Showing papers on "Interpersonal communication published in 2003"

Job Burnout New Directions in Research and Intervention

Abstract: Job burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job and is defined here by the three dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism, and sense of inefficacy. Its presence as a social problem in many human services professions was the impetus for the research that is now taking place in many countries. That research has established the complexity of the problem and has examined the individual stress experience within a larger social and organizational context of people's response to their work. The framework, which focuses attention on the interpersonal dynamics between the worker and other people in the workplace, has yielded new insights into the sources of stress, but effective interventions have yet to be developed and evaluated.

The social consequences of expressive suppression.

Abstract: At times, people keep their emotions from showing during social interactions. The authors' analysis suggests that such expressive suppression should disrupt communication and increase stress levels. To test this hypothesis, the authors conducted 2 studies in which unacquainted pairs of women discussed an upsetting topic. In Study 1, one member of each pair was randomly assigned to (a) suppress her emotional behavior, (b) respond naturally, or (c) cognitively reappraise in a way that reduced emotional responding. Suppression alone disrupted communication and magnified blood pressure responses in the suppressors' partners. In Study 2, suppression had a negative impact on the regulators' emotional experience and increased blood pressure in both regulators and their partners. Suppression also reduced rapport and inhibited relationship formation.

Toward an affect-sensitive multimodal human-computer interaction

Abstract: The ability to recognize affective states of a person we are communicating with is the core of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a facet of human intelligence that has been argued to be indispensable and perhaps the most important for successful interpersonal social interaction. This paper argues that next-generation human-computer interaction (HCI) designs need to include the essence of emotional intelligence - the ability to recognize a user's affective states-in order to become more human-like, more effective, and more efficient. Affective arousal modulates all nonverbal communicative cues (facial expressions, body movements, and vocal and physiological reactions). In a face-to-face interaction, humans detect and interpret those interactive signals of their communicator with little or no effort. Yet design and development of an automated system that accomplishes these tasks is rather difficult. This paper surveys the past work in solving these problems by a computer and provides a set of recommendations for developing the first part of an intelligent multimodal HCI-an automatic personalized analyzer of a user's nonverbal affective feedback.

Handbook of Communication and Social Interaction Skills

Abstract: Contents: J.M. Wiemann, Foreword. J.O. Greene, B.R. Burleson, Preface. Part I:General Theoretical and Methodological Issues. S.R. Wilson, C.M. Sabee, Explicating Communicative Competence as a Theoretical Term. J.O. Greene, Models of Adult Communication Skill Acquisition: Practice and the Course of Performance Improvement. B.H. Spitzberg, Methods of Interpersonal Skill Assessment. C. Segrin, M. Givertz, Methods of Social Skills Training and Development. Part II:Fundamental Interaction Skills. J.K. Burgoon, A.E. Bacue, Nonverbal Communication Skills. R.E. Sanders, Applying the Skills Concept to Discourse and Conversation: The Remediation of Performance Defects in Talk-in-Interaction. C.R. Berger, Message Production Skill in Social Interaction. R.S. Wyer, Jr., R. Adaval, Message Reception Skills in Social Communication. S. Metts, E. Grohskopf, Impression Management: Goals, Strategies, and Skills. Part III:Function-Focused Communication Skills. K.E. Rowan, Informing and Explaining Skills: Theory and Research on Informative Communication. D. Hample, Arguing Skill. J.P. Dillard, L.J. Marshall, Persuasion as a Social Skill. D.J. Canary, Managing Interpersonal Conflict: A Model of Events Related to Strategic Choices. B.R. Burleson, Emotional Support Skills. J. Mandelbaum, How to "Do Things" With Narrative: A Communication Perspective on Narrative Skill. Part IV:Skills in Close Personal Relationships. W. Samter, Friendship Interaction Skills Across the Life Span. K. Dindia, L. Timmerman, Accomplishing Romantic Relationships. A.B. Kelly, F.K. Fincham, S.R.H. Beach, Communication Skills in Couples: A Review and Discussion of Emerging Perspectives. C.H. Hart, L.D. Newell, S.F. Olsen, Parenting Skills and Social-Communicative Competence in Childhood. Part V:Skills in Public and Professional Contexts. M.E. Roloff, L.L. Putnam, L. Anastasiou, Negotiation Skills. D.S. Gouran, Communication Skills for Group Decision Making. J.A. Daly, A.L. Vangelisti, Skillfully Instructing Learners: How Communicators Effectively Convey Messages. R.L. Street, Jr., Interpersonal Communication Skills in Health Care Contexts. C. Hajek, H. Giles, New Directions in Intercultural Communication Competence: The Process Model.

