A systematic review of technology-mediated conflict management in couples

Digital technologies are now firmly ingrained in our daily lives and have become inevitable tools for interacting with a romantic partner. Beyond helping partners feel connected when apart, technology-mediated communication (TMC) is also widely used to discuss conflictual issues within romantic relationships. Given that managing conflicts efficiently is central to relationship maintenance, couple satisfaction, and intimacy, it is important to understand whether TMC facilitates this process, or whether it introduces additional challenges. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize empirical research that statistically compared TMC and face-to-face (FtF) conflict management with respect to conflict-level outcomes (e.g., emotions, perceived conflict resolution) and broader relationship-level outcomes (e.g., satisfaction). More specifically, it sought to determine whether managing couple conflicts through TMC leads to better, worse, or similar outcomes compared to traditional FtF conflict management. A systematic literature search across various databases identified 15 quantitative studies that met the inclusion criteria. Overall, findings suggested that using TMC to discuss conflicts is linked to similar outcomes as FtF interactions. However, some studies highlighted potential moderators such as attachment style, self-esteem, and relationship satisfaction, indicating that the effect of TMC in conflict management is not universal and depends on individual and relational factors. The review also addresses methodological considerations as well as directions for future research.