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Colloquium credits

Presentation Master's thesis - Levi van Tricht - Clinical Psychology

Colloquium credits

Presentation Master's thesis - Levi van Tricht - Clinical Psychology

Last modified on 15-12-2025 16:26
What You Say and How You Say It: A Multi-Layered Approach to Understanding Romantic Conflict
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What happens inside us during a fight with our partner?
Relationship conflict affects mental health, and how couples argue predicts whether they stay together or not. But conflict isn't just words. It unfolds across multiple layers: our heart races, our voice changes, and the way we communicate shifts. This study tests whether these layers connect in a chain: does physiological arousal shape how we sound, and does how we sound shape how we communicate? And as prior research showed that hand-holding influences conflict in sex-specific ways, does touch also influence how these layers connect? Using heart rate, voice recordings, and coded communication from 34 couples, I examined both questions.