Examining quality time as a mediator of dyadic change in a randomized controlled trial of relationship education for low-income couples.

Research identifying specific mechanisms of positive change for couples participating in relationship education is scant. Recent studies have identified the potential of communication skills as a likely mechanism, yet more information is needed about the contribution of process factors. Thus, we examined the influence that quality time spent together had on positive post-intervention outcomes based on couples' reports of dyadic coping and dyadic adjustment for 1,367 low-income couples randomly assigned to receive relationship education.

Beyond targets and instigators: Examining workplace incivility in dyads and the moderating role of perceived incivility norms.

In the 2 decades since Andersson and Pearson (, 452, 1999) suggested workplace incivility occurs in dyadic relationships between two employees, research has only studied incivility from the perspective of either the target or the instigator. In doing so, it implicitly treats experienced and instigated incivility as though they solely reflect (viz., dispositional and situational) characteristics of targets and instigators, ignoring that incivility is also attributable to the unique relationship between dyad members.

How a gratitude intervention influences workplace mistreatment: A multiple mediation model.

Despite wide-ranging negative consequences of interpersonal mistreatment, research offers few practical solutions to reduce such behavior in organizations. Given that interpersonal relationships are strengthened and desired employee behaviors are more frequent when individuals purposefully cultivate feelings of gratitude, the present study tests the effectiveness of a 10-day gratitude journaling intervention in reducing workplace incivility, gossip, and ostracism. Because research has not examined the mechanisms by which gratitude interventions influence outcomes, we draw on theory and research from the gratitude literature to propose and test a multiple mediator model.