Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Division of Public Health, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Int J Behav Med. 2020 Apr;27(2):235-246. doi: 10.1007/s12529-020-09856-x.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic joint disease with significant individual and public health consequences. Physical activity can reduce OA symptoms, but patients often fall below recommended levels. Social support from an intimate partner can help them become more active; however, some couples are better than others at enacting effective support. We examined the role of empathic accuracy (EA)-the ability to understand another person's thoughts and feelings-in couples' ability to identify strategies for overcoming barriers to increasing activity. We also examined whether EA was associated with changes in affect and with emotion regulation and communication skills.
Forty-two insufficiently physically active participants with OA identified a barrier to becoming more active in a recorded discussion with their partner. Next, both rated self and partner thoughts and feelings during the discussion. Raters coded EA and whether discussions reached a solution. Affect and skills were assessed with validated questionnaires.
An actor-partner interdependence model found higher EA for participants in couples who reached a solution compared to those who did not reach a solution in the allotted time. Both partners' EA was associated with reduced negative affect in the other member of the couple. Unexpectedly, EA in people with OA was associated with reduced positive affect for their partners. EA was positively associated with one skill: emotional clarity.
Findings from this early-stage study suggest that EA can help couples manage health-related issues together. Emotional clarity emerged as a skill related to EA, suggesting avenues for additional research.
骨关节炎（OA）是一种常见的慢性关节疾病，对个人和公共健康都有重大影响。身体活动可以减轻 OA 症状，但患者往往低于推荐水平。来自亲密伴侣的社会支持可以帮助他们变得更活跃；然而，有些夫妻比其他夫妻更善于实施有效的支持。我们研究了同理心准确性（EA）——理解他人思想和感受的能力——在夫妻识别克服增加活动障碍的策略方面的作用。我们还研究了 EA 是否与情感变化以及情绪调节和沟通技巧有关。
42 名活动量不足的 OA 参与者在与伴侣的记录讨论中确定了变得更加活跃的障碍。接下来，双方在讨论过程中对自己和伴侣的想法和感受进行了评分。评分者对 EA 以及讨论是否达成解决方案进行了编码。使用经过验证的问卷评估了情感和技能。
演员-伴侣相互依存模型发现，与在规定时间内没有达成解决方案的夫妇相比，在达成解决方案的夫妇中，参与者的 EA 更高。夫妻双方的 EA 都与伴侣的负面情绪减少有关。出乎意料的是，OA 患者的 EA 与其伴侣的积极情绪减少有关。EA 与一项技能呈正相关：情感清晰。
这项早期研究的结果表明，EA 可以帮助夫妻共同管理与健康相关的问题。情感清晰度作为与 EA 相关的一项技能出现，这表明了进一步研究的途径。
