Crossover is an interpersonal process through which negative and positive experiences and states experienced by one person are transmitted to another person in the same social environment. Recently, crossover received much theoretical and research attention, but the role of moderators in the crossover process has largely been neglected. In the current study, we hypothesized that stress and burnout will cross over between romantic partners, and the attachment style will moderate the level of crossover.
One hundred and twenty-three dual-working heterosexual couples participated. At Time 1 both partners filled out questionnaires measuring stress, burnout, and attachment style. At Time 2, after 1 month, both partners filed, again, questionnaires measuring stress and burnout. They were analysed using the actor-partner interdependence model, which takes interdependencies between couples into account.
Actor-partner effects were not significant for stress and for burnout. Regarding stress, positive associations were found between male stress at T1 and female stress at T2, for high levels of female anxiety, as well as between female stress at T1 and male stress at T2, for high levels of female avoidance. Regarding burnout, positive associations were found between female work burnout at T1 and male work burnout stress at T2, for high levels of female anxiety and avoidance.
Findings are discussed, and theoretical as well as practical implications are suggested.