Eran Bar-Kalifa
Biographic Data
| ID | 852920 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Eran Bar-Kalifa |
| GIVEN NAMES | Eran |
| FAMILY NAME | Bar-Kalifa |
| SIGNATURE | BAR-KALIFA E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3579-3015 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 31 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 39 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 31 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Relational Memory Reconsolidation
This paper presents a new framework to account for change mechanisms in Emotion‐Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT). Building on Lane et al.'s (2015) integrated memory model, the Relational Memory Reconsolidation model described here posits that EFT reshapes partners' relational memory structures through emotionally intense moments of expressed vulnerability and responsiveness. These vulnerability‐responsiveness events allow partners to access and …
What Should We Watch Today? The Role of Shared TV Watching in Couples' Daily Shared Reality
Shared reality, the experience of a perceived commonality of inner states, is hypothesized to play a central role in romantic relationships. Shared reality can be established within intimate relationships through engagement in shared practices. One common practice among romantic couples is watching TV together; however, how this activity relates to partners' shared reality has not been documented. The current study examined the effects of shared …
The role of mindfulness in attenuating the adverse effects of daily negative events
Mindfulness is robustly associated with psychological and physiological well-being. To date, studies have primarily focused on trait mindfulness while neglecting its state-level momentary regulatory effects on daily stress. This preregistered study investigated the effects of state mindfulness on participants' momentary mood and physiological arousal in cohorts sampled between 2021 and 2024. Using the experience sampling method, 100 cohabiting co…
Parental In‐Session Behaviors and LGBTQ + Young Adults' Perceived Parental Rejection and Acceptance in Attachment‐Based Family Therapy
This study examined whether decreases in parents' negative in‐session behaviors predicted reductions in LGBTQ+ young adults' perceived parental rejection and increases in their perceived parental acceptance over the course of attachment‐based family therapy for sexual and gender minority (ABFT‐SGM) young adults and their nonaccepting parents. A total of 126 videotaped sessions from 22 families who participated in an open clinical trial of ABFT‐SG…
The Development of a Brief Session‐Level Process Measure for Emotion‐Focused Couple Therapy
Emotion‐focused therapy for couples (EFT‐C) has a strong tradition of delineating mechanisms of change. These change processes are typically examined using labor‐intensive observational methods, which may not be practical for clinicians or researchers who aim to routinely monitor changes in therapy processes as they unfold across therapy sessions. The current study describes the EFT‐C Process Measure (ECPM), a short, easily administered, eight‐it…
Caring hearts, weighted shoulders
Caregiving for cardiac patients is often accompanied by significant emotional and physical strain. While prior research has emphasized the contribution of support to mitigate caregivers’ burden, limited attention has been paid to the support they may receive from the patients themselves. Attachment theory provides a crucial lens for understanding individual differences in how this specific kind of partner’s support is perceived and utilized. Draw…
Couples' physical activity concordance during cardiac rehabilitation
Physical activity plays a central role in cardiac rehabilitation, serving as a pivotal factor in recovery and secondary prevention. Interpersonal factors within patients' romantic relationships play a critical role in the rehabilitation process, as partners tend to show behavioral concordance in their health behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the interdependence of physical activity between Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients and their…
Person-specific emotional dynamics
The impact of traumatic loss on an individuals’ mental health is a critical area of study. While most research has focused on general grief patterns, the unique trajectories of trauma survivors have been understudied. This research utilizes a high-resolution dataset from a single individual over several years, including a period of unexpected tragedy. Using person-specific dynamic modeling and network analysis, the study examines the psychologica…
The dance of smiles
Dyadic affective processes are key determinants of romantic relationship quality. One such process termed emotional synchrony (i.e., the coupling of partners' emotions) has attracted growing attention in recent years. The present study focused on synchrony in partners' smiles, a nonverbal signal with significant social functions. Specifically, smile synchrony in the interactions of nondistressed couples was compared to smile synchrony in therapy-…
Relationship satisfaction during Covid ‐19
Interpersonal variables and caregiving partners' burden in cardiac illness
The literature on coping with illness has for many years viewed only the patients as the focal point of attention and support, and only recently have the needs of patients’ caregivers been acknowledged as well. In addition, studies that have focused on factors contributing to caregiving partners’ burden in the context of chronic illness have assessed mostly intrapersonal variables of either the patient or the partner, thus overlooking the dyadic …
