Communication and the experience of dialectical tensions in family life: An examination of abusive and nonabusive families

Abstract

This study uses a dialectical perspective to examine the communication behavior of 10 couples with a history of abuse and 10 nonabusive couples. Each couple was asked to discuss their daily routines, and the conversations were collectively analyzed through a grounded theory approach. Seven communication‐based differences were identified: vague vs. precise language, opposition vs. collaboration, relational vs. content talk, despair vs. optimism, interfering vs. facilitating interdependence, complaints vs. compliments, and ineffective vs. effective change. In addition, the discovery of these differences provided a vehicle for understanding how the couples manage dialectical tensions. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of a culturally based frame for understanding abusive families.

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