|
The objective of the Affect
and Relationships Lab, directed by Dr. Eshkol Rafaeli, is to advance the
understanding of two key components of daily life; our affect (that is, our
moods and emotions) and our relationships (and particularly the intimate
bonds connecting committed couples).
Much of our current research is focused on the interplay between positive and
negative, good and bad. In studying affect, we ask questions such as:
Are positive and negative moods such as happiness and sadness truly opposites
for everyone, or would some people tend to experience them in synchrony? Is
it more or less adaptive to experience positive and negative emotions in discrete
or nuanced ways? Are individuals who are less successful at regulating their
own moods characterized by different patterns of mood fluctuations, and are
these patterns different for positive and negative moods?
In our relationship studies, we look at partners' attempts to make
sense of each others' thoughts, feelings, and needs, as well as at the
interplay of good (supportive) and bad (hindering) actions that happen in the
life of any couple. We ask questions such as: What is it that makes well-meaning
support less effective than it could be? And can we do anything about that,
maybe by coaching couples in supportive skills?
|
