The relationship of physiological arousal with demand and withdraw behavior: Examining the accuracy of the escape-conditioning hypothesis

David L. Vogel; Ronald J. Werner-Wilson; Kun Liang; Carolyn E. Cutrona; Joann C. Seeman; Ashley H. Hackler

doi:10.1007/s11199-008-9490-7

The relationship of physiological arousal with demand and withdraw behavior: Examining the accuracy of the escape-conditioning hypothesis

David L. Vogel, Ronald J. Werner-Wilson, Kun Liang, Carolyn E. Cutrona, Joann C. Seeman, Ashley H. Hackler

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The escape-conditioning model suggests that husbands experience greater physiological arousal during marital conflict than their wives. This greater arousal is hypothesized to lead to withdrawal from conflict in order to lessen the arousal. The present results, based on a U.S. sample of 64 heterosexual couples, found no support for this model. During problem-solving discussions, husbands did not exhibit greater skin conductance and did not report greater arousal than their wives. Furthermore, skin conductance was negatively linked to withdraw behavior. These results, while not consistent with the escape-conditioning model, are in line with recent studies that have explicitly examined gender differences in other types of physiological arousal during marital conflict.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	871-879
Number of pages	9
Journal	Sex Roles
Volume	59
Issue number	11-12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9490-7
State	Published - Dec 2008

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by a research grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH068289). D.L.Vogel(*).C.E.Cutrona.J.C.Seeman.A.H.Hackler Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, W112 Lagomarcino Hall, Ames, IA 50011-3180, USA e-mail: dvogel@iastate.edu

Keywords

Demand
Marital communication
Physiological arousal
Problem-solving
Withdraw

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gender Studies
Social Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology

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10.1007/s11199-008-9490-7

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title = "The relationship of physiological arousal with demand and withdraw behavior: Examining the accuracy of the escape-conditioning hypothesis",

abstract = "The escape-conditioning model suggests that husbands experience greater physiological arousal during marital conflict than their wives. This greater arousal is hypothesized to lead to withdrawal from conflict in order to lessen the arousal. The present results, based on a U.S. sample of 64 heterosexual couples, found no support for this model. During problem-solving discussions, husbands did not exhibit greater skin conductance and did not report greater arousal than their wives. Furthermore, skin conductance was negatively linked to withdraw behavior. These results, while not consistent with the escape-conditioning model, are in line with recent studies that have explicitly examined gender differences in other types of physiological arousal during marital conflict.",

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note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by a research grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH068289). D.L.Vogel(*).C.E.Cutrona.J.C.Seeman.A.H.Hackler Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, W112 Lagomarcino Hall, Ames, IA 50011-3180, USA e-mail: dvogel@iastate.edu",

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AU - Cutrona, Carolyn E.

AU - Seeman, Joann C.

AU - Hackler, Ashley H.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by a research grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH068289). D.L.Vogel(*).C.E.Cutrona.J.C.Seeman.A.H.Hackler Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, W112 Lagomarcino Hall, Ames, IA 50011-3180, USA e-mail: dvogel@iastate.edu

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N2 - The escape-conditioning model suggests that husbands experience greater physiological arousal during marital conflict than their wives. This greater arousal is hypothesized to lead to withdrawal from conflict in order to lessen the arousal. The present results, based on a U.S. sample of 64 heterosexual couples, found no support for this model. During problem-solving discussions, husbands did not exhibit greater skin conductance and did not report greater arousal than their wives. Furthermore, skin conductance was negatively linked to withdraw behavior. These results, while not consistent with the escape-conditioning model, are in line with recent studies that have explicitly examined gender differences in other types of physiological arousal during marital conflict.

AB - The escape-conditioning model suggests that husbands experience greater physiological arousal during marital conflict than their wives. This greater arousal is hypothesized to lead to withdrawal from conflict in order to lessen the arousal. The present results, based on a U.S. sample of 64 heterosexual couples, found no support for this model. During problem-solving discussions, husbands did not exhibit greater skin conductance and did not report greater arousal than their wives. Furthermore, skin conductance was negatively linked to withdraw behavior. These results, while not consistent with the escape-conditioning model, are in line with recent studies that have explicitly examined gender differences in other types of physiological arousal during marital conflict.

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KW - Marital communication

KW - Physiological arousal

KW - Problem-solving

KW - Withdraw

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The relationship of physiological arousal with demand and withdraw behavior: Examining the accuracy of the escape-conditioning hypothesis

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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