A study analyzed the verbal interactions of married couples in high, moderate, and low marital satisfaction groups to determine whether (1) the interaction processes within the three satisfaction groups differed and (2) there were different communication patterns that characterized the interaction processes of the groups. Subjects were 34 young married couples who were administered a marital satisfaction scale that classified them as high, moderate, or low in marital satisfaction. Each couple was then videotaped while discussing two problem situations, and their verbal interactions were analyzed according to a 12-category coding scheme that measured adjustment along four components: degree of consensus, cohesion, affectionate expression, and general relational satisfaction. Results showed that significant communication patterns characterized the verbal exchanges of differentially satisfied married couples. Highly satisfied couples tended to use coaxing, confirming, socioemotional questions, and task-oriented statements to acknowledge the ideas and feelings of their spouses, to facilitate new information exchanges, and to inject a sense of humor into their interactions. Low satisfied couples tended to restrict themselves to the rigid use of confronting and complaining acts to attack their spouses and the use of justificatory statements to defend themselves. (FL)