Relational characteristics of language: Elaboration and differentiation in marital conversations

Abstract

Our research considered how the language used in marital conversations reflects the nature and definition of close relationships. Two linguistic themes with broad relational implications were identified from previous work: (a) linguistic elaboration, and (b) personal reference. These features were assumed to reflect, respectively, the efficiency of communication and the degree of differentiation versus integration of identities in marriage. In order to test the presumed relational implications of language, we compared indicators of linguistic elaboration and personal reference with relationship characteristics, including marital type, satisfaction, and age. One hundred‐twenty conversations from three prior studies were coded for a number of linguistic and pragmatic features. The results did not support expected associations between elaboration and other relationship characteristics. However, the research mostly supported the presumed relational implications of personal reference. Traditional, satisfied, and older marriages were distinguished by a focus on joint versus individual identity, as reflected in pronoun usage (i.e., “we” versus “I/you” pronouns), cross‐referencing of language, and “confirmation” versus “interpretation” statements.