Communicating Interpersonal Conflict in Close Relationships
Contexts, Challenges, and Opportunities

Communicating Interpersonal Conflict in Close Relationships: Contexts, Challenges, and Opportunities provides a state-of-the-art review of research on conflict in close personal relationships. This volume brings together both seasoned and new voices in communication research to address the challenges in evaluating conflict. Contributors review the current state of research on themes related to power, serial arguments, interpersonal and family dynamics, physiological processes, and mechanisms of forgiveness by presenting theoretical reviews, original unpublished data-driven research, and discussions about the methodological challenges and opportunities in studying interpersonal conflict.

An essential resource for graduate students and faculty interested in interpersonal conflict in close relationships between romantic partners, families, or friends, this volume is intended for advanced coursework and individual study in communication, social psychology, and close relationship scholarship.

Introduction: Jennifer A. Samp

Section 1: Influences on Conflict Processes in Close Relationships

1. Cognitive and Physiological Systems Linking Childhood Exposure to Family Verbal

Aggression and Reactions to Conflict in Adulthood

Lindsey S. Aloia & Denise Haunani Solomon

2. There is Nothing as Calming as a Good Theory: How a Soulmate Theory Helps Individuals Experience Less Demand/Withdraw and Stress

Courtney Waite Miller, Rachel Reznik, & Michael E. Roloff

3. Communication with Heterosexual Partners about Sexual Discrepancies: Conflict Avoidance, De-escalation Strategies, Facilitators to Conversation

Moon Sook Son, Lynne Webb, & Trish Amason

4. The Connections between Communication Technologies and Relational Conflict: A Multiple Goals and Communication Interdependence Perspective

John P. Caughlin, Erin D. Basinger, & Lissel L. Sharabi

Section 2: Power and Conflict in Close Relationships

5. Power in Close Relationships: A Dyadic Power Theory Perspective

Norah E. Dunbar, Brianna L. Lane, & Gordon Abra

6. Complaint Expression in Close Relationships: A Dependence Power Perspective

Timothy R. Worley

Section 3: Conflict as an Ongoing Process

7. Serial Arguments in Interpersonal Relationships: Public versus Personal arguments

Ioana Cionea & Amy Janan Johnson

8. Romantic Serial Argument Perceived Resolvability, Goals, Rumination, and Conflict Strategy Usage: A Preliminary Longitudinal Study

Jennifer Bevan, Megan Cummings, Makenna Engert, & Lisa Sparks

9. Worth Fighting For: The Causes, Correlates, and Consequences of Avoiding versus Enacting Domestic Labor Conflict

Kendra Knight & Jess K. Alberts

Section 4: Conflict in Families

1. Demand and Withdraw Behavior and Emotion in Mother-Adolescent Conflict

Christin E. Huggins, Melissa Sturge-Apple, & Patrick T. Davies

11. The Role of Perception in Interparental Conflict

Tamara D. Afifi, Shardé Davis, Anne F. Merrill and Sam Coveleski

1. Family Conflict is Detrimental to Physical and Mental Health

Chris Segrin & Jeanne Flora

Section 5: Forgiveness as Part of Interpersonal Conflict

13. Forgiveness Following Conflict: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How It’s Done

Andrew J. Merolla

14. Expressing and Suppressing Conditional Forgiveness in Serious Romantic Relationships

Dayna N. Kloeber & Vincent R. Waldron

Jennifer A. Samp is Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia, USA.