Rachel M. Reznik

Communication during Interpersonal Arguing: Implications for Stress Symptoms

Research suggests that arguing can be stressful. We report two studies that explore the relationships between distributive, integrative, and avoidant communication reported to have occuned during an argument and individuals ‘post-episodic stress symptoms and health problems. Self-reported distributive and avoidance actions were positively related to post-episodic hyperarousal and hyperarousal mediated the positive relationship between both actions and health problems. Unexpectedly, self-reported integrative actions were positively related to post-episodic intrusive thoughts and hyperarousal, although only hyperarousal mediated the relationship between integrative actions and health problems.

Getting Off to a Bad Start: The Relationship Between Communication During an Initial Episode of a Serial Argument and Argument Frequency

This study explores the relationships between features of an initial serial argumentative episode and the number of subsequent episodes. Initiators of the initial episode report a self-demand/partner-withdraw pattern occurs and this pattern is positively related to the number of subsequent episodes. Also, targets of the initial episode report that in the first episode they engaged in partner-demand/self-withdraw, and this pattern was positively related to their perception of constructive outcomes, but these constructive outcomes are not related to the number of subsequent episodes. Participants report that mutual hostility often results in partner-demand/self-withdraw, which is positively related to constructive outcomes. This model is produced in a sample of individuals in intact relationships and replicated in a sample of participants in terminated relationships.

Components of Integrative Communication during Arguing: Implications for Stress Symptoms

Serial arguing is positively related to stress-related health problems. Research also demonstrates that using constructive forms of conflict management such as integrative tactics is positively related to self-reported stress after an episode of serial arguing (Reznik, Roloff, & Miller, 2010). Constructive communication may facilitate both conflict management and relational well-being. However, the present study focuses on why constructive communication may be stressful to enact and whether all forms of it are stressful. Using cognitive depletion theory as a guide, we conducted a survey of 167 individuals who were or are in dating relationships and found that problem-solving is indirectly and positively related to health symptoms and avoidance stress. Active listening is indirectly and negatively related to health symptoms and avoidance stress. Self-expression is indirectly and negatively, but not significantly, related to health symptoms and stress.

Hopelessness and Interpersonal Conflict: Antecedents and Consequences of Losing Hope

Research on intractable conflict indicates that difficult conflicts often are associated with a sense of hopelessness about the potential for resolution. We argue that hopelessness arises from individuals who want another to change and whose arguments evidence self demand/other withdraw and mutual hostility. The sense of hopelessness arising from these patterns is related to avoidance after an argument and withdrawing support and affection. We conducted a survey of undergraduates about their arguments with parents and romantic partners. As predicted, the correlations between desire for change and withdrawal of support/affection and desire for change and avoidance were positive and statistically significant. A mediation analysis confirmed our hypotheses. The relationships between desire for change and withdrawal of support/affection and avoidance were mediated by self demand/other withdraw and hopelessness. Similarly, the relationships between desire for change and withdrawal of support/affection and avoidance were mediated by mutual hostility and hopelessness. We discuss implications for research on serial arguing, intractable conflict, and destructive communication behaviors.

The Role of Legitimacy and Communal Orientation on the Use of Health Influence Strategies

This study examines how having a communal orientation toward relationships and feeling that one has a legitimate right to confront another are related to the strategies people use when confronting an individual to alter unhealthy behaviors. Among a sample of undergraduates, communal orientation was positively related to legitimacy. Communal orientation was also positively related to enacting active, direct, and supportive strategies. Evidence that legitimacy partially mediated the relation between communal orientation and active, direct strategies was also found.

I Thought We Settled This?! Antecedents and Consequences of Resolution of an Initial Episode in a Serial Argument

The serial arguing literature has largely ignored the notion of conflict resolution, as serial arguments are by definition repeated arguments about the same issue. The goals of the present research are to investigate the antecedents and consequences of believing a serial argument was resolved and the degree to which relational partners agree on resolution. We report three studies using secondary analysis of previously published data. In Studies 1 and 2, we found that many individuals erroneously believed that one or both parties thought the argument was initially resolved. In most cases, the respondent felt that issue was not resolved but believed the partner did. Thinking the issue was constructively resolved is positively related to reporting that constructive communication took place during the initial episode of the argument, and these constructive outcomes are negatively related to post-episodic mulling about the argument. The results of a dyadic analysis in Study 3 show that both initiators and targets think that their partners agree with them about whether the initial argument was resolved and most frequently think that both parties see the argument as not resolved. However, when looking at actual agreement as to whether the initial argument was resolved, we found that the perceptions of initiators and resistors were not significantly related.

The Impact of Demand/Withdraw Patterns on Health in Emerging Adults’ Serial Arguments with Parents

Reoccurring argumentative episodes are known as serial arguments. Prior research on serial arguing has shown that engaging in demand/withdraw patterns during episodes with a romantic partner is detrimental to ones physical and mental health. This study asked emerging adults to report on a serial argument with their parents. Emerging adult-demand/parent-withdraw was related to a disruption in ones daily activities due to health problems, and this relationship was mediated by the degree to which the participants felt hyperaroused. Contrary to our hypothesis, parent-demand/emerging adult-withdraw also was positively related to a disruption in daily activities. This relationship also was mediated by hyperarousal.