KOMUNIKASI INTERPERSONAL DALAM MEWUJUDKAN PERNIKAHAN HARMONIS PADA PASANGAN USIA SEBAYA

Same age marriages offer unique communication dynamics, as age equality can be both a source of closeness and a trigger for conflict. This study seeks to understand how four same-age couples build marital harmony through interpersonal communication patterns. Using descriptive qualitative methods, the study explores how DeVito's interpersonal communication models (linear, circular, and transactional) emerge in everyday interactions and how these patterns contribute to maintaining relationship stability.
The results indicate that all four couples use all three communication models, but circular and transactional patterns are most frequently observed in their conversations. Circular patterns are evident through two-way message exchanges, the habit of providing feedback, and the tendency to clarify issues before they escalate into conflict. Transactional patterns emerge when couples face disagreements, emotional issues, or decision-making processes in which both partners are simultaneously involved as senders and receivers of messages. Age similarity helps couples understand each other's emotional context, creating more egalitarian, responsive, and supportive interactions. This research confirms that marital harmony among same-age couples is not solely determined by age similarity, but rather by their open, two-way, and mutually influential communication patterns.
Responsive and egalitarian communication has been shown to strengthen emotional closeness and marital resilience.