Everyday Social Behavior and Health, 2017

Individuals in a romantic relationship (N = 156) from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the surrounding region (e.g., Durham, NC; USA) enrolled in this four-week study by attending the first lab session. To be eligible, participants must have been at least 18 years old but younger than 60 and in a romantic relationship for a minimum of six months. Additionally, participants were excluded on several health or psychological factors related to inflammation (e.g., arthritis, regular use of anti-inflammatory medication, a diagnosed sleep disorder). Individuals reported five times over the course of one month, always on the same day of the week (e.g., Tuesdays). Specifically, they attended three laboratory sessions, two weeks apart from one another, and in the intervening weeks, they completed a brief online questionnaire. At each laboratory session, in addition to questionnaires, participants provided a small sample of blood, via finger prick, for later assay of C-reactive protein. The first and final lab sessions included longer questionnaires. At the end of the initial lab session, participants were randomly assigned to conditions in which they made one of two plans relevant to their behavior in the coming weeks. Critically, analysis of the manipulation check items indicates that the manipulation failed (that is, participants in one condition did not report using more of the focal behavior than did participants in the other, and vice versa). As such, this is largely a rich observational dataset. At the final lab session, participants responded to additional questions about compliance, willingness to be recontacted, and consent to use transcripts in various contexts in the future. Participants either completed the study between October 30 and December 3, or between November 13 and December 17, 2017. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill IRB #17-2353