Keywords
empathic communication
gender differences
romantic relationships
well-being
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction: Communication is an essential element in building interpersonal relationships. Its quality has a significant impact on relationship satisfaction and overall happiness in a romantic partnership. Partners communicate in various ways. Not every form of the communication is beneficial for the relationship. Effective communication, based on mutual understanding and openness, significantly increases the level of intimacy in a relationship, leading to higher psychological well-being. In contrast, ineffective communication can lead to increased conflicts and reduced relationship satisfaction. The article aims to present the relationship between communication styles used by partners and well-being. Particular attention has been given to two forms of communication: empathetic and depreciative, as well as their influence on an individual’s psychological well-being. The study presents gender differences in the communication style used. Method: The study included 80 people in romantic relationships with an age range of 19-65 years. A survey was conducted using two tools: the Psychological Well-Being Scale (C. Ryff) and the Communication Forms Questionnaire (M. Ryś, P. Kwas). Data analysis included the Shapiro-Wilk test, Spearman’s rho correlation, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: statistically significant differences were identified between men and women regarding the communication used. Women scored higher on empathic communication (M = 39.302, SD = 4.335), while men were more likely to use deprecatory communication (M = 32.471, SD = 6.501). A significant but weak negative correlation was also observed between empathic communication and well-being, suggesting that excessive empathy may lead to lower psychological well-being. Furthermore, it was revealed that the higher the empathic communication level, the higher the positive relationship level, confirming the importance of empathic communication in building satisfying interpersonal connections. Conclusions: The study provides new evidence on the importance of communication form in romantic relationships and highlight the need for education on regulating empathy and effective communication. Furthermore, the study indicates the need for further research on the negative consequences of excessive empathy and the influence of personality and socio-cultural factors on communication styles in relationships.
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