Kitchen-sinking occurs when

• A. One partner brings up a list of issues in response to criticism
• B. Partners summarize the main issue
• C. People discuss dinner plans
• D. A couple lists topics for the day

Answer: (A)

Kitchen-sinking happens when a disagreement turns into a flood of grievances, with one person listing multiple issues—often including past hurts—in response to a criticism, rather than sticking to the specific concern at hand. This pattern shifts the focus from solving the current problem to defending against a barrage of complaints, making it harder to reach a resolution. The described behavior fits this idea because it involves bringing up a list of issues all at once in reaction to criticism. By contrast, summarizing the main issue stays focused and constructive, while discussing dinner plans or listing topics for the day are unrelated to handling the disagreement and don’t reflect this pattern of unloading many grievances. Recognizing kitchen-sinking helps couples steer the conversation back to the specific concern and address it directly.