The researchers of this study aimed to explore language style matching (LSM) in established relationships and its relation to marital satisfaction among older adult married couples. Previous research has focused on nonverbal behaviors in marital communication, leaving word use relatively unexplored. Their results suggest that LSM is highly prevalent in older couples' conversations across various tasks, including reminiscence, problem-solving, and health support.
Interestingly, only LSM during reminiscence was related to wives' concurrent marital satisfaction. The researchers suggest that LSM may play an important role in communication and satisfaction in older adult marriages. They further discuss potential implications for future research and clinical interventions targeting language and communication in older adults, highlighting the importance of considering LSM in marital communication.
Read the research: Language style matching (LSM) in older adults