Spatial proximity in relationships research methods
Spatial proximity may be an artifact of relationships research methodology; however, little work has explored how this feature of research designs influences perceptions of one's relationship, particularly shared reality (i.e., experiencing a commonality of inner states). The present research tested whether spatial proximity would independently contribute to shared reality in couples' daily lives. In 2 daily diary studies, each across 3-4 weeks (…
Capitalisation, motivational effectiveness, and regulatory mode
Positive events play an essential role in people’s wellbeing. Capitalisation – disclosing such events to others – bolsters such salutary effects. To understand capitalisation-related motivational processes in romantic partners’ daily lives, we adopted Higgins’ motivational perspective; namely, that people’s primary motivation is to feel effective with respect to Value (achieving the desired outcome), Truth (understanding what is true), and Contro…
The Role of Individual and Dyadic Planning in Couples’ Daily Goal Pursuits
Planning promotes progress toward goal achievement in a wide range of domains. To date, planning has mostly been studied as an individual process. In couples, however, the partner is likely to play an important role in planning. This study tested the effects of individual and dyadic planning on goal progress and goal-related actions. Two samples of couples ( N = 76 and N = 87) completed daily diaries over a period of 28 and 21 days. The results i…
Attachment‐based family therapy for sexual and gender minority young adults and their nonaccepting parents
This pilot open trial examined the efficacy of attachment‐based family therapy (ABFT) for Israeli sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults and their persistently nonaccepting parents. Thirty families received up to 26 weeks of treatment, with parental rejection, parental acceptance, and young adults' attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety assessed at baseline, 8, 16, 24, and 36 weeks (three months post‐treatment). Analyses using multile…
Couples Therapists’ Attitudes Toward Online Therapy During the Covid‐19 Crisis
The measures adopted by governments around the world to control the spread of the COVID‐19 virus (e.g., social distancing) have propelled a rapid transition from face‐to‐face to online therapy. Studies on online individual therapy indicate that therapists often have favorable attitudes toward this modality. To date, there is scant work on couples therapists’ attitudes, despite the fact that the provision of online couples’ therapy poses unique ch…
Daily stress and relationship quality
Within relationship research, a great deal of attention is given to emphasizing the interpersonal context related to daily stress and its association with relationship well-being. However, apart from the interpersonal context in which stress may occur, one must consider individual, sociocultural, and systemic factors associated with these daily experiences. Taking an intersectional focus, this systematic review aimed to critically examine the ext…
Coping with global uncertainty
Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the "new normal"-social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator betwee…
Emotional Linkage as a Moderator of Emotional Reactivity Effect on Partners' Depressive Symptoms
Introduction: Romantic partners’ emotions show a degree of interdependence, a process that is often described as emotional linkage. The current study sought to test the effects of emotional linkage in emotionally reactive individuals (i.e., those who easily become emotionally aroused and find it hard to regulate their emotions) and their partners. Specifically, we examined the interplay between emotional linkage and reactivity in predicting partn…
Accuracy and Bias in Vulnerability Perceptions of Partners Undergoing Emotion‐Focused Therapy for Couples
The primary mechanism of change in emotion‐focused couples therapy (EFT‐C) is described as one partner accessing and expressing vulnerability, with the other partner responding affiliatively, with compassion, acceptance, validation, and support. These interactions are assumed to restructure the negative, rigid interactional cycle that usually brings couples to therapy and helps build a positive emotional bond. The primary aim of this study was to…
Daily dyadic coping during Covid-19 among Israeli couples
Declared a global pandemic in March 2020, COVID-19 is unequivocally changing individuals' daily lives. Research suggests that for many people, the current pandemic is stressogenic, propelling myriads of disturbing affective experiences resulting in greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. Little is known, however, about how this ecologically grounded stress is experienced and managed within people's romantic relationships. Guided by the system…
Responsiveness processes and daily experiences of shared reality among romantic couples
Shared reality (SR) is the experience of having an inner state believed to be shared by others. Dyadic responsiveness has been suggested to be a critical process in SR construction. The present study tested the extent to which SR varies in the daily lives of romantic partners and whether this variability is related to responsiveness processes. We predicted that disclosure of personal events to one's partner as well as perceived partner enacted re…
Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies
Significance What predicts how happy people are with their romantic relationships? Relationship science—an interdisciplinary field spanning psychology, sociology, economics, family studies, and communication—has identified hundreds of variables that purportedly shape romantic relationship quality. The current project used machine learning to directly quantify and compare the predictive power of many such variables among 11,196 romantic couples. P…
Using Network Analysis for Examining Interpersonal Emotion Dynamics
Several contemporary models conceptualize emotion as inherently interpersonal. We demonstrate how network analysis, a class of statistical methods often used to examine intrapersonal dynamic processes, provides a potential avenue for parameterizing interpersonal emotion dynamics (and interpersonal dynamics in general). We claim that this method allows (a) observing interpersonal dynamics at various temporal levels; (b) examining interpersonal dyn…
Daily Support Equity in Romantic Couples
Receiving support may yield negative outcomes, although these can be offset by reciprocating support. Here, we argue that support receipt and reciprocation should be considered with reference to two separate needs, for relatedness/communion and competence/agency, which underlie differential effects of equity on affective versus relational outcomes. To test these, we go beyond earlier studies by (a) examining equity along a (daily) continuum, (b) …
Coping with global uncertainty
Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the "new normal"-social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator betwee…
Daily stress and relationship quality
Within relationship research, a great deal of attention is given to emphasizing the interpersonal context related to daily stress and its association with relationship well-being. However, apart from the interpersonal context in which stress may occur, one must consider individual, sociocultural, and systemic factors associated with these daily experiences. Taking an intersectional focus, this systematic review aimed to critically examine the ext…
Responsiveness processes and daily experiences of shared reality among romantic couples
Shared reality (SR) is the experience of having an inner state believed to be shared by others. Dyadic responsiveness has been suggested to be a critical process in SR construction. The present study tested the extent to which SR varies in the daily lives of romantic partners and whether this variability is related to responsiveness processes. We predicted that disclosure of personal events to one's partner as well as perceived partner enacted re…
Attachment insecurity as a moderator of cardiovascular arousal effects following dyadic support
Couples' physical activity concordance during cardiac rehabilitation
Physical activity plays a central role in cardiac rehabilitation, serving as a pivotal factor in recovery and secondary prevention. Interpersonal factors within patients' romantic relationships play a critical role in the rehabilitation process, as partners tend to show behavioral concordance in their health behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the interdependence of physical activity between Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients and their…
Interpersonal variables and caregiving partners' burden in cardiac illness
The literature on coping with illness has for many years viewed only the patients as the focal point of attention and support, and only recently have the needs of patients’ caregivers been acknowledged as well. In addition, studies that have focused on factors contributing to caregiving partners’ burden in the context of chronic illness have assessed mostly intrapersonal variables of either the patient or the partner, thus overlooking the dyadic …
Spatial proximity in relationships research methods
Spatial proximity may be an artifact of relationships research methodology; however, little work has explored how this feature of research designs influences perceptions of one's relationship, particularly shared reality (i.e., experiencing a commonality of inner states). The present research tested whether spatial proximity would independently contribute to shared reality in couples' daily lives. In 2 daily diary studies, each across 3-4 weeks (…
Above and below baselines
The current study tests an explanation inspired by social baseline theory ( Beckes & Coan, 2011 . Social baseline theory: The role of social proximity in emotion and economy of action. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5, 976-988. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00400) for the mixed blessings associated with received emotional support from one's partner. We reason that the receipt of emotional support engenders benefits only up to individua…
Attachment insecurity as a moderator of cardiovascular arousal effects following dyadic support
Above and below baselines
The current study tests an explanation inspired by social baseline theory ( Beckes & Coan, 2011 . Social baseline theory: The role of social proximity in emotion and economy of action. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5, 976-988. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00400) for the mixed blessings associated with received emotional support from one's partner. We reason that the receipt of emotional support engenders benefits only up to individua…
