Self-criticism and conflict resolution in romantic couples

One hundred and twenty heterosexual college student couples completed measu res of self-criticism and relational schemas (Baldwin, 1992) and then attem pted to resolve two conflicts while being videotaped. Overt hostility was r ated from the videotapes. In both girlfriends and boyfriends, self-criticis m was associated with negative relational schemas and more negative cogniti ve-affective reactions during the conflict resolution task. Self-critical w omen displayed greater overt hostility towards their partners. Structural e quation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that negative relational schemas functi oned as mediating variables that explained negative cognitive-affective rea ctions during the task. The SEM also showed that, in women, negative cognit ive-affective reactions predicted overt hostility, which in rum predicted p artners' distress and overt hostility. The results bolster cognitive-interp ersonal analyses of depression by illustrating how cognitive structures ass ociated with a hypothesized vulnerability (self-criticism) can have importa nt interpersonal correlates.