Research Confirms 5-Second Pause Calms Arguments

Researchers at The University of St Andrews in Scotland have found that taking a brief five-second break before a conflict intensifies can help prevent a major argument. Their study, detailed in the journal Communications Psychology, was led by Annah McCurry, Robert May, and David Donaldson, who conducted emotional tests with volunteer couples.

Previous research indicated that taking a pause when emotions like frustration or anger start to rise in a relationship could help defuse the situation. To investigate how long a break should be, the team conducted experiments with 81 couples in their lab.

In these experiments, couples played an interactive game designed to provoke conflict. The game included tasks like blasting an unpleasant noise at their partner. Each couple played thirty rounds, with time-outs given at various points and durations. These sessions were recorded using a 360-degree camera and microphone.

The researchers applied advanced machine learning techniques to analyze the data, focusing on voice levels and facial expressions to measure anger and frustration. They discovered that a time-out as short as five seconds was as effective in reducing conflict as a longer 10 to 15-second break. This finding implies that the mere act of taking a pause is crucial, and the length of the break is less significant.

The study's findings suggest that couples can use this simple and effective technique to manage potential disputes, requiring only a brief pause and the willingness to use it when tensions rise.