Truth and bias in daily judgments of support receipt between romantic partners
The perception that a partner is supportive, tied to beneficial relational and personal outcomes, may be shaped by reality (the partner's actual support) but is often also biased. Using T. V. West and D. A. Kenny's (2011) truth‐and‐bias model, the balance between truth and one bias type—the tendency to maintain perceived mutuality by projecting one's own supportiveness onto one's partner—was examined. It was hypothesized that this balance will be…
Now you have my attention
Recent research on empathy finds evidence for 2 different pathways that enable individuals to accurately infer other persons' inner mental states: an automatic, indirect pathway that operates by having a mental state similar to the target's and (correctly) assuming that this state is similar to the target's, and a more controlled direct pathway that involves assessing the target's mental state with no regard for one's own. We present 3 daily diar…
Relational entitlement moderates the associations between support matching and perceived partner responsiveness
Accurate where it counts
When we are accurate regarding our partners' negative moods, are we seen as more responsive (and do we see them as such) as a function of the presence/absence of conflict? In 2 daily diary studies, empathic accuracy (EA) was assessed by comparing targets' daily negative moods with perceivers' inferences of these moods. We hypothesized that conflict will be associated with reductions in perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) for both parties; that…
Daily Support Equity in Romantic Couples
Receiving support may yield negative outcomes, although these can be offset by reciprocating support. Here, we argue that support receipt and reciprocation should be considered with reference to two separate needs, for relatedness/communion and competence/agency, which underlie differential effects of equity on affective versus relational outcomes. To test these, we go beyond earlier studies by (a) examining equity along a (daily) continuum, (b) …
Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies
Significance What predicts how happy people are with their romantic relationships? Relationship science—an interdisciplinary field spanning psychology, sociology, economics, family studies, and communication—has identified hundreds of variables that purportedly shape romantic relationship quality. The current project used machine learning to directly quantify and compare the predictive power of many such variables among 11,196 romantic couples. P…
Using Network Analysis for Examining Interpersonal Emotion Dynamics
Several contemporary models conceptualize emotion as inherently interpersonal. We demonstrate how network analysis, a class of statistical methods often used to examine intrapersonal dynamic processes, provides a potential avenue for parameterizing interpersonal emotion dynamics (and interpersonal dynamics in general). We claim that this method allows (a) observing interpersonal dynamics at various temporal levels; (b) examining interpersonal dyn…
Emotional Linkage as a Moderator of Emotional Reactivity Effect on Partners' Depressive Symptoms
Introduction: Romantic partners’ emotions show a degree of interdependence, a process that is often described as emotional linkage. The current study sought to test the effects of emotional linkage in emotionally reactive individuals (i.e., those who easily become emotionally aroused and find it hard to regulate their emotions) and their partners. Specifically, we examined the interplay between emotional linkage and reactivity in predicting partn…
Accuracy and Bias in Vulnerability Perceptions of Partners Undergoing Emotion‐Focused Therapy for Couples
The primary mechanism of change in emotion‐focused couples therapy (EFT‐C) is described as one partner accessing and expressing vulnerability, with the other partner responding affiliatively, with compassion, acceptance, validation, and support. These interactions are assumed to restructure the negative, rigid interactional cycle that usually brings couples to therapy and helps build a positive emotional bond. The primary aim of this study was to…
Daily dyadic coping during Covid-19 among Israeli couples
Declared a global pandemic in March 2020, COVID-19 is unequivocally changing individuals' daily lives. Research suggests that for many people, the current pandemic is stressogenic, propelling myriads of disturbing affective experiences resulting in greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. Little is known, however, about how this ecologically grounded stress is experienced and managed within people's romantic relationships. Guided by the system…
Responsiveness processes and daily experiences of shared reality among romantic couples
Shared reality (SR) is the experience of having an inner state believed to be shared by others. Dyadic responsiveness has been suggested to be a critical process in SR construction. The present study tested the extent to which SR varies in the daily lives of romantic partners and whether this variability is related to responsiveness processes. We predicted that disclosure of personal events to one's partner as well as perceived partner enacted re…
Capitalisation, motivational effectiveness, and regulatory mode
