Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

While previous research indicates a negative relationship between an individual’s stress level and their relationship satisfaction (Falconier et al., 2015) little is known how specific aspects of communication may influence the association between stress and relationship satisfaction. Additionally, there is a growing body of support that relationships in which people can reflect the perspective of their romantic partner tend to have higher levels of relationship satisfaction (e.g., Busby & Gardner, 2008). Similarly, empathy during couple communication holds potential to buffer stress associated with negative couple interactions. For example, such communication involves an effort to understand on a cognitive, affective, and behavioral level of another’s state, empathic listening involves one’s ability to read relational cues, interpreting messages, and providing verbal and nonverbal feedback (Drollinger, Comer, & Warrington, 2006). The current study examines to what extent the subscales of the Active and Empathetic Listening Scale (sensing, processing, responding) may moderate the link between relationship satisfaction and stress. Results of the hierarchical multiple regression were significant, F (9,832) = 55.60, p<.001, R2=.38. Specifically, participants perception of their partners level of sensing communication moderated the relationship between stress and relationship satisfaction holding processing and responding communication dynamics constant. Sensing communication is understood to be the the relational attunement and synchrony between partners. The results of this study provide empirical support that partner attunement during interactions may be a valuable protective factor against stress and participants who perceive their partner as having high sensing communication report greater relationship satisfaction regardless of level of stress.