Greater Good Science Center Study 2, 2013-2014

Both members of 136 heterosexual romantic couples (N = 272) from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the surrounding region (e.g., Durham, NC; USA) enrolled in this five-week study by attending the first lab session together. To be eligible, participants must have been at least 18 years old and in a romantic relationship for a minimum of one year. Additionally, participants must not have been recently diagnosed with anxiety or depression, nor could they be taking steroid medication; women were pre-menopausal, not currently pregnant or nursing, not pregnant in the prior six months, and had not had an oophorectomy. Relationship length varied from 12 to 483 months (M = 51.01, median = 29.50, SD = 62.10). On average, participants were about 27 years old (M = 27.07, SD = 9.85, range = 18 to 73), predominantly Caucasian (69.5%) and non-Hispanic (90.2%). Couples attended three laboratory sessions together: study entry, two weeks later, and three weeks after that. Each night for 35 nights between the first and third lab session, couple-members independently completed brief online questionnaires. At the first and third lab session, they provided a 1-hour sample of urine, with specimens stored for later assay. At the second lab session, couples were randomly assigned to condition for a lab-based expressed gratitude conversation; before they left, they were also randomly assigned to condition for expressing gratitude more frequently in everyday life. The 2nd lab session included videorecorded expressions of gratitude (recorded via webcam by all participants; in-person expression from one partner to the other), and reactions to those conversations; the 3rd lab session included two videorecorded social support conversations (i.e., one partner disclosed a negative personal event to the other) and reactions to those conversations. A wide variety of self-report questionnaires about the self (e.g., social desirability, self-esteem) and relationship were administered around each lab session. Psychophysiology was assessed at baseline of the 2nd and 3rd lab sessions, as well as during the social support conversations at the 3rd lab session. Saliva was collected for genotyping. At the final lab session, participants responded to additional questions about compliance, willingness to be recontacted, and consent to use transcripts and videos/images in various contexts in the future. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill IRB #13-1976

来自美国北卡罗来纳州教堂山（Chapel Hill）及周边地区（如北卡罗来纳州达勒姆市）的136对异性恋情侣（总样本量N=272），双方共同出席首次实验室环节以完成本项为期五周研究的注册。入选标准为：参与者需年满18周岁，且处于恋爱关系至少1年；此外，参与者近期未被诊断出焦虑或抑郁，未服用类固醇类药物；女性参与者需处于绝经前状态，当前未妊娠或哺乳，过去6个月内未怀孕，且未接受过卵巢切除术。本研究中情侣的恋爱关系时长跨度为12至483个月（均值M=51.01，中位数=29.50，标准差SD=62.10）；参与者平均年龄约27岁（M=27.07，SD=9.85，年龄范围18至73岁），主体族群为白人（69.5%），非西班牙裔占比90.2%。
情侣们共同参与三次实验室环节：研究入组时、首次环节后两周，以及首次环节后三周。在首次与第三次实验室环节之间的35个夜晚，情侣双方需各自独立完成简短的线上问卷。在首次和第三次实验室环节中，参与者需提供1小时份的尿液样本，标本储存以供后续检测分析。第二次实验室环节中，情侣会被随机分配至实验室情境下的感谢表达对话组；在离场前，他们还会被随机分配至「日常生活中更频繁表达感谢」的组别。第二次实验室环节包含录像记录的感谢表达场景（含所有参与者通过网络摄像头录制的内容，以及一方对另一方的面对面表达），以及对该对话的反应；第三次实验室环节包含两段录像记录的社会支持对话（即一方向另一方披露负面个人事件），以及对该对话的反应。
在每次实验室环节前后，都会施测大量涵盖自我维度（如社会期望性、自尊）及恋爱关系的自陈式问卷。在第二次、第三次实验室环节的基线阶段，以及第三次实验室环节的社会支持对话过程中，均会评估参与者的心理生理学指标。此外还收集唾液样本用于基因分型检测。在最后一次实验室环节中，参与者需回答关于研究依从性、是否愿意被再次联系，以及同意在未来各类场景中使用转录文本、录像及影像资料的额外问题。本研究已获得北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校机构审查委员会（Institutional Review Board，IRB）编号#13-1976的批准。