How You Communicate Affects Your Own Relationship Satisfaction

Research shows that interpersonal communication is complex — yet what impacts us most may be what comes out of our own mouths

How we communicate with others is integral to how satisfying and successful relationships with those others are. People in long-term romantic relationships know this to be the case, but research has for years sought to parse out precisely what the connections among different forms of communication and relationship satisfaction actually are.

Which Comes First?

After all, it’s complex, with a chicken-or-egg quality to it. Aspects of communication drive relationship satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction sets the stage for more constructive communication and conflict resolution. Conversely, relationship satisfaction could stabilize relationships, allowing couples to experience a greater proportion of negative communications because overall satisfaction might render the relationship more resilient to internally-generated stressors.

As researchers Jolin, Lafontaine, Brassard and Lussier, authors of a recent study in the Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science (2022) note, the literature on this subject is rich but lacking in some regards. For…