Differentiation of self (DoS) is a core concept in Bowen family systems theory (BFST), which considers the establishment of satisfactory intimate relationships as the main developmental task for adulthood (Bowen, 1978). One of the basic assumptions of BFST is that people with higher levels of DoS are more capable of establishing intimacy with others without feeling anxious (Skowron & Schmitt, 2003). They have been shown to be more flexible in their partner relationships (Ferreira et al., 2014), and demonstrated lower levels of couple and family conflict and higher satisfaction in their couple relationships (Rodríguez-Gonzalez, et al., 2019). The intrapersonal dimension of DoS can be identified via emotional reactivity (ER) and the I-position (IP) (Skowron & Schmitt, 2003). ER is thought to reflect an emotional reflex that operates automatically, without awareness, and can usually be observed at a moderate level of tension. A second intrapersonal dimension, the I-position is the ability to calmly express concern or difference and act according to one's beliefs, without criticizing the beliefs of others or the avoidance of emotions involved in such interactions (Bowen, 1978). In contrast, the interpersonal dimension of DoS comprises emotional cutoff (EC) and fusion with others (FO). EC reflects an emotional strategy driven by anxiety around intimacy and the accompanying behavioural defences against those fears, whereas fusion with others (FO) is defined as emotional overinvolvement with others.
To date, studies on DoS repeatedly indicated that individuals with higher levels of DoS engaged in meaningful intimate relationships such as in the case of married Australian lesbian couples (Spencer & Brown, 2007), and lower EC was associated with better marital adjustment in the US, Spain, and Italy, but higher ER was related to poorer couple adjustment in the more collectivistic cultures of Spain and Italy (Rodríguez-González, 2020). Moreover, the first study on Turkish married individuals’ DoS levels was conducted by Polat and Ilhan (2018) who found that DoS predicted dyadic adjustment and psychological symptoms. Işık et al. (2020) were the first to include the Common Fate Model for Turkish married individuals to examine marital adjustment as a mediator in the relationship between DoS and life satisfaction. Besides, Günsel (2021) mentioned the mediator role of cognitive flexibility and marital satisfaction in the relationship between DoS and family functioning for Turkish married individuals. Similarly, a significant finding for mediating role of five love languages were reported between DoS and marital satisfaction (İnce & Işık, 2021). Lastly, Telli and Yavuz-Güler (2023) tested the mediating role of relationship satisfaction, relationship adjustment, and emotional dependency for DoS and forgiveness, jealousy, and conflict resolution responses among married individuals. However, very little attention has been devoted to understanding how Turkish married couples achieve the balance of differentiation and co-dependence. Our one assumption is that emotional expression of couples could mediate the relationship between DoS and co-dependency. The rationale of the study is rooted in an attempt to shed further light to the role of emotional expressivity for Turkish married couples. According to Kağıtçıbaşı (2003), both connectedness and separateness coexist in Turkish culture and traditional gender roles are also observed in the marriages of Turkish married couples. As a result, this situation might suppress women and cause lower levels of DoS in collectivistic cultures such as Turkey (Akkuş-Çutuk, 2021; Işık et al., 2020). Therefore, the questions are raised here with the purpose of establishing a theoretical account of BFST and DoS for studying co-dependency and emotional expressivity by using Common Fate Model. This current study expands the studies conducted by Işık et al. (2020) and İnce and Işık (2021) with Turkish heterosexual dyadic married couples and contributes to the DoS literature by focusing on emotional expressivity and co-dependency.
DoS and Co-dependency
The concept of co-dependency in BFST is defined as undifferentiated individuals who struggle in the integrity of separateness and the need for relatedness (Bowen, 1978). Additionally, BFST discussed the ethology of co-dependency as a maladaptive relationship that is transmitted in an intergenerational way (Bowen, 1978). More specifically, differentiation levels which are defined by BFST might affect the commitment levels in romantic relationships (Bowen, 1978). BFST argued that problems in differentiation are related to co-dependent people rather than dyadic adjustment (Bowen, 1978; Lampis et al., 2017). Indeed, co-dependent individuals are equally dependent between each other (Lawson, 2020). Co-dependent behaviours predicted by fusion of BFST (Lampis et al., 2017). There is still a lack of clear theoretical conceptualisation and definition of co-dependency; however, different approaches focused on it. For example, the co-dependency theory suggested detachment problems for addicted ones (Weiss, 2019), personality syndrome or love addiction were mentioned in the addictive love hypothesis (Peele & Brodsky, 1975), the attachment theory noted dysfunctional attachment styles and the interactionist model focused on both the inter and intra personal factors in co-dependency development (Wright & Wright, 1991). Lastly, personality theory defined co-dependency as a maladaptive pattern of interpersonal interaction, extreme emphasis on others, lack of open expression of feelings (Spann & Fischer, 1990). Although there has been little research on the linkage between DoS and co-dependency, Lampis et al. (2017) explored the impact of couple functioning on code pendent behaviour in various cultures with a sample of university students and concluded that the four dimensions of DoS were strongly connected with co-dependency. Moreover, another study found a direct effect of DoS on co-dependency in Turkish emerging adults (Topçu, 2023). However, this needs to be verified in Turkish married couples. In this study, we hypothesize that couples’ DoS levels will be negatively associated with their co-dependency. There is little research data to back this hypothesis. This current study sought to address the above gaps in the literature. The current study therefore used the Common Fate Model (CFM) to analyse the framework of DoS and co-dependency in a sample of Turkish heterosexual married couples by testing the model in a different culture and by using a rigorous dyadic data analysis.
