Distress tolerance in romantic relationships: A daily diary exploration with methodological considerations

Despite growing research interest in distress tolerance (DT), studies have routinely neglected the role that DT plays in close, interpersonal relationships and how DT fluctuates from 1 day to the next. In addition, an understanding of DT hinges on the presence of distress, yet existing studies have failed to include distress in conceptual and analytical models. To address these gaps, we conducted a 1-week, daily diary study with 65 heterosexual couples (n = 130) exploring the effects of DT on basic psychological needs satisfaction in romantic relationships—accounting for distress as a covariate and moderator. Findings indicated that DT was more variable over time than previously suggested. DT was also associated with greater relationship need satisfaction, but less so after accounting for distress. Our study provides initial data on the role of DT in the daily lives of romantic couples and the methodological consequences of accounting for distress along with DT in analytical models.

Duke Scholars

Author Daniel Blalock Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neur ...