5-second breaks can help reduce aggression between couples, study finds

Taking a short break during an argument with a partner may help defuse the situation, according to research conducted by a team of psychologists. The study involved 81 couples and found that breaks of five, ten, or fifteen seconds had an equal effect on reducing negative emotions and aggressive behavior. The couples played a competitive game where they could send unpleasant noises to their partner, and the experiment recorded their emotions. The researchers discovered that taking a short break could de-escalate conflicts in everyday situations. The findings, however, do not apply to situations of domestic violence or abuse.