Does routine communication predict marital satisfaction? Between- and within-person effects

Previous studies have almost exclusively examined the between-person associations between couple communication and marital satisfaction. However, relationship dynamics have also been theorized at the within-person level. This study examined the bidirectional associations between routine communication and marital satisfaction at the between-person (interindividual) level and within-person (intraindividual) level using three annual waves of data from 268 Chinese newlyweds (Mage = 29.59, SD = 3.25 for husbands; Mage = 28.08, SD = 2.51 for wives). Participants reported separately on their experiences of routine communication and marital satisfaction. The cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was applied to examine between-person concurrent and lagged effects, and the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI_CLPM) was applied to examine within-person concurrent and lagged effects. Results from the CLPM revealed unidirectional lagged between-person associations from positive routine communication to marital satisfaction (instead of reciprocal associations). Results from the RI_CLPM showed a unidirectional lagged within-person association from positive routine communication to marital satisfaction (husbands only). Additionally, significant concurrent associations emerged in both models. This study provides additional insight into the within-person examination of non-conflict communication processes and highlights the importance of disaggregating between-person and within-person effects in understanding the nature of the dynamic association between routine communication and marital satisfaction.