DoS and Emotional Expressivity
BFST claimed that highly differentiated individuals are more capable to express their emotions and are more emotionally mature (Bowen, 1978). Moreover, well-differentiated individuals have the ability to reflect themselves in close or other relationships and take I position (Bowen, 1978). Unlikely, poorly differentiated individuals are more likely to use inconsistent verbal expressions, or they may feel trapped into expressing similar emotions to their partners through emotional fusion (Bowen, 1978). In general, DoS level of each partner determine their emotional experiences (Bowen 1978). When individuals have less ER, it means that they react with less emotional intensity. Individuals with ER have the tendency to react to stress by irrational emotional flooding (Lampis et al., 2017). Furthermore, higher DoS levels may be linked with emotional expressivity and/or may facilitate greater emotional expressivity as it is defined as a degree which a person expresses their feelings regardless of their valence or channel (Kring et al., 1994). To the best of our knowledge, limited studies have indirectly assessed the link between DoS and the emotional expressivity and those that have found that individuals with poorer differentiation are most likely to express emotion through displays of anger (Choi & Murdock, 2017). The Turkish cultural context may have unique characteristics that shape the endorsement and expression of DoS and emotional expression. For example, in the Turkish culture, where individuals share both collectivistic and individualistic traits (Kağıtçıbaşı, 2003), high connectedness and high separateness coexist (Kağıtçıbaşı, 2003), especially for men who commonly avoid expressing their feelings (Kuzucu, 2011) and for women for whom expression of warmth, support, and cheerfulness, are culturally-prescribed (Tünay Aktan & Barışkın, 2017). Similarly, Skowron et al. (2009) argued that higher emotional regulation was associated with aggression. From this perspective, we assume that highly differentiated couples will be positively associated with their emotional expressivity. Consequently, it is important for studies to test BFST assumptions in connection to emotional expressivity.
Emotional Expressivity as a Mediator
Based on research findings and clinical observations, it is well-known that DoS has been shown as a predictor of and can be used as a conceptual framework for co-dependency (e.g., Lampis et al., 2017). Also, prior research has shown links between emotional expressive suppression and relationship quality (Akkuş-Çutuk, 2021). More specifically, lower levels of emotional expressivity were linked with many forms of mental health and pathology (Kring et al., 1994). Higher levels of emotional expression have been linked with greater levels of DoS in couples (Ferreira et al., 2014). Therefore, we hypothesize that the couples with higher DoS levels will be less co-dependent and more emotionally expressive. Despite the existing literature in this area, little is known about the process by which DoS and co-dependency are linked, and whether emotional expression could serve as a mediator of that relationship in partnered couples. To address this need, the purpose of this study was to test a model of BFST and the construct of DoS in the findings that have the potential to expand the conceptual framework of BFST as well as to provide important implications for family and couple counselling in Turkish married population who experience co-dependency traits. Given the fore mentioned gaps in the literature, a scoping conceptual model of DoS was generated to explain the mediating role of emotional expressivity between DoS and co-dependency. Based on the review described above, the following hypotheses were tested:
Hypothesis 1
Highly differentiated couples will be negatively associated with their co-dependency.
Hypothesis 2
Couples’ emotional expressivity will be negatively associated with their co-dependency.
Hypothesis 3
Highly differentiated couples will be positively associated with their emotional expressivity.
Hypothesis 4
Couples’ emotional expressivity level will mediate the relationship between their DoS and co-dependency levels, such that greater couples’ DoS will have a positive effect on their co-dependency through greater levels of their emotional expressivity.