Nurturing interpersonal trust in knowledge-sharing networks

Abstract: Executive Overview In many organizations, informal networks are the primary means by which employees find information, solve complex problems, and learn how to do their work. Two forms of interpersonal trust—trust in a person's competence and in a person's benevolence—enable effective knowledge creation and sharing in these networks. Yet, though conceptually appealing, trust is an elusive concept that is often difficult for managers to influence. We conducted interviews in 20 organizations to identify ways in which interpersonal trust in a knowledge-sharing context develops. Based on this work, we summarize behaviors (e.g., discretion, consistency, collaboration) and practices (e.g., building shared vision, ensuring transparency in decision-making, holding people accountable for trust) for managers interested in promoting trust (and thereby knowledge creation and sharing) within their own organizations.

Thinking of you: nonconscious pursuit of interpersonal goals associated with relationship partners.

Abstract: The mere psychological presence of relationship partners was hypothesized to trigger interpersonal goals that are then pursued nonconsciously. Qualitative data suggested that people tend to pursue different interpersonal goals within different types of relationships (e.g., mother, best friend, coworker). In several studies, priming participants' relationship representations produced goal-directed behavior (achievement, helping, understanding) in line with the previously assessed goal content of those representations. These findings support the hypothesis that interpersonal goals are component features of relationship representations and that mere activation of those representations, even in the partner's physical absence, causes the goals to become active and to guide behavior nonconsciously within the current situation.

Artifacts and Cultures-of-use in Intercultural Communication

Abstract: This article develops a conceptual framework for understanding how intercultural communication, mediated by cultural artifacts (i.e., Internet communication tools), creates compelling, problematic, and surprising conditions for additional language learning. Three case studies of computer-mediated intercultural engagement draw together correlations between discursive orientation, communicative modality, communicative activity, and emergent interpersonal dynamics. These factors contribute to varying qualities and quantities of participation in the intercultural partnerships. Case one, "Clashing Frames of Expectation Differing Cultures-of-Use," suggests that the cultures-of-use of Internet communication tools, their perceived existence and on-going construction as distinctive cultural artifacts, differs interculturally just as communicative genre, pragmatics, and institutional context would be expected to differ interculturally. Case two, "Intercultural Communication as Hyperpersonal Engagement," illustrates pragmatic and linguistic development as an outcome of intercultural relationship building. The final case study, "The Wrong Tool for the Right Job?," describes a recent generational shift in communication tool preference wherein an ostensibly ubiquitous tool, e-mail, is shown to be unsuitable for mediating age peer relationships. Taken together, these case studies demonstrate that Internet communication tools are not neutral media. Rather, individual and collective experience is shown to influence the ways students engage in Internet-mediated communication with consequential outcomes for both the processes and products of language development. For some social classes and in highly privileged geographical regions, we have entered into a period of rapid and efficient global communication practices mediating an array of interpersonal, discursivematerial, and cultural activities. Despite the robust connections between the increasing digitization of everyday communicative practice and issues such as globalization and homogenization, Internet-mediated intercultural educational activities remain demonstrably polymorphous. Reasons for this are many. Educational cultures and objectives vary across nation state boundaries (Belz, 2002) as well as across educational institutions within the US. Moreover, within the same university but across courses or time periods, student populations shift, pedagogical goals are reassessed, and micro-interactional phenomena illustrate their own "accentuality" (Volosinov, 1973), even when the task, as it were, is supposed to remain consistent across participants and time (Coughlan & Duff, 1994). The focus of this article is yet another dimension of human heterogeneity -- the cultural embeddedness of Internet communication tools and the consequences of this embedding for communicative activity. Three case studies will be presented which illustrate some of the possibilities and problems associated with foreign language intercultural interaction mediated by Internet communication tools. I argue that Internet communication tools, like all human artifacts, are cultural tools (for an extension of this argument to the natural environment and the social construction of nature, see Braun & Castree, 1998; Harvey, 1996; Williams, 1980). Specifically, I show that e-mail, instant messenger, and forms of synchronous chat, are deeply affected by the cultures-of-use, or to borrow a biological term -- phenotypic characteristics, evolving from the manner in which these tools mediate everyday communicative practice. To unpack this somewhat, most of the American students in the case studies have extensive Internet experience that catalyzes specific forms (and expectations) of communication. In turn, the resulting

