PATTERNS OF RELATIONAL CONTROL AND NONVERBAL AFFECT IN CLINIC AND NONCLINIC COUPLES

The purpose of this study is to analyze, separately and in combination , the patterns of relational control and nonverbal affect in clinic-di stressed and nonclinic-nondistressed couples' interaction. The results indicated a low to moderate relationship between control and affect; however, each dimension conveyed nonredundant interactional informatio n. Clinic couples displayed more domineeringness, more affect negativi ty, and a stronger association between one-up control and negative aff ect than nonclinic couples. Lower levels of neutral affect reciprocity and one-down/one-across (down arrow-->) transitory control interacts were also salient characteristics in differentiating clinic from noncl inic couples' interaction. Further, the combined control-affect analys is indicated a higher proportion of escalating competitive symmetry wi th negative affect for clinic couples. For nonclinic couples, competit ive symmetry with negative affect was counterbalanced by competitive s ymmetry with neutral affect and diverse transitory patterns with neutr al or positive affect. Implications of these results are discussed.