Positive events play an essential role in people’s wellbeing. Capitalisation – disclosing such events to others – bolsters such salutary effects. To understand capitalisation-related motivational processes in romantic partners’ daily lives, we adopted Higgins’ motivational perspective; namely, that people’s primary motivation is to feel effective with respect to Value (achieving the desired outcome), Truth (understanding what is true), and Contro…
The Role of Individual and Dyadic Planning in Couples’ Daily Goal Pursuits
Planning promotes progress toward goal achievement in a wide range of domains. To date, planning has mostly been studied as an individual process. In couples, however, the partner is likely to play an important role in planning. This study tested the effects of individual and dyadic planning on goal progress and goal-related actions. Two samples of couples ( N = 76 and N = 87) completed daily diaries over a period of 28 and 21 days. The results i…
Attachment‐based family therapy for sexual and gender minority young adults and their nonaccepting parents
This pilot open trial examined the efficacy of attachment‐based family therapy (ABFT) for Israeli sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults and their persistently nonaccepting parents. Thirty families received up to 26 weeks of treatment, with parental rejection, parental acceptance, and young adults' attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety assessed at baseline, 8, 16, 24, and 36 weeks (three months post‐treatment). Analyses using multile…
Couples Therapists’ Attitudes Toward Online Therapy During the Covid‐19 Crisis
The measures adopted by governments around the world to control the spread of the COVID‐19 virus (e.g., social distancing) have propelled a rapid transition from face‐to‐face to online therapy. Studies on online individual therapy indicate that therapists often have favorable attitudes toward this modality. To date, there is scant work on couples therapists’ attitudes, despite the fact that the provision of online couples’ therapy poses unique ch…
Daily stress and relationship quality
Within relationship research, a great deal of attention is given to emphasizing the interpersonal context related to daily stress and its association with relationship well-being. However, apart from the interpersonal context in which stress may occur, one must consider individual, sociocultural, and systemic factors associated with these daily experiences. Taking an intersectional focus, this systematic review aimed to critically examine the ext…
Coping with global uncertainty
Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the "new normal"-social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator betwee…
Relationship satisfaction during Covid ‐19
Interpersonal variables and caregiving partners' burden in cardiac illness
The literature on coping with illness has for many years viewed only the patients as the focal point of attention and support, and only recently have the needs of patients’ caregivers been acknowledged as well. In addition, studies that have focused on factors contributing to caregiving partners’ burden in the context of chronic illness have assessed mostly intrapersonal variables of either the patient or the partner, thus overlooking the dyadic …
Spatial proximity in relationships research methods
Spatial proximity may be an artifact of relationships research methodology; however, little work has explored how this feature of research designs influences perceptions of one's relationship, particularly shared reality (i.e., experiencing a commonality of inner states). The present research tested whether spatial proximity would independently contribute to shared reality in couples' daily lives. In 2 daily diary studies, each across 3-4 weeks (…
Person-specific emotional dynamics
The impact of traumatic loss on an individuals’ mental health is a critical area of study. While most research has focused on general grief patterns, the unique trajectories of trauma survivors have been understudied. This research utilizes a high-resolution dataset from a single individual over several years, including a period of unexpected tragedy. Using person-specific dynamic modeling and network analysis, the study examines the psychologica…
The dance of smiles
Dyadic affective processes are key determinants of romantic relationship quality. One such process termed emotional synchrony (i.e., the coupling of partners' emotions) has attracted growing attention in recent years. The present study focused on synchrony in partners' smiles, a nonverbal signal with significant social functions. Specifically, smile synchrony in the interactions of nondistressed couples was compared to smile synchrony in therapy-…
Parental In‐Session Behaviors and LGBTQ + Young Adults' Perceived Parental Rejection and Acceptance in Attachment‐Based Family Therapy
This study examined whether decreases in parents' negative in‐session behaviors predicted reductions in LGBTQ+ young adults' perceived parental rejection and increases in their perceived parental acceptance over the course of attachment‐based family therapy for sexual and gender minority (ABFT‐SGM) young adults and their nonaccepting parents. A total of 126 videotaped sessions from 22 families who participated in an open clinical trial of ABFT‐SG…
Psychology (26 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (24 works) · Social Psychology (22 works) · Developmental psychology (18 works) · Clinical Psychology (11 works) · Social Psychology (11 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Perception (9 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (7 works) · Interpersonal communication (6 works)