Defining and Measuring Interpersonal Continuity of Care

Abstract: BACKGROUND In an effort to learn more about the importance of continuity of care to physicians and patients, I reviewed the medical literature on continuity of care to define interpersonal continuity and describe how it has been measured and studied METHODS A search of the MEDLINE database from 1966 through April 2002 was conducted to find articles focusing on the keyword “continuity of patient care,” including all subheadings Titles and abstracts of the resulting articles were screened to select articles focusing on interpersonal continuity in the physician-patient relationship or on the definition of continuity of care These articles were systematically reviewed and analyzed for study method, measurement technique, and research theme RESULTS A total of 379 original articles were found that addressed any aspect of continuity as an attribute of general medical care One hundred forty-two articles directly related to the definition of continuity or to the concept of interpersonal continuity in the physician-patient relationship Although the available literature reflects little agreement on how to define continuity of care, it is best defined as a hierarchy of 3 dimensions; informational, longitudinal, and interpersonal continuity Interpersonal continuity is of particular interest for primary care Twenty-one measurement techniques have been defined to study continuity, many of which relate to visit patterns and concentration rather than the interpersonal nature of the continuity relationship CONCLUSIONS Future inquiry in family medicine should focus on better understanding the interpersonal dimension of continuity of care

Adolescents' Accounts of Growth Experiences in Youth Activities

Abstract: Little theory and research exists on the developmental processes that occur during adolescents' participation in extracurricular and community based-activities As a step in that direction, we conducted 10 focus groups aimed at getting high school students' descriptions of their “growth experiences” in these activities The youth reported both personal and interpersonal processes of development The personal experiences included experimentation and identity work, development of initiative skills such as learning to set goals and manage time, and learning strategies for emotional regulation The interpersonal experiences included acquiring new peer relationships and knowledge, developing group social skills such as taking responsibility and how to work together as a team, and developing valuable connections to adults Across domains, adolescents described themselves as the agents of their own development and change Youth activities appear to be a context in which adolescents are active producers of development

African American College Students’ Experiences With Everyday Racism: Characteristics of and Responses to These Incidents

Abstract: African American college students reported their experiences with everyday forms of racism at a predominantly European American university using a daily diary format. Their reported incidents represented verbal expressions of prejudice, bad service, staring or glaring, and difficulties in interpersonal exchanges (e.g., rudeness or awkward and nervous behavior). Both women’s and men’s experiences with interpersonal forms of prejudice were common, often occurred with friends and in intimate situations, and had significant emotional impact on them in terms of decreasing their comfort and increasing their feelings of threat during the interaction. Moreover, anger was the most frequently reported emotional reaction to these events. Participants were not passive targets, however, with many responding either directly or indirectly to the incidents. Findings from this study converged upon patterns of results found in in-depth interviews and surveys while also adding information to a growing body of literature on ...

