(PS4-D92) The Global Ratings of Relationship Schematic Processing Coding System: Revisions and Applicability to Diverse Samples of Couples

For decades, couple observational coding systems have assessed couples’ behavior and emotional expression. However, rarely have they attempted to measure important interpersonal cognitive processes, such as a couples’ ability to process and organize information in terms of their romantic relationship (e.g., “We really struggle to support each other when your family is here”). This social-cognitive awareness, one’s cognitive ability to “think relationally,” is a construct called relationship schematic processing (RSP).

The Global Ratings of Relationship Schematic Processing Coding System (Pukay-Martin et al., 2007) is an established and reliable observational coding system that estimates partners’ RSP based on videotaped couple conversations, evaluating the quantity and quality of relational thinking. Good quality RSP is positively associated with relationship adjustment and improves in couple therapy. However, previous RSP research has focused less on couples living under unique circumstances who may need to rely on RSP to cope with specific stressful experiences—for example, (a) sexual minority and (b) long-distance couples. The RSP coding system has yet to be applied to these groups and, thus, its reliability and utility among these samples remains undetermined.

 Accordingly, this project involved (a) revising the Global Ratings of Relationship Schematic Processing Coding Manual, (b) training and coding RSP for two diverse samples of couples (one long-distance, the other same-sex female couples seeking therapy), and (c) evaluating reliability of the updated RSP coding system in these samples. Revisions to the manual included further distinguishing among the three RSP codes (quality, quantity, and pull, coded on 1-5 scale), providing example statements for each code, distinguishing between RSP and other related constructs (i.e., empathy, perspective taking), and considering non-verbal behavior. Student coders were rigorously trained in the system until 90% agreement was consistently reached across several consecutive training tapes. Videotaped couple conversations were then independently coded across the two aforementioned samples.

 Results showed that for both long-distance and same-sex female couples, use of RSP was lower than in previous samples. Further analysis revealed that the observed lower scores may be due to the discussion prompt which couples were given instead of an actual difference in RSP. Specifically, couples in both samples were told by researchers to discuss a topic which might be too broad (“talk about an area of concern” in long-distance couples) or too externally-focused (“about sexual minority stress”) to prompt high use of RSP in these conversations. If researchers prompt couple conversations to be about topics that are less inherently relational, couples may be less likely to demonstrate RSP even when they have the potential to do so. Findings highlight the importance of RSP as a relational construct and prompting a conversation that optimally activates its use.