title: The language of demand/withdraw: verbal and vocal expression in dyadic interactions.
abstract: Associations between vocally expressed emotional arousal, influence tactics, and demand/withdraw behavior were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of 130 seriously and stably distressed, married, heterosexual couples and in a community sample (N = 38) of 18 married heterosexual and 20 dating heterosexual couples. Fundamental frequency was used to measure emotional arousal, and computational linguistics were used to measure influence tactics. Higher levels of demand/withdraw behavior were associated with greater use of manipulative and controlling influence tactics, higher levels of emotional arousal, and less frequent use of cooperative and compromising influence tactics. Overall, demanders tended to express more arousal and to use more influence tactics than withdrawers. Both influence tactics and emotional arousal were uniquely associated with demand/withdraw behavior. Implications of results are discussed for refining theories of demand/withdraw interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90080, USA. baucom@usc.edu
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Baucom
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eldridge
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sevier
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014861:Washington; D055815:Young Adult