Challenges in recruitment of research participants

Abstract: There are many potential pitfalls in the identification and enlistment of suitable candidates for psychiatric research. The challenges of recruitment are highlighted, detailing impact of study design, characteristics of participants, including demographics and personal preferences, investigator characteristics and collaboration with clinicians. Techniques used in recruitment are discussed, including financial incentives, assertive tracking and communication methods. Ethical issues, methods of data collection, and control participants are also considered. Key issues are: early consideration of the impact of study design on the recruitment process; the participant’s perspective; close collaboration with colleagues; the investigator’s good interpersonal, communication and organisational skills; and feedback to collaborators, associated clinicians and participants.

Interpersonal aggression in work groups: Social influence, reciprocal, and individual effects

Abstract: This cross-level study of 149 employees from 25 groups demonstrates the impact of group social context on individual interpersonal aggression. Extending the work of Robinson and O'Leary-Kelly (1998...

The developmental origins of musicality

Abstract: The study of musical abilities and activities in infancy has the potential to shed light on musical biases or dispositions that are rooted in nature rather than nurture. The available evidence indicates that infants are sensitive to a number of sound features that are fundamental to music across cultures. Their discrimination of pitch and timing differences and their perception of equivalence classes are similar, in many respects, to those of listeners who have had many years of exposure to music. Whether these perceptual skills are unique to human listeners is not known. What is unique is the intense human interest in music, which is evident from the early days of life. Also unique is the importance of music in social contexts. Current ideas about musical timing and interpersonal synchrony are considered here, along with proposals for future research.

The experience and effects of emotional support: What the study of cultural and gender differences can tell us about close relationships, emotion, and interpersonal communication

Abstract: Theorists claim that emotional support is one of the most significant provisions of close relationships, and studies suggest that the receipt of sensitive emotional support is associated with diverse indices of well–being. Research highlighting the beneficial outcomes of emotional support raises several important questions: Does emotional support play a similar role in the personal relationships of both men and women and those representing different ethnicities and nationalities? Is what counts as effective, sensitive, emotional support the same for everyone? And when seeking to provide emotional support, do members of distinct social groups pursue similar or different goals? This article reviews and synthesizes empirical research assessing gender, ethnic, and cultural differences in emotional support in the effort to ascertain the extent and import of these differences. Particular attention is given to demographic differences in (a) the value placed on the emotional support skills of relationship partners, (b) the intentions or goals viewed as especially relevant in emotional support situations, and (c) the evaluation of distinct approaches to providing emotional support. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the findings are explored.

The interactive effect of leader-member exchange and communication frequency on performance ratings

Abstract: The authors tested the hypothesis that communication frequency moderates the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and job-performance ratings. In a study of 188 private sector workers, they found that LMX was more strongly related to job-performance ratings among individuals reporting frequent communication with the supervisor than among those reporting infrequent communication. At high levels of LMX, workers reporting frequent communication with the supervisor received more favorable job-performance ratings than did workers reporting infrequent communication. In contrast, at low levels of LMX, workers reporting frequent communication with the supervisor received less favorable job-performance ratings than workers reporting infrequent communication. The authors conducted a 2nd study of 153 public sector workers to provide a constructive replication and found similar results.

Negotiated Collusion: Modeling Social Language and its Relationship Effects in Intelligent Agents

Abstract: Building a collaborative trusting relationship with users is crucial in a wide range of applications, such as advice-giving or financial transactions, and some minimal degree of cooperativeness is required in all applications to even initiate and maintain an interaction with a user. Despite the importance of this aspect of human--human relationships, few intelligent systems have tried to build user models of trust, credibility, or other similar interpersonal variables, or to influence these variables during interaction with users. Humans use a variety of kinds of social language, including small talk, to establish collaborative trusting interpersonal relationships. We argue that such strategies can also be used by intelligent agents, and that embodied conversational agents are ideally suited for this task given the myriad multimodal cues available to them for managing conversation. In this article we describe a model of the relationship between social language and interpersonal relationships, a new kind of discourse planner that is capable of generating social language to achieve interpersonal goals, and an actual implementation in an embodied conversational agent. We discuss an evaluation of our system in which the use of social language was demonstrated to have a significant effect on users' perceptions of the agent's knowledgableness and ability to engage users, and on their trust, credibility, and how well they felt the system knew them, for users manifesting particular personality traits.

