Recent research by Drs. Levi Baker, Michael Kane, and Michelle Russell was featured in Scientific American.
The findings of this collaborative project revealed that working memory plays an important role in navigating conflict in personal relationships. In particular, partners with high working memory capacity were better able to remember each other’s statements when asked to discuss a problem in the relationship and they reported a decline in problem severity when asked to rate it several months later. This finding was not explained by self-control, tolerance for distress, or emotional regulation. The results indicate that cognitive factors, rather than only commitment, play a role in the navigation of successful relationships.
Links: Scientific American article and published research paper.
