ABSTRACT
Few aspects in marriage influence the spouses’ satisfaction with their relationship and their sense of psychological well-being more rigorously than their ability to resolve their conflicts successfully. This may be because on a covert level marital conflicts are often concerned with issues that define the nature of the relationship itself, such as the question of who is in command or how much intimacy is desired. When the spouses’ positions with regard to such issues are incompatible, conflicts not only occur more frequently, but are also perceived as more threatening to the relationship. Also, during conflicts the communication between the spouses is usually more aversive than in normal circumstances. Sometimes couples try to avoid this aversion by shunning confrontations about issues that may generate conflict. This strategy may temporarily relieve the tensions between the partners, but it is obvious that in the long run it also prevents them from finding suitable solutions for their conflicts.
