Feeling supported and listened to by our partner improves physical and emotional health, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC) of the University of Granada (UGR), whose results have been released on the eve of February 14, Valentine's Day.
As Inmaculada Valor Segura, a researcher in the Department of Social Psychology at the UGR and one of the authors of this study, explains, the quality of our couple relationships not only affects our satisfaction and emotional stability but also significantly impacts health and general well-being.
"Feeling understood, validated and cared for by a partner is a cornerstone of a healthy relationship, and the perception that our partner is responsive to our emotional needs influences intimacy and long-term stability."
Despite the growing evidence on the importance of this aspect in life as a couple, until now, there has been no validated tool in Spanish to measure it. To fill this gap, the CIMCYC research team, in collaboration with the University of Almeria and the University of Texas at Austin (USA), has adapted and validated the Perceived Responsiveness and Insensitivity Scale (PRIS) in Spanish.
This tool, called PRIS-SA (Spanish Adaptation, PRIS in English), assesses the degree to which a person feels understood, validated and cared for by his or her partner. The study detailing this work has been published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
The importance of perceived partner responsiveness
In relationship psychology, the concept of Perceived Partner Responsiveness (PPR) has been consolidated as a key factor in individual and relational well-being. It is defined as the process by which a person feels that his or her partner attends to and reacts understandingly and supportively to his or her needs and essential characteristics. A growing scientific literature has shown that PPR influences individual well-being and relationship functioning.
Previous research has found that greater perceived partner responsiveness is associated with significant personal benefits, such as greater emotional well-being, increased life satisfaction, and improved sleep quality. In addition, it has been linked to healthier hormonal activity, reduced levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and even a lower risk of mortality.
On the other hand, PPR also predicts the quality and stability of couple relationships.
From the early stages of a relationship, high perceived responsiveness fosters the desire to establish a deeper connection, promoting trust and mutual commitment. It becomes a protective factor that facilitates communication and conflict resolution in the long term. Previous research has shown that greater perceived partner responsiveness is associated with pro-relationship behaviors such as gratitude, forgiveness, and social support, as well as greater relationship satisfaction and improved bonding quality.
Conversely, those who perceive higher levels of insensitivity in their partner tend to experience patterns of ineffective conflict resolution strategies and anxious or avoidant attachment orientations.
A breakthrough for research and therapy in Spanish couples
This paper presents two versions of the PRIS-SA: a full 16-item version and a reduced 8-item version, for shorter applications. Using a sample of 493 Spanish individuals, the results show that the scale:
(a) It presents adequate reliability and maintains the original structure in English.
(b) It shows gender invariance.
(c) It is significantly associated with other relationship quality indicators, such as couple satisfaction, conflict resolution strategies and attachment styles.
Adapting this tool represents a significant advance for relationship psychology in the Spanish context, where studies have traditionally relied on scales developed in English. Having a validated instrument in Spanish will allow us to expand research in different countries and explore how couple responsiveness may affect emotional health, relationship stability and other aspects of individual and relational well-being.
In addition to its impact on research, PRIS-SA has practical applications in the clinical setting. Psychologists and therapists can use it to assess the quality of communication and emotional support in couples, helping to identify areas for improvement in the relationship and design more effective interventions to strengthen bonding.
"In short, this study not only fills a methodological gap in research on couple relationships in the Spanish context but also offers a new tool to improve the understanding and well-being of couples in everyday life," concludes Valor.
Reference
Alonso-Ferres, M., Valor-Segura, I., & Williamson, H. C. (2025). Spanish adaptation of the perceived responsiveness and insensitivity scale. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075251318461
Contact:
Inmaculada Valor Segura
@email