The SCERTS Model: A Transactional, Family-Centered Approach to Enhancing Communication and Socioemotional Abilities of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Abstract: A range of educational/treatment approaches is currently available for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A recent comprehensive review by an expert panel on ASD (National Research Council, 2001) concluded that a number of approaches have demonstrated positive outcomes, but nonetheless, not all children benefit equally from any one approach. Efforts to increase communicative and socioemotional abilities are widely regarded as among the most critical priorities, and growth in these areas is closely related to prognosis and long-term positive outcomes. However, some widely disseminated approaches are not based on the most contemporary developmental research on social and communication development in children with and without disabilities, nor do they draw from current understanding of the learning style of children with ASD. This article describes the SCERTS Model, which prioritizes Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support as the primary developmental dimensions that must be addressed in a comprehensive program designed to support the development of young children with ASD and their families. The SCERTS Model has been derived from a theoretical as well as empirically based foundation and addresses core challenges of children with ASD as they relate to social communication, emotional regulation, and transactional support. The SCERTS Model also is consistent with empirically supported interventions and it reflects current and emerging “recommended practices” (National Research Council, 2001).

The Impact of Individual and Interpersonal Factors on Perceived News Media Bias

Abstract: A large percentage of the public believes that the news media are biased, and the majority of these individuals consider the direction of bias to be against their own viewpoints. Past research has examined how individual factors such as strength of partisanship or extent of political involvement heighten bias perceptions, but little attention has been paid to interpersonal factors such as the ideological similarity or dissimilarity of personal communication networks. Results of a national survey show that perceptions of media bias were unrelated to the overall amount of discussion but were positively related to conversations with ideologically like-minded individuals. Moreover, the impact of conversations with similar others was stronger among Republicans than among Democrats, a finding consistent with recent work on news self-coverage of media bias claims.

Incidents of discrimination and risk for delinquency: A longitudinal test of strain theory with an African American sample

Abstract: This article examines the relationship between racial discrimination and delinquency. Using longitudinal data collected on approximately 700 African American children, we begin by establishing an association between exposure to discrimination and delinquent behavior. Next, we use structural equation modeling to test various hypotheses regarding the emotional and cognitive factors that mediate this association. For boys, the association between discrimination and delinquency is mediated by feelings of anger and depression and by the belief that aggression is a necessary interpersonal tactic. The results are somewhat different for girls. Although anger and depression mediate part of the effect of discrimination on delinquency, discrimination continues to display a small but significant direct effect. The implications of these findings for criminological theory are discussed.

How are stereotypes maintained through communication? The influence of stereotype sharedness.

Abstract: Recent research has suggested that interpersonal communication may be an important source of stereotype maintenance. When communicated through a chain of people, stereotype-relevant information tends to become more stereotypical, thus confirming the stereotypes held by recipients of communication. However, the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon have yet to be fully determined. This article examines how the socially shared nature of stereotypes interacts with communication processes to maintain stereotypes in communication chains. In 3 experiments, participants communicated a stereotype-relevant story through 4-person chains using the method of serial reproduction. Manipulations included the extent to which communicators believed their audience and other community members shared and endorsed their stereotypes, and also the extent to which they actually shared the stereotypes. The shared nature of stereotypes was found to be a strong contributor to rendering the story more stereotypical in communication. This is discussed in relation to the maintenance of stereotypes through communication.

Children’s perception of their influence over purchases: the role of parental communication patterns

Abstract: Socialisation by children is seen as taking place within a socio‐cultural environment where family patterns of communication play a pivotal role. The socio‐ and concept‐orientation are two predominant parental communication styles that are likely to affect the perceived influence that children believe they hold. This study focuses on the perceived influence of children resulting from the communication pattern adopted by parents. Research is conducted among a dyad consisting of parent and child that visit a recreational site. Results are reported, conclusions are drawn and recommendations for future research are made.

