Positive emotion and attributions in close relationships

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the impact of affect on relationship cognition in close relationships. Previous research from the affect and social cognition literature suggests that negative emotion may narrow cognitive focus and that positive emotions may broaden cognitive focus, leading to more creative problem-solving. Two studies investigated the hypothesis that positive emotion would lead to more optimal problem solving strategies. In the first study, 102 undergraduates involved in romantic relationships were randomly assigned to positive, negative, or neutral conditions and then made attributions for improvements and problems. In a second study, 52 couples were randomly assigned to a positive or negative affect condition. Results from both studies indicated that participants in the positive condition tended to reach more optimal solutions than participants in the negative condition, although this effect was often moderated by levels of relationship satisfaction. The effects of affect on relationship cognition tended to be stronger for those participants low in relationship satisfaction. Implications for relationship cognition, couples therapy, and affect and social cognition are discussed.