תמיכה וקפיטליזציה ביחסים רומנטיים: פרוייקט רב-שיטתי לבחינת מודל הצרכים הדואלי

והתערבות זוגית

Modern relationship theories postulate that proximity to responsive (i.e., caring, understanding, and validating2) close others is the default or baseline assumption of the human brain. Interestingly, enacted support – receipt of responsive reactions when one experiences a negative event – has not been found to be consistently associated with positive outcomes, and at times has even been associated with negative outcomes. In contrast, enacted capitalization – receipt of responsive reactions when one discloses a positive event – has been found to be associated much more robustly with positive personal and relational outcomes5. I propose the dual-need model of support and capitalization, a theoretical framework detailing mechanisms responsible for the divergent outcomes of support and capitalization behaviors. The model takes into account the effects of these responsive behaviors on two psychological needs – for relatedness and competence. It argues that both types of responsive behaviors provide the recipient with a sense of being cared for, thus satisfying relatedness needs. However, their roles in satisfying competence needs diverge. Specifically, whereas support responses, especially those provided in a visible/directive manner, run the risk of emphasizing the recipient’s needy position and thus tend to frustrate competence needs, capitalization responses can be easily translated into esteem boosts and thus tend to satisfy competence needs. The project involves a series of studies testing the suggested model, culminating in a study translating the basic-science model into relational interventions centered on responsiveness enhancement. The interventions will be brief, reflecting recent findings demonstrating that low-intensity relational enhancement programs can be as effective as (and possibly more effective than) traditional intensive ones. If this intervention is shown to be effective, it will offer relationship educators/clinicians a potential avenue for enhancing couples’ responsiveness; importantly, such evidence-based short-term interventions are particularly suited for couples’ limited shared time, a common characteristic of modern life.