Improved conflict resolution in romantic couples in mediation compared to negotiation

Interpersonal conflicts, particularly within romantic relationships, significantly impact individual well-being and societal structures. High conflict rates contribute to increased divorce rates and negatively affect health, potentially leading to depression and accelerated health decline. While research on couple conflict dynamics exists, the role of mediation remains understudied. Negotiation, while a common approach, often falters due to emotional interference. This study investigates mediation, a third-party intervention, as a potential solution. Previous research has explored interventions like emotional reappraisal training and couple therapy, yielding mixed results with varying success rates and high relapse possibilities. Mediation, a less-researched alternative to legal proceedings and therapy, offers a potential cost-effective and accessible approach. Mediation involves a neutral third party facilitating communication and consensus-building, adopting various styles like facilitative, evaluative, or transformative. While existing research highlights mediation's cost-effectiveness and efficiency compared to litigation, a lack of rigorous controlled studies hinders a comprehensive understanding of its impact. This randomized controlled trial aims to address this gap by evaluating the causal effects of mediation on couple conflict resolution, using self-report data and psychophysiological measures to assess various outcome variables including agreement, satisfaction, emotional state, and interpersonal closeness.

Existing literature points to the significant negative consequences of unresolved couple conflicts on individual health and well-being, contributing to increased divorce rates and impacting mental and physical health. While research extensively covers conflict dynamics within couples, the role of mediation remains under-explored. Studies have explored other interventions like emotional reappraisal training and couple therapy, reporting mixed results and highlighting the issue of relapse and high divorce rates among treated couples. Although mediation demonstrates economic benefits over litigation, there's a dearth of rigorous empirical evidence assessing its causal impact on conflict resolution. Previous studies comparing mediation to legal proceedings often lacked proper control groups, limiting the conclusions about mediation’s effectiveness. This study aims to provide a much-needed randomized controlled trial to address this knowledge gap.

This study employed a randomized controlled trial design. Participants were 38 heterosexual romantic couples (n=76 individuals) recruited through various methods (flyers, university campuses, social media). Couples were randomly assigned to either a mediation condition (with a mediator) or a control condition (direct negotiation with a silent third party observer). Prior to the intervention, participants completed online questionnaires measuring relationship quality (Dyadic Adjustment Scale), emotional competence, mindfulness, and conflict behavior styles (Conflict Dynamics Profile). During the lab session, participants' electrodermal activity (skin conductance) and heart rate were continuously monitored using Biopac equipment, allowing for the assessment of physiological synchronicity within couples. Before and after the discussion, participants completed questionnaires measuring positive and negative affect, and interpersonal closeness (Inclusion of Other in the Self scale). Discussions were video-recorded. Seven mediators, all members of the Swiss Chamber of Commercial Mediation, were used; their selection was based on their facilitative approach to mediation. The mediators were randomly allocated to the couples based on scheduling. Outcome variables analyzed included agreement reached, level of disagreement after the discussion, satisfaction with discussion content and process, changes in positive and negative affect, and interpersonal closeness. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, t-tests, MANOVA, Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), and structural equation modeling using APIM SEM.

The study revealed significant findings supporting the effectiveness of mediation in resolving couple conflicts. Couples in the mediation condition demonstrated a significantly higher probability (1.39 times) of reaching an agreement compared to the control group (χ²(1) = 8.76, p = 0.006). Mediation also significantly increased satisfaction with both the content (p<0.05) and the process (p<0.05) of the discussion, regardless of gender. Further, mediation showed a tendency (p<0.1) to increase positive affect and decrease negative affect, although these effects were not statistically significant at the conventional p<0.05 level. Analysis of the Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS) scale revealed a significant increase in perceived interpersonal closeness after the discussion in the mediation condition (p=0.006), while the control condition showed no change. Concerning personality traits, active-constructive conflict behaviors positively correlated with satisfaction with discussion content and process, as well as with post-discussion IOS, suggesting that constructive conflict management styles enhance relationship quality. Mindfulness positively correlated with active-constructive conflict behaviors, indicating a link between mindfulness and constructive conflict resolution approaches. Electrodermal activity (EDA) synchronicity analysis showed a positive correlation between EDA synchronicity (Pearson correlation of EDR) and Dyadic Satisfaction and IOS scores before and after the discussion. This contrasts with previous studies showing a negative correlation between physiological linkage and marital satisfaction, suggesting that EDA synchronicity might reflect positive social interaction in this context.

This study’s results strongly support the hypothesis that mediation is a highly effective intervention for improving conflict resolution in romantic couples. The significant increase in agreement rates, satisfaction levels, and a tendency towards improved emotional states in the mediation condition demonstrate mediation's value as a practical tool. The finding that active-constructive conflict behaviors positively impact relationship outcomes reinforces the importance of training couples in these skills. The positive correlation between EDA synchronicity and relationship satisfaction and closeness challenges previous research suggesting a negative correlation and highlights the importance of considering contextual factors in interpreting physiological measures. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of mediation and the interplay between various personality traits and conflict resolution strategies. While the study controlled for the presence of a third party, future studies could explore other forms of intervention.

This study provides robust evidence supporting the efficacy of mediation as a valuable intervention for resolving conflicts in romantic relationships. The significant improvements in agreement rates, satisfaction, and emotional states in the mediation group underscore the practical relevance of this approach. Future research could investigate longer interventions, explore the psychological mechanisms underlying mediation's effects, examine different mediation styles, and evaluate the effectiveness of mediation across various conflict settings. The development of training programs aimed at enhancing active-constructive conflict resolution behaviors could further improve outcomes.

The study's limitations include the use of a silent third party in the control condition, which may not perfectly represent natural couple discussions. Also, the relatively short duration of the mediation sessions may not capture the full transformative potential of mediation. Furthermore, the reliance on self-reported data for some measures introduces the potential for bias. While the study controlled for various demographic and personality variables, other confounding factors might influence outcomes.