Given the abundance of recent research pointing to the role of computer-mediated platforms in facilitating favorable communication outcomes between romantic partners, the present research examines differences in conflict communication outcomes across channels (i.e., face-to-face, video, voice, text), focusing on the role of negative emotional arousal in predicting these differences. Literature in the conflict communication domain is considered alongside two communication theories - the Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing (LC4MP; Lang, 2009) and the Dynamic Human-Centered Communication Systems Theory (DHCCST; Lang, 2014) - to inform predictions pertaining to negative affect and perceived threat during conflict as they each (a) vary across channels and (b) relate to conflict outcomes between partners. Following a preliminary online survey (N = 242), an experiment (N = 128) with four experimental conditions - text message, voice call, video chat, face-to-face - was conducted. Dyads were recruited and asked to discuss a recurring conflict with high relational relevance in the lab. Physiological arousal was monitored throughout, and negative affect, perceived threat, and conflict outcomes were assessed following the interaction. Conflict outcomes were found to be most favorable following text-based interactions. Findings from the present study advance our ability to explain and predict the role of mediated channels in conflict communication, while extending applications of the LC4MP and DHCCST into the realm of interpersonal conflict communication.
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