Little is known, however, about the underlying mechanisms
regulating psychobiological stress, and particularly autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity, during negative couple interaction.
This pattern of behavior (referred to as
psychobiological divergence) may confer risk for suboptimal coping behaviors, including substance use, sexual risk - taking, and non-suicidal self - injury (NSSI), because individuals who are not aware of or can not express their emotional needs may engage in maladaptive strategies to
regulate their emotions.