Time for Couples to Deploy a 5-Second Rule

Couples who find themselves in an argument might want to consider a simple tool to keep things from escalating out of control: a five-second pause. A new study by psychology researchers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland found that a break of even that short duration helped people keep their aggressions in check, reports the Guardian. "This is a simple, free, and effective hack to reduce negative emotions during arguments," says lead researcher Annah McCurry, in a university news release. "It's cheaper than couples therapy and can be easily integrated into everyday interactions."

• The experiment: The couples were asked to play a game designed to ramp up conflict, including by having one blast the other with a loud, unpleasant noise, per Phys.org. Researchers used tools powered by artificial intelligence to monitor facial expressions to gauge anger and tension, rather than just relying on the participants' own self-reports.
• The breaks: The researchers found that tensions cooled significantly when the couples were asked to take breaks, and durations of five seconds were just as effective as those of 10 or 15 seconds.
• Takeaway: "It sounds obvious but this is the first time anyone has experimentally demonstrated a reduction in aggression following enforced breaks," says McCurry. The study published in the journal Communications Psychology shows that "even the briefest of pauses can help defuse an argument," she says.
• Big caveat: This applies to low-level arguments and not domestic violence situations, McCurry (who has expertise in that area) emphasizes to Business Insider. "This is about managing the mundane, everyday arguments that couples have, and that can escalate," she says.

(More relationships stories.)