Effects of Communication Styles and Conflict Resolution Styles on Intimacy in Couples

This study focused on the relationships between communication, intimacy, and conflict resolution in young, heterosexual, marriages. Three self-report questionnaires, the Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory (CRSI), the Personal Assessment of Closeness in Relationships (PAIR), and the Communication Patterns Questionnaire – Short Form (CPQ- SF), were completed by a sample of participants. Regression and correlation analysis were performed on the data. The findings showed that while positive conflict resolution style was strongly connected with intimacy, self-demand/partner withdrawal communication style was significantly associated with conflict engagement style and withdrawal conflict resolution style. However, neither the self-demand/partner-withdraw communication approach nor the constructive conflict resolution style were shown to be significantly correlated with intimacy in the study. The use of self-report measures and a very small sample size were two of the study’s many drawbacks. Despite these drawbacks, the findings offer insightful information on how young, heterosexual married couples without children interact and resolve conflict. By utilizing larger, more diverse samples and unbiased measures of communication and conflict resolution, future research should solve these shortcomings.