Communication and frightening behavior among couples with past and recent histories of physical marital aggression

The present study compares observed communication and couples' reports of husbands' frightening behaviors among couples with no history of husbands' physical marital aggression, a past history of such aggression, and recent history of such aggression. Ninety community couples reported on husbands' physical marital aggression during two visits to the lab, approximately 1.5 years apart. During the second visit, we videotaped couples' discussions of conflictual marital issues. Poor communication, as indexed by high hostility, low problem-description and low warmth, characterized couples with recent aggression, as compared to past aggression or no aggression. Husbands' frightening behavior characterized the couples with either recent or past aggression, compared to no aggression. In addition, for couples who had experienced severe aggression, the rates of husbands' frightening behavior were similar regardless of whether husbands persisted, reduced or desisted in the severe aggression. Discussion addresses possible reasons that reductions and desistance in husbands' aggression may be associated with more positive communication patterns but with continued reports of frightening behavior.