Happy Partner, Happy Self 

The research article by William J. Chopik and Ed O’Brien explores whether one’s health is influenced by whether those they surround themself with are happy- specifically if having a happy partner promotes better health in oneself. The authors drew on past research and evidence which explains positive affect states, where greater happiness makes one more likely to engage in health-beneficial behaviors compared to their unhappy counterparts. Replications of experiments have shown that people report better mood when surrounded by others who also feel happier. In regards to health, high life satisfaction has been shown to predict a stronger immune system and cardiovascular functioning, even increasing life expectancy. Relationships and the impact they have on our daily lives is so strong, that romantic partners have the ability to persuade another partner to seek out medical treatment faster than one would do in isolation. Changes in psychological traits within couples are predictors of relationship stability and positive health factors.

In order to expand on the research question, a large nationally representative sample was drawn from older married couples in the United States.The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) served as the platform from which participants were chosen- heterosexual and majority caucasian couples comprised the sample. Self-rated Health and Happiness were the two main variables examined. Health was assessed in 4 ways- examining physical impairment, chronic disease, physical activity, and concerns about their partner’s health. From 2006 to 2012, every 2 years the participants were retested in a longitudinal and multilevel study. The dyadic data analysis allowed for an increase in statistical power and precision of measurements.

The researchers estimated actor affects- associations between a person’s happiness and their partner’s health. This helped to account for the possibility of a counter hypothesis that healthy selves make happy people and partners. Testing an older population allowed for better insights into understanding health patterns in later years of life. The current study addresses the gap if self-health is independently predicted by the happiness of one’s partner. Context is very important in understanding the link emotional states have on health outcomes- which were clarified by accounting for context of other people, specifically in a romantic relationship as opposed to more platonic relationships.

The study found that actor happiness was associated with better health both cross-sectionally and prospectively- which is consistent with past research as well as the dyadic effect. Happier selves were associated with healthier selves, which mirrored the results of their partners- where significant results showed that happier partners were also associated with healthier selves. In general happy partners were seen as catalysts for a happy self- this might be de to the fact that happy spouses may devote more effort to improving the lives of their unhappy counterparts who may be less motivated to do so on their own. Theses findings emphasized the importance of considering social contexts in which a person operates, separate from environments of isolation.

In the future, further studies should look at causality as well as more practical experiments in a natural environment, as opposed to in a lab. Meaningful benefits of partner happiness are more likely to emerge naturally only after significant time spent together. Assessing older couples gives more insight into a population with more health problems on average- which can be very significant into treating self-health. Other kinds of dyads should also be tested, as well as other relationship contexts.

I think the study was appropriate for asking the research question outlined, in the sense that is close relationships (intimate or platonic) are a very intricate part in our development across a lifetime. This being said, examining the relationship that a partner’s happiness has on an individual’s well-being provides information about indicators of health, which can ultimately help shape self-health. Some limitations of the study were seen in the demographics of the sample. The majority of participants were caucasian- and with such a large portion of the sample being a particular demographic, it could’ve caused the significance to be affected in some way. Either the study should provide a fairly equal ratio across demographics, or do a replicate study with a mainly minority sample. In further experiments, I think it would interesting to look at other types of romantic relationships- especially those in the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

The study doesn’t tell us about the timeline of the relationship’s that were examined. How long had couples been together prior to the study? Had the individuals ever experienced divorce? I think these are important questions to ask because they affect our outlook on current relationships- where a happier person might be happier because they have more optimism about their relationship and partner. I also believe that you can’t truly be happy in a relationship until you are happy with yourself, which leads me to wonder how much self-esteem plays a role in the correlation between a happy partner and happy self. While actor effects did account for this possibility it would be interesting to see a study of individuals with different levels of self-happiness and self-esteem and the effect of the happiness they exert onto their partner. This should then be coupled with a examination of both partner’s self-reported outlook on their relationship.

This research study found that there are three main reasons why having a happy romantic partner might enhance a person’s health. A happy partner provides a stronger social support system for the self and be able to provide caretaking responsibilities, they might also get unhappy partners involved in activities that promote good health, and being surrounded by a happy partner makes a person’s life more stable and manageable. It is important to note, however, that the “personal energy hypothesis” cannot apply if someone else’s happiness is associated with an individual’s health that precedes their own individual happiness. Health and happiness go hand in hand so it seems important to look at the different contexts of which those two variables are present together, and the role that relationships play in our individual well-being.