How couples regulate their emotions and how they converge emotionally with one another can critically affect relationship quality. We examined individual differences in two different classes of interaction-relevant processes—emotion regulation (ER) and emotional contagion (EC), the tendency to catch and converge with the emotions of others—in long-term marital relationships. Results from the actor–partner interdependence model analyses indicated that (a) actors’ and partners’ levels of cognitive reappraisal (but not suppression) and EC were independently associated with higher marital satisfaction and (b) both partners’ and actors’ levels of EC moderated associations between cognitive reappraisal (but not suppression) and marital satisfaction, such that this association significantly increased for lower levels of EC. EC at couple level had a direct effect on marital satisfaction and overrode individual-level effects of EC. These results indicate that both automatic (EC) and controlled (ER) processes have independent and conjoint effects on marital satisfaction in long-wed couples and, to an extent, coincide in attempts to synchronize couples’ emotional linkage. The results point to intrapersonal and interpersonal mechanisms in the regulation of emotion in longer term marital relationships.

This paper examines how a social threat posed by a deviant behavior affects second-hand forgiveness over time toward ingroup and outgroup transgressors. In Study 1, using real news reports, we investigated intergroup rivalries between soccer fans in order to understand the role of group membership in predicting the intention to forgive transgressors. Results suggested that transgressors were less likely to be forgiven by ingroup members rather than outgroup members, thus showing evidence of the black sheep effect. In Study 2 (using a different sample), we analyzed the same intergroup rivalries one year after the transgression in order to explore changes in intention to forgive over time. Results showed that, after one year, ingroup members were more likely to forgive ingroup than outgroup transgressors, but only when the threat to the group stereotype was not salient. The implications of the results for the subjective group dynamics theory and for the black sheep effect are discussed.