Marital Communication and the Persistence of Misunderstanding

Bibliographic Data

ID2920243
AuthorsAlan L Sillars (University of Montana), Alan Sillars (0000-0003-2138-3437, University of Montana), Annette L Folwell (0000-0002-4128-4658, University of Montana), Krisann C Hill (University of Montana), Bobbin K Maki (University of Montana), Anthony P Hurst (University of Montana), Rosemary A Casano (University of Montana)
Year1994
Volume11
Issue4
Pages611-617
Publication date1994-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0265407594114008
OpenAlexW2137317111
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited9

This research examined spouses' understanding of their partners and the relation of understanding to the amount of communication in marriage. The results showed that spouses overestimated agreement with their partners; therefore, understanding scores were low after response similarity (i.e. agreement) was factored out. Reported communication had a complex relation to understanding. Communication had a slight positive association with wives' understanding of husbands' instrumental perceptions and a negative association with wives' understanding of companionate perceptions. Communication was not associated with husbands' understanding scores. The results partly supported previous research in which communication had a stronger relation to understanding of instrumental perceptions than to understanding of abstract, relational (i.e. companionate) perceptions

Association (psychology · Developmental psychology · Perception · Persistence (discontinuity · Psychotherapist · Relation (database · Similarity (geometry · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Psychology · Social Psychology