title: The roles of conflict engagement, escalation, and avoidance in marital interaction: a longitudinal view of five types of couples.
abstract: Seventy-three couples were studied at 2 time points 4 years apart. A typology of 5 groups of couples is proposed on the basis of observational data of Time 1 resolution of conflict, specific affects, and affect sequences. Over the 4 years, the groups of couples differed significantly in serious considerations of divorce and in the frequency of divorce. There were 3 groups of stable couples: validators, volatiles, and avoiders, who could be distinguished from each other on problem-solving behavior, specific affects, and persuasion attempts. There were 2 groups of unstable couples: hostile and hostile/detached, who could be distinguished from each other on problem-solving behavior and on specific negative and positive affects. A balance theory of marriage is proposed, which explores the idea that 3 distinct adaptations exist for having a stable marriage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gottman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008393:Marriage