African American Communication : Exploring Identity and Culture

Abstract: What communicative experiences are particular to African Americans? How do many African Americans define themselves culturally? How do they perceive intracultural and intercultural communication? These questions are answered in this second edition of African American Communication: Exploring Identity and Culture. Informing multiple audiences interested in African American culture, from cultural researchers and practitioners to educators, policymakers, and community leaders, this innovative and invaluable resource examines the richness and depth of African American communication norms and patterns, as well as African American identities. Positive and healthy African American identities are centrally positioned throughout the book. Applying the cultural contracts theory and the communication theory of identity, authors Michael L. Hecht, Ronald L. Jackson II, and Sidney A. Ribeau explore relationships among African Americans, as well as between African Americans and European Americans, while highlighting the need for sensitivity to issues of power when discussing race, ethnicity, and culture. This wide-ranging volume provides an extensive review of the relevant literature and offers recommendations designed to encourage understanding of African American communication in a context extending beyond Eurocentric paradigms. Considering African American identity with a communicative, linguistic, and relational focus, this volume: *Defines African American identities by describing related terms, such as self, self-concept, personhood and identity; *Explores Afrocentricity and African American discourse; *Examines the status of African Americans in the United States using census statistics and national studies from other research agencies; *Considers identity negotiation and competence; and *Features a full chapter on African American relationships, including gendered, familial, intimate, adolescent and adult, homosexual, friendship, communal, and workplace relationships. African American Communication: Exploring Identity and Culture begins an important dialogue in the communication discipline, intercultural studies, African American studies and other fields concerned with the centrality of culture and communication as it relates to human behavior. It is intended for advanced students and scholars in intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, communication theory, African American/Black studies, social psychology, sociolinguistics, education, and family studies.

Practicing Engineers Talk about the Importance of Talk: A Report on the Role of Oral Communication in the Workplace

Abstract: In the last decade engineering education and industry have requested assistance from communication educators. Responding to increased attention on the changing expectations for practicing engineers and an attendant need for better communication skills, these teams of engineering and communication educators have been working to incorporate speaking and writing in engineering education. Despite a great deal of anecdotal evidence that communication is important to working engineers, relatively little data based information is available to help us understand better the specifics of how and why communication is important for these particular professionals. This paper reports the results of practicing engineers' descriptions of the importance of oral communication. These data suggest that engineering practice takes place in an intensely oral culture and while formal presentations are important to practicing engineers, daily work is characterized more by interpersonal and small group experiences. Communication s...

Theories and methods in mediated communication

Abstract: . . . 1. Theories and Methods Technology mediated communication is a fact of life. The human communication apparatus is constrained in several ways. There are limits to the distance at which speech is audible, and visible behaviours such as gesture, gaze or facial expressions are perceivable. Furthermore, these natural communication behaviours are ephemeral and do not persist over time. Given these limitations, we must rely on some form of mediation, if we are to communicate at distance and across time. People have therefore invented technologies that attempt to circumvent these limits to allow remote synchronous communication (e.g. telephone, videoconference) or asynchronous communication (e.g. letters, telegraph, email, fax, voicemail). Understanding the principles that govern mediated communication has important practical implications. Because of the pervasiveness of mediated communication, we need to determine whether, how and why, it differs from face to face communication. If there are differences between mediated and face to face communication, we need to provide guidelines to inform decisions about the circumstances in which it is appropriate to use mediated communication, and the effects of using it in those situations. Systematic insights into mediated communication should also enable us to improve the designs of current and future technologies supporting mediated communication. An understanding of mediated communication should also inform more general theorizing about the psychology of communication. Most current communication theories regard face to face communication as an integrated set of speech, gaze, and gestural behaviours. As we shall see, studies of mediated communication allow us to isolate the individual contribution of different nonverbal behaviours, such as gaze and gesture to communication. They also help to clarify the overall influence of visual information in communication, and the effects of communication interactive processes such as feedback on communication. The structure of the review is as follows. The main part of the review is organized around 3 main theoretical approaches to mediated communication. We first talk about the general characteristics of mediated communication theories, and methods in this area. We then characterize each theory in detail and evaluate the evidence for it. We conclude with a discussion of outstanding practical and theoretical issues.