadic coping through these indirect pathways, but instead directly, positively impacted dyadic coping. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.