Can Taking 5-Second Breaks Between Fights Help Couples? A Study Found This...

Researchers found that the key lies in stepping away from a volatile situation to assess it from afar, instead of being neck-deep in the conflict.

When couples fight, it is often advised that as their decibels rise, they take a break: pause, breathe, reflect, or even walk away from the conflict to cool down, instead of lashing out at their partners and hurting them by uttering scathing words. This is considered to be a good and healthy practice, as it can save a relationship from potential harm by allowing partners the space to introspect and figure out what started the conflict and how it escalated. Instead of bringing down your partner, find the means to resolve the problem and save your relationship. Now, it has come to the fore that there is even a scientific explanation as to why you must take a break while arguing/fighting with your loved one, as opposed to continuing with the altercation and disrespecting them.

According to a recent study, taking just a five-second break when you argue with your significant other can possibly defuse the situation and prevent an ugly escalation. Published in the journal 'Nature', researchers associated with the study found that the negative emotions of both the partners can drive aggression during a conflict and in order to avoid that, one must step away. The study was conducted recently by researchers at Scotland's University of St. Andrews; it surveyed 81 couples. According to a CNN report, Annah McCurry, a doctoral student at the university's school of psychology and neuroscience (who even led the study), said, "We wanted to see if we could reduce negative emotions, and thereby reduce aggression by just forcing people to take a short break."

The team of researchers were pleasantly surprised to find that taking five, 10, or even 15 second breaks while in the middle of an argument could decrease negative emotions that couples experience, and even lessen the aggression. In fact, researchers initially thought that taking a five-second break would be too short and won't make a difference. But, interestingly, the effect was identical to taking 10- and 15-second breaks. It is all about stepping away from a volatile situation to assess it from afar, instead of being neck-deep in the conflict.

For the study, researchers created 'feelings of conflict and irritation' through a competitive game. In the game, couples were asked to blast unpleasant and loud noises at their partner, at a volume of their choice. The person at the receiving end had to wait for a few seconds (five, 10 or 15 seconds) before reacting to the noise, by deciding to send a certain level of blast back, with a camera recording them.

Researchers found that while partners usually tend to match each other's levels of aggression, a short break could calm them down. Whether 'enforced' or 'voluntary', taking a break could 'de-escalate' the situation and regulate any kind of negative emotion.

Researchers added that these findings are applicable to everyday conflicts, and not to more serious ones like cases of abuse or domestic violence.