The Effect of Relational Satisfaction and Media Synchronicity on Attributions in Computer-Mediated Conflict

Abstract

An experiment investigated the effect of relational satisfaction and media synchronicity on dating and married couples’ attributions for their partners’ positive and negative conflict behaviors. Couples completed measures of relational satisfaction, and then engaged in an online conflict discussion using synchronous or asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC). After the discussion, posttest questionnaires assessed their attributions for their partners’ conflict behavior. Individuals with greater relational satisfaction tended to ascribe their partners’ positive conflict behavior to internal attributions. Additional findings revealed that satisfied individuals made more internal attributions for their partners’ behavior in asynchronous CMC, rather than synchronous CMC, and satisfied individuals made more internal attributions for their partners’ positive conflict behaviors in asynchronous CMC. Relational satisfaction affects attributions in online conflict, and, contrary to prediction, satisfied individuals appear to benefit more in conflict when using asynchronous CMC.