the average and husbands below the average reported by Rand, and 32 couples included

wives below the average and husbands above the average. Differences between spouses'

scores ranged from 0 to 48, with an average discrepancy of 14.06.

 Although Holman and Jarvis (2003) did not create couple scores for their research,

the couple conflict type scores found in this investigation are comparable to the

individual scores they reported in their development of the couple conflict type scale.

Participants were asked to indicate on a five-point scale how well each of four different

couple conflict types represented their typical conflict behaviors. This study found couple

averages of 2.30 for the volatile type, 3.17 for the validating type, 2.57 for the conflict

avoiding type, and 1.57 for the hostile type. Similarly, Holman and Jarvis found averages

of 2.32 for husbands and 2.33 for wives for the volatile type, 3.36 for both husbands and

wives for the validating type, 2.47 for husbands and 2.30 for wives for the conflict

avoiding type, and 1.67 for husbands and 1.68 for wives for the hostile type.

 Holman and Jarvis (2003) also completed a cluster analysis, grouping their sample

into couple conflict types. In the present study, the conflict types were left as continuous

variables for each of the couples, and participants were not grouped into a specific

conflict type. However, frequencies concerning the couple conflict types were calculated

based on whether couples scored at or above the midpoint of the scale for each type

(indicating their agreement that the specific conflict type resembled their usual approach

to conflict "sometimes," "often," or "very often"). Nearly half the couples in the sample

scored at or above the midpoint for only one of the four couple conflict types. Thirty-

three couples (25%) only endorsed the validating type (rating it at or above the scale's

midpoint), 15 (11.4%) only endorsed the volatile type, 11 (8.3%) only endorsed the