Couple communication from a cross-cultural perspective

This chapter provides an overview and critique of research on couple communication from a cross-cultural perspective. The majority of studies from both observational and self-report methods have generally supported the behavioral link between communication behaviors and relational satisfaction, lending support for couple therapy and relationship education across cultures. Specifically, positive communication behaviors such as positive affect, validation, and warmth are positively related to relational satisfaction. In contrast, negative communication behaviors such as hostility, invalidate, dominance are negatively associated with relational satisfaction. The magnitude of the association between communication and relational satisfaction is moderated by culture, gender, and contexts. Overall, the relationship between communication and satisfaction is stronger for Western couples than for non-Western couples. A couple of studies have also shown that the communication behaviors of the female partner affect couple relationship satisfaction more so than those of the male partner.