Does Gottman’s Marital Communication Conceptualization Inform Teen Dating Violence? Communication Skill Deficits Analyzed Across Three Samples of Diverse Adolescents

Abstract

Communication skill deficits are thought to contribute to teen dating violence (TDV), parallel to the inclusion of these throughout prevention curricula. Communication research among adolescents is highly underdeveloped, although a preliminary study utilizing Gottman's marital communication conceptualization found that a majority of negative communication behaviors predictive of marital distress were also associated with relationship aggression among primarily White college students. Our aim was to replicate this study with diverse samples of adolescents (50.3% Latino, 23.5% Black; M age = 16.06). Urban high school youth, pregnant and parenting youth in residential foster care, and youth in urban after-school programs self-reported on their use of maladaptive and adaptive communication behaviors, relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment), and emotional, physical, sexual, relational, and threatening dating violence. Across samples, maladaptive communication and particularly flooding (i.e., the tendency to become overwhelmed, leave the argument) and the four horsemen (i.e., a cascading and negative communication sequence) were associated with higher likelihood of multiple types of TDV. Relationship quality was associated with decreased likelihood for TDV among high school and after-school youth samples, but with increased likelihood among youth in foster care. Results indicate that youth utilize a wide range of both adaptive and maladaptive communication behaviors, and that similar maladaptive patterns predictive of relationship distress in young adulthood and in marriage are also associated with distress in adolescents' dating relationships. Equipping youth with adaptive communication skills as part of a comprehensive approach to reducing TDV and enhancing healthy relationships is meaningful for diverse adolescents. Further research is warranted concerning youth's perceptions of relationship quality and risk of TDV.

Teen dating violence interventions for sexual minority youth: A scoping review

“…Additionally, certain skills have been shown to mitigate negative dating behavior, such as effective communication and emotional regulation. Lack of interpersonal skills (i.e., con ict resolution, communication, and/or emotional regulation) has been linked to increased dating violence among youth and adults (Berke et al, 2019;Rueda et al, 2021). Moreover, behavioral factors such as alcohol and substance use have been shown to increase the risk for TDV.…”

Accepting influence in military couples: Implications for couples’ communication and family satisfaction

“…Although accepting influence is frequently referenced in relationship education programs (e.g., Babcock et al, 2013;Futris et al, 2014) and popular media (e.g., McMahon, 2017) as an important tool for couples' success, empirical research has demonstrated inconsistency as to whether accepting or rejecting influence is associated with couple outcomes. Gottman's studies using an observational measure of accepting influence supported these associations and identified men accepting influence as particularly important (Coan et al, 1997;Gottman et al, 1998Gottman et al, , 2020, whereas other research using self-reported accepting influence has identified weak or no associations between accepting or rejecting influence and couple outcomes (Cornelius et al, 2010;Rueda et al, 2018). More nuanced investigations are needed to identify for whom and in what context is accepting influence a salient couple process.…”

“…Accepting influence within couple relationships is a concept and couple‐level process that gained popularity after Gottman's foundational research studies in the 1990s (Coan et al, 1997; Gottman et al, 1998). Accepting influence refers to both the action of allowing one's partner to influence in‐the‐moment behaviors and decisions, as well as the approach of being open to your partner's perspectives and opinions (Gottman, 1999; Rueda et al, 2018). The concept “accepting influence” acts as an umbrella term, encompassing a variety of actions that couples use, including communication skills, consideration, perspective‐taking, and efforts to act in both partners’ best interest (Gottman, 1999), and may be an indicator of couple power dynamics (Coan et al, 1997; Knudson‐Martin, 2013).…”

“…Furthermore, couples used a combination of these techniques to accept influence. From this observational research, couples appear capable of accepting influence in a variety of ways, with the essential point being they are intentionally using a technique (e.g., communication skills, showing consideration, taking their partners’ perspective, or compromising) to allow their partner to influence them (Gottman, 1999; Rueda et al, 2018).…”

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Intimate Partner Violence, and Communication Quality in a College-Aged Sample

“…While sex-related communication is an aspect of healthy relationship communication, it represents only one of many ways in which communication can be associated with IPV. Rueda, Yndo, Rankin Williams, and Shorey (2018) reported maladaptive communication skills using the Gottman framework were associated with increased risk of teen dating violence. Generally, individuals who grew up experiencing violent language and actions are more likely to use violent language toward others in future relationships (Kim, Lee, & Farber, 2019).…”