Improved conflict resolution in romantic couples in mediation compared to negotiation

Abstract

Despite the frequency and adverse effects of conflict, randomized controlled studies on interventions that could promote conflict resolution (e.g., among romantic couples) are scarce. One understudied intervention technique is mediation, which is a negotiation facilitated by a neutral third party. To test the impact of a mediator on couple conflict, we conducted a randomized controlled study involving 38 romantic couples who discussed a topic of recurrent disagreement either in the presence of a mediator or by means of a direct negotiation. The results show that romantic couples in the mediation condition, compared with those in direct negotiation, had a probability of reaching an agreement 1.39 times higher and reported higher satisfaction regarding the content and process of their discussions. In addition, the synchronicity of the couple’s skin conductance, a measure of arousal, correlated with the couple’s closeness and with the quality of their relationship. Our findings suggest that interventions based on mediation can have a beneficial impact on conflict resolution.

Inclusion of the partner in the self and its association with relational quality and quality of life: an analysis based on the actor-partner interdependence model / La inclusión de la pareja en el yo y su asociación con la calidad relacional y vital: un análisis basado en el modelo de interdependencia actor-pareja

“…On the one hand, these results align with those of a qualitative study conducted by Ben-Ari et al (2007) which asserts that both members of the couple may have similar ways of understanding the closeness of the relationship, as they have invested time in sharing what the closeness in it means and in what way the couple wants to address it (p. 363). On the other hand, they also concur with studies that have demonstrated that the similarity in personality features (Zhou et al, 2017) and in the need to seek emotions (Donaldson, 1989) or even in the partner’s electrodermal response during conflicts (Bogacz et al, 2020) are all related to higher satisfaction with the relationship and higher sexual satisfaction. Our study reveals the protective effect of a balanced IOS: couples with a strong similarity in the way they include their partners in their identity have a lower risk of conflict, favour communication and promote mutual understanding (Morry, 2005).…”

“…Estos resultados, por un lado, van en consonancia con un estudio cualitativo realizado por Ben-Ari et al (2007) en el que se afirma que los dos miembros de la pareja pueden tener maneras similares de entender la cercanía en la relación, ya que han invertido tiempo en poner en común qué significa la cercanía en la misma y en qué dirección la pareja quiere abordarla (p. 363). Por otro, van en la línea de investigaciones que han demostrado que la similitud en los rasgos de personalidad (Zhou et al, 2017) y en la necesidad de buscar emociones (Donaldson, 1989) o incluso en la respuesta electrodermal de las parejas durante conflictos (Bogacz et al, 2020) se relaciona con una mayor satisfacción en la relación y satisfacción sexual. Nuestro trabajo revela el efecto protector del equilibrio en IOS: las parejas con alta similitud en el grado en que incluyen a sus parejas en su identidad tienen menor riesgo de conflicto, favorecen la comunicación y promueven la comprensión mutua (Morry, 2005).…”

“…Likewise, there is evidence that higher levels of IOS are associated with higher satisfaction with the relationship (Aron et al, 1992; Tsapelas et al, 2009) and that these satisfaction levels remain steady over time (Muise et al, 2019). It has even been demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between IOS and synchronicity in partners’ electrodermal response during conflicts, reflecting the positive effects of the partners’ physiological bond on marital satisfaction (Bogacz et al, 2020). Finally, IOS also seems to have benefits on the quality of sexual relations within the couple (Pietras & Briken, 2021; Pietras et al, 2022) and is related to an increased frequency of sexual activity (Muise et al, 2019) and higher sexual satisfaction (Pietras et al, 2022; Træen & Kvalem, 2023).…”

“…Asimismo, existe evidencia de que mayores niveles de IOS se vinculan a una mayor satisfacción con la relación (Aron et al, 1992; Tsapelas et al, 2009), manteniéndose dichos niveles de satisfacción a lo largo del tiempo (Muise et al, 2019). Incluso se ha demostrado que hay una relación positiva entre la IOS y la sincronicidad en la respuesta electrodermal de las parejas durante conflictos, reflejando los efectos positivos del vínculo fisiológico de los miembros de la pareja sobre la satisfacción marital (Bogacz et al, 2020). Por último, la IOS también parece tener beneficios en la calidad de las relaciones sexuales dentro de la pareja (Pietras & Briken, 2021; Pietras et al, 2022), estando relacionada con un incremento de la frecuencia de actividad sexual (Muise et al, 2019) y una mayor satisfacción sexual (Pietras et al, 2022; Træen & Kvalem, 2023).…”