Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Research has suggested communication will change as romantic partners move from stages of escalation to deescalation stages, however this has not been examined quantitatively. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between idiomatic communication and Knapp’s stages of escalation and deescalation. The results of the study (N = 245) found that couples in deescalation stages utilize fewer idioms than couples in the escalation stages, and escalating and deescalating couples differ in the frequency at which they use idioms. Couples in deescalating stages use confrontational idioms that have more negative effects more often than escalating couples, and men and women differ on their perceptions of two functions: confrontations and requests. Finally, the use of idiomatic communication is significantly related to solidarity, relational satisfaction, and affective orientation.