Relationship quality factors influence early and late event-related potentials to romantic partners: evidence from a facial processing task

Abstract

The present study employed event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the association between neural responses to romantic partners and relationship quality factors. Participants passively viewed photos of their romantic partners, celebrities, and strangers during a computerized facial processing task. All participants demonstrated enhanced positivity to partner faces at early (VPP) and late (P3 and LPP) ERP components, furthering the notion that significant others elicit more motivated and sustained attention than do other familiar or unfamiliar individuals. Neural responses to romantic partner faces were influenced by factors including overall relationship quality, investment, and communication quality, though these associations varied by gender. Results highlight the key role that relationship quality factors play in the immediate processing of romantic partners - a finding with implications for couples counseling and research.