Military couples face many hardships and obstacles not experienced by other couples.

But according to research out of West Virginia University, couples containing one member in the military actually experience less stress in their interpersonal communication than do other couples.

This research project began at a graduate seminar on interpersonal communication taught by Melanie Booth-Butterfield, professor of communication studies at WVU. The students in the seminar were very interested in how couples communicate when one person is in the military, and a collaborative project grew between Booth-Butterfield and four graduate students.

Up until this point, most research around military couples has not focused on how these couples talk and seek information in their relationships. Instead, most of it has focused on conflicts, self-disclosure and adaptation problems.

The results of this research were surprising.

“Non-military couples are actually more stressed-out in their relationships than military couples,” Booth-Butterfield said.

This research, which was just published in “Communication Studies,” raises additional questions. Is this because the “value” of what they communicate when they might not get to see someone again is higher? Is it because non-military couples don’t know how to take advantage of every minute they have with their partners? Is it that “everyday talk” actually helps to relieve stress?”

Couples engage in “everyday talk” when they discuss their daily activities and how they spend their time, the mundane small-talk that normalizes relationships. Military couples, overall, see this as being more important than do other couples and make more of an effort to engage in this “everyday talk,” the research found. An example would be when couples discuss how they spent their day, such as getting the kids ready for school and other routine activities.

It is also possible that military couples are naturally more resilient to stress than other couples or that they handle stress more effectively because they are expecting it and prepare themselves, this research suggests. Alternatively, people who know they would not be able to handle separations may opt out of such relationships.

These results will likely lead to further research on the subject of communication in military relationships. The next step could be to apply this study to see if these variables predict how well veterans will readjust to civilian life. Booth-Butterfield is also working on a study with an undergraduate student about relationship satisfaction during different phases of deployment.

“We are a University that lists research as a high priority,” Booth-Butterfield said. “It’s important that we are working on issues that are timely.”

For more information, contact Melanie Booth-Butterfield, professor of communication studies, at (304) 293-3905 or Melanie.Booth-Butterfield@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

aw/7/01/11

CONTACT: Rebecca Herod, Director of Marketing and Communication
304-293-7405, ext. 5251, Rebecca.Herod@mail.wvu.edu

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