Communication and Courtship
situational constraints, researchers have yet to test this claim. This leads to our first hypothesis:
individuals in LDDRs (relative to those in GCDRs) will report talk characterized by a
significantly greater focus on intimacy (Hypothesis 1). To test this hypothesis, we explore
everyday speech events (Goldsmith & Baxter, 1996), which are described in greater detail later.
Implicit in hypothesis 1 are two predictions. First, it is predicted LDDR partners will
report a higher mean score for intimacy-related speech events than will GCDR partners. Second,
it is predicted that within LDDRs a trend will emerge wherein intimacy-related speech events are
the most commonly-reported form of speech events in partners’ everyday talk. Within GCDRs,
in contrast, it is expected that partners’ talk will be more balanced between intimate and non-
intimate speech events.
Other aspects of communication potentially influenced by the situational constraints of
geographic separation are conflict and taboo topic avoidance. In general, as relationships become
more interdependent, partners should be motivated to obtain information about their partner to
determine the appropriateness of their mate selection (Morton & Douglas, 1981; Surra &
Hughes, 1997). Although relational length is a strong predictor of later marital stability, it is not
the length of dating, per se, that is most important, but rather the partner knowledge acquired
during that time (Huston, 1994). That is, one’s understanding of one’s partner’s likes and dislikes
and personality characteristics occurs through accumulated everyday talk (Duck, 1994).
Consistent with this view, premarital counselors advise couples who have known each other a
short period of time to delay marriage to allow for increased deliberation about their readiness
and compatibility (Holman, Larson, & Harmer, 1994; Stanley, 2001).
Perhaps indicative of dating partners’ desire to learn about their partners throughout
courtship, research based on geographically-proximal dating couples has found that conflict and
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Convention