Dyadic Moderators of the Effectiveness of Problem-Focused and Emotional-Approach Coping Interventions

A prospective dyadic study examined whether supportive or unsupportive behaviors of a partner and individual differences in attention to emotion moderated the effectiveness of problem-focused and emotional-approach coping interventions. At Time 1, dimensions of emotional experience were assessed using self-report. Several days later participants (two friends of the same gender) were randomly assigned to either a problem-focused or an emotional-approach coping intervention. Positive affect, negative affect, and anhedonic depression were measured at Time 1 and at Time 2, 2 weeks subsequent to the intervention. The levels of perceived support provided by a partner, an individual’s own level of attention to emotion, and individual × partner interactions moderated the success of the coping interventions.