The Physiology of Argumentative Skill Deficiency: Cognitive Ability, Emotional Competence, Communication Qualities, and Responses to Conflict

This study drew upon the argumentative skill deficiency model to advance hypotheses linking cognitive ability and emotional competence to the prominence of loudness, criticism, disagreement, and sarcasm in conflict interactions between dating partners. Hypotheses also predicted that these communication qualities amplify physiological stress responses to conflict interactions, as indexed by measures of salivary cortisol. One hundred college-aged students (50 romantic couples) participated in a dyadic interaction in which they discussed a source of conflict in their relationship. Structural equation analyses evaluated an actor–partner interdependence model in which personal qualities predicted communication qualities that, in turn, predicted amplitude of cortisol change. Results indicated partial support for our hypotheses.