An American clinical psychologist gives her advice on communication within the relationship. She details three main modes of communication that are counterproductive when you want a change in behavior from your partner.
The passive-aggressive attitude consists of making one's displeasure felt in a roundabout way rather than expressing a disagreement head-on. Aggressiveness leads to a downward spiral, rather than to constructive dialogue, says Jonice Webb, an American psychologist specializing in couples and family therapies. "Trying to right one injustice with another injustice will only damage the relationship with time," she says.