Getting Off to a Bad Start: The Relationship Between Communication During an Initial Episode of a Serial Argument and Argument Frequency

This study explores the relationships between features of an initial serial argumentative episode and the number of subsequent episodes. Initiators of the initial episode report a self-demand/partner-withdraw pattern occurs and this pattern is positively related to the number of subsequent episodes. Also, targets of the initial episode report that in the first episode they engaged in partner-demand/self-withdraw, and this pattern was positively related to their perception of constructive outcomes, but these constructive outcomes are not related to the number of subsequent episodes. Participants report that mutual hostility often results in partner-demand/self-withdraw, which is positively related to constructive outcomes. This model is produced in a sample of individuals in intact relationships and replicated in a sample of participants in terminated relationships.