Does Partners’ Negative-Direct Communication During Conflict Help Sustain Perceived Commitment and Relationship Quality Across Time?

Abstract

The current study tested when partners’ negative-direct communication promotes perceived commitment and helps preserve relationship quality and when partners’ negative-direct communication damages perceived commitment and relationship quality. Negative-direct communication was assessed within 322 relationship conflict discussions involving one partner (the agent) wanting change in the other (the target). Perceived commitment and relationship quality were repeatedly assessed across the following year. Greater negative-direct communication by partners as agents of change predicted more positive trajectories of perceived partner commitment and relationship quality across time, whereas greater negative-direct communication by partners targeted for change predicted declines in perceived commitment and relationship quality. These longitudinal effects were magnified for people who initially perceived their partner’s commitment to be low. Thus, partners’ negative-direct communication can help sustain relationship quality when it offers a needed sign of partners’ commitment but has detrimental effects when partners’ negative-direct communication reflects low responsiveness to attempts to improve relationship problems.