Improvement of Conflict Handling: Hand-Holding During and After Conflict Discussions Affects Heart Rate, Mood, and Observed Communication Behavior in Romantic Partners

Abstract

Improved conflict handling is important to reduce relational discord. Touch potentially has beneficial effects on three important characteristics of conflict discussions, i.e., physiological reactivity, affect and communication behavior. We studied effects of hand-holding between partners during conflict discussions (N ¼ 47 student couples) and after conflict discussions (N ¼ 53 student and N ¼ 45 clinical couples). During conflict discussions hand-holding caused lower heart rate reactivity, higher positive affect and improved communication in men, and in women lower positive affect but improved communication. After conflict discussions hand-holding resulted in lower heart rate reactivity and higher heart rate variability in student couples and higher positive affect in student and clinical couples. Touch seems a promising add-on intervention in couple therapy. Relational discord is present in about 30% of all couples and is fueled by frequent and destructive conflicts between partners (Kluwer & Johnson, 2007; Whisman, Beach, & Snyder, 2008). Improvement of conflict handling is therefore an important aim in couple therapy. However, couple conflicts are hard to control because it requires co-regulation between partners which is complex

Affectionate touch in satisfying and dissatisfying romantic relationships

“…Affectionate touch is also particularly effective to buffer stress and to facilitate recovery from stress (Coan et al, 2006, 2017; Ditzen et al, 2007; Graff et al, 2019; Holt-Lunstad et al, 2008; Jakubiak & Feeney, 2016a, 2019; Robinson et al, 2015). For example, an imagined affectionate touch intervention buffered physical and social-evaluative stress (Jakubiak & Feeney, 2016a); hand-holding mitigated self-reported, observer-coded, and physiological stress during couple conflict discussions (Conradi et al, 2020; Jakubiak & Feeney, 2019); and a 6-week intervention to increase kissing, a particularly intimate form of affectionate touch, reduced perceived stress (Floyd et al, 2009).…”

“…For example, one recent diary study showed that receiving affectionate touch from one’s romantic partner predicted day-to-day increases in perceived partner responsiveness, closeness, relationship quality, and willingness to accommodate (Carmichael et al, 2021). Experimentally induced affectionate touch also enhances state security (i.e., feeling safe, cared for, and trusting) and cognitive interdependence (i.e., a sense of one-ness with one’s partner) (Jakubiak & Feeney, 2016b, 2019), promotes relationship intimacy in daily life (Durbin et al, 2021), and improves communication during conflict (Conradi et al, 2020; Jakubiak & Feeney, 2019).…”

Touch for Social Engagement and Therapy: A Narrative Review

“…In still another study on handholding, 45 student couples held hands during conflict discussions (Conradi et al, 2020). Handholding during these discussions led to decreased heart rate and increased heart rate variability, suggesting a decrease in stress.…”

Accounts of interpersonal touch in female victims of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study

“…Additionally, several studies showed that touch has a buffering effect on different stress reactions (e.g., Coan et al, 2017; Jakubiak & Feeney, 2016a). For example, when holding hands during a conflict discussion, partners showed less self-reported, observer-coded, and physiological stress (Conradi et al, 2020; Jakubiak & Feeney, 2019b). Ditzen et al (2019) demonstrated that spontaneous affectionate touch before and after a social stress induction (including giving a speech and computing a difficult arithmetical task in front of unexpressive judges) reduced cortisol reactivity and accelerated cortisol recovery.…”