The Influence of the Interaction Between Trust and Cognitions on Aggressive and Withdraw Communication Behavior Between Members of Clinical Couples

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderation effect of avoidance and aggressive cognitions on the relationship between levels of trust and levels of negative communication behavior, within a clinical sample of 60 heterosexual couples who had experienced mild-to-moderate conflict or abuse in the relationship. Results were found separately for males and females. For males, a non-significant positive trend was found suggesting avoidance cognitions have an effect on the relationship between trust and avoidance communication behavior. Females showed a significant association between avoidance cognitions and withdraw communication behaviors. The level of trust and the level of aggressive cognitions were significantly predictive of aggressive communication behavior in males. And the level of trust and the level of avoidance cognitions were significantly predictive of withdraw communication behavior in females. Implications for clinical interventions are discussed.