Internal Dialogues about Conflict: Implications for Managing Marital Discord

Abstract

Studies in social cognition suggest that people in relationships engage in imagined interactions to develop appropriate lines of actions for actual conflict situations. Additionally, imagined interactions about disputes, in the absence of actual communication, has a “mulling” effect, tends to increase the severity of conflict and the likelihood partners are blamed. However, prolonged thought about disputes may have an attenuating effect when it is associated with frequent communication and when interactions are integrative. This study examines the role of imagined interactions, as one type of cognition, in processing marital disputes. The study showed that Traditionals, Independents, and Separates rely on different mental conflict schemata. An examination of the “linkage” function of imagined interactions revealed a functional impact in processing marital disputes for Traditionals and Independents. Imagined interactions about disputes were dysfunctional for Separates.