Does Couples' Communication Predict Marital Satisfaction, or Does Marital Satisfaction Predict Communication?

Abstract

The quality of communication between spouses is widely assumed to affect their subsequent judgments of relationship satisfaction, yet this assumption is rarely tested against the alternative prediction that communication is merely a consequence of spouses’ prior levels of satisfaction. To evaluate these perspectives, newlywed couples’ positivity, negativity, and effectiveness were observed four times at 9-month intervals and these behaviors were examined in relation to corresponding self-reports of relationship satisfaction. Cross-sectionally, relatively satisfied couples engaged in more positive, less negative, and more effective communication. Longitudinally, reliable communication-to-satisfaction and satisfaction-to-communication associations were identified, yet neither pathway was particularly robust. These findings raise important doubts about theories and interventions that prioritize couple communication skills as the key predictor of relationship satisfaction, while raising new questions about other factors that might predict communication and satisfaction and that strengthen or moderate their association.

Romantic competence behavior during problem solving among emerging adult dating couples: Development of an observational coding system

“…First, despite the use of a reasonably sized sample of ethnically diverse couples, larger samples are necessary, as are samples of differing ages and relationship types in order to assess whether the RC construct is broadly applicable. Second, the effect sizes in this study were relatively small, particularly compared to effect sizes observed in the associations between behavior and marital satisfaction (Karney & Bradbury, ; although see Lavner et al, for evidence of modest associations). These small effect sizes may be due to the generally high level of satisfaction in our sample as indicated by the means and standard deviations in Table , as well as the significant skew (skewness men's satisfaction = −1.64, skewness women's satisfaction = −1.59, CSI range = 27–81 for both men and women), which may have constrained the association between satisfaction and other variables.…”

“…In addition, satisfaction has been documented as a consistent predictor of relationship stability (Karney & Bradbury, ; Le, Dove, Agnew, Korn, & Mutso, ), suggesting its importance for relationship outcomes. Observable relationship behavior, including problem‐solving behavior, has been consistently associated with relationship satisfaction for married couples (Eldridge & Christensen, ; Karney & Bradbury, ; Lavner, Karney, & Bradbury, ). Therefore, we expected more competent RC behavior to be associated with greater relationship satisfaction.…”

Is Communication a Mechanism of Relationship Education Effects Among Rural African Americans?

“…Two same‐sex couples were excluded from analyses because the small sample size precluded comparisons with this group. The percentage of participating families from the initial screening group (18.2%) compares favorably to participation rates in other samples of low‐income couples (e.g., 11.4% in Lavner et al, ), and the percentage of families meeting eligibility criteria who participated in the intervention (46.0%) is comparable to participation rates among eligible families in other trials of relationship education targeting select demographics (e.g., 47.6% among military couples in Stanley et al, ).…”

“…Specifically, previous studies have yielded results that confirm (Beach et al, ), provide null results (Williamson et al, ), or even contradict (Schilling, Baucom, Burnett, Allen, & Ragland, ) the hypothesis that gains in dimensions of couple communication predict improved relationship quality in CRE programs. A recent longitudinal study of low‐income newlyweds found that communication positivity, negativity, and effectiveness rarely predicted changes in satisfaction, further challenging the central role of communication for relationship quality (Lavner et al, ). Moreover, results from this study indicated relationship satisfaction more commonly predicted changes in communication, thereby introducing the possibility that relationship satisfaction may be a mechanism for change in communication.…”

“…Couple communication patterns are commonly viewed as critically important to couples' relationships (e.g., Thibaut & Kelley, ) and thus form an essential component of nearly all couple and relationship education (CRE) programs designed to enhance romantic relationship outcomes (Halford & Snyder, ). Despite this widespread practice, several scholars recently have challenged the theoretical foundation and practical value of communication behaviors as a central target of programs designed to strengthen relationships, particularly for low‐income racial and ethnic minority couples (e.g., Johnson & Bradbury, ; Lavner, Karney & Bradbury, ). Empirical evidence informing this debate, however, has remained somewhat limited.…”