Relational cognition complexity and relational communication in personal relationships

Abstract

This investigation examined the influence of individual differences in relational cognition complexity on patterns of relational communication in personal relationships. Relational cognition complexity of members of married couples was assessed via the Relational Cognition Complexity Instrument (RCCI). Couples discussed topics which were salient and non‐salient for their relationship and the recorded conversations were transcribed and reliably coded utilizing the Relational Communication Coding Scheme. RCCI scores were not related to the relative distribution of an individual partner's dominant, submissive and neutral relational communication moves. The male partner's RCCI score was moderately positively related to the couple's transactional redundancy, especially during discussions of salient topics. Couples with a male partner scoring relatively high on the RCCI were characterized by greater mutual expression of support and lower mutual expression of non‐support, when compared to couples with a male scoring low on the RCCI. The relationship between male partner RCCI scores and couple transactional redundancy was due largely to a relationship between male RCCI scores and the level of redundancy in the male's own pattern of responses to partner's behavior.