Showing papers on "Interpersonal communication published in 2010"

An interpersonal approach to emotion in social decision making: the emotions as social information model

Abstract: Social decisions are heavily influenced by emotion. For decades, the dominant research paradigm has been characterized by a focus on the decision maker's own positive or negative mood. We argue that a full understanding of the role of emotion in social decision making requires a complementary focus on interpersonal effects (i.e., the effects of one individual's emotions on the other's behavior); a focus on discrete emotions rather than general mood states; and a distinction between cooperative and competitive settings. To advance insight into these issues, we present the Emotions as Social Information (EASI) model. The model is grounded in two basic assumptions, namely that individuals use others' emotions to make sense of ambiguous situations, and that the effects of others' emotions and the processes that drive them depend critically on the cooperative or competitive nature of the situation. A review of recent research supports our analysis. We demonstrate that the interpersonal effects of emotions are pervasive and can be better understood in terms of the unique social functions of each emotion than in terms of valence. Effects in cooperative settings are best explained in terms of affective reactions (i.e., emotional contagion, affect infusion, and mood management), whereas effects in competitive contexts are better understood in terms of the strategic inferences individuals draw from other's emotions. We conclude by discussing the implications of our model and highlighting avenues for future research.

Good News! Capitalizing on Positive Events in an Interpersonal Context

Abstract: Good things happen. In fact, positive events occur more often than negative events. In this chapter, we review research showing that people often turn to others to share their good news, a process called capitalization. These studies show that both the act of telling others about good events and the response of the person with whom the event was shared have personal and interpersonal consequences. We outline a theoretical foundation and propose a model of capitalization processes that includes mechanisms linking the act of telling others and their response to personal and interpersonal outcomes. This research has shown that when the close other responds in an active and constructive manner (and not in a passive or destructive manner), both the discloser and the relationship between the discloser and the responder profit. Personal benefits linked to capitalization processes include increased positive emotions, subjective well-being, and self-esteem, and decreased loneliness. Relationship benefits associated with capitalization processes include satisfaction, intimacy, commitment, trust, liking, closeness, and stability. We also review evidence for mechanisms involved in capitalization processes. Throughout this chapter, we discuss capitalization processes in the larger context of how people “cope” during good times and the value of having supportive partners in this process. Although research has consistently emphasized coping with negative events, our work suggests that positive events similarly provide both opportunities and challenges.

Are you happy for me? How sharing positive events with others provides personal and interpersonal benefits.

Abstract: Sharing good news with others is one way that people can savor those experiences while building personal and interpersonal resources. Although prior research has established the benefits of this process, called capitalization, there has been little research and no experiments to examine the underlying mechanisms. In this article, we report results from 4 experiments and 1 daily diary study conducted to examine 2 mechanisms relevant to capitalization: that sharing good news with others increases the perceived value of those events, especially when others respond enthusiastically, and that enthusiastic responses to shared good news promote the development of trust and a prosocial orientation toward the other. These studies found consistent support for these effects across both interactions with strangers and in everyday close relationships.

Friends only: examining a privacy-enhancing behavior in facebook

Abstract: Privacy practices in social network sites often appear paradoxical, as content-sharing behavior stands in conflict with the need to reduce disclosure-related harms. In this study we explore privacy in social network sites as a contextual information practice, managed by a process of boundary regulation. Drawing on a sample survey of undergraduate Facebook users, we examine a particular privacy-enhancing practice: having a friends-only Facebook profile. Particularly, we look at the association between network composition, expectancy violations, interpersonal privacy practices and having a friends-only profile. We find that expectancy violations by weak ties and increased levels of interpersonal privacy management are positively associated with having a friends-only profile. We conclude with a discussion of how these findings may be integrated into the design of systems to facilitate interaction while enhancing individual privacy.

Dimensions of Leadership and Social Influence in Online Communities

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to examine the communication behaviors of online leaders, or those who influence other members of online communities in triggering message replies, sparking conversation, and diffusing language. It relies on 632,622 messages from 33,450 participants across 16 discussion groups from Google Groups that took place over a 2-year period. It utilizes automated text analysis, social network analysis, and hierarchical linear modeling to uncover the language and social behavior of online leaders. The findings show that online leaders influence others through high communication activity, credibility, network centrality, and the use of affective, assertive, and linguistic diversity in their online messages.

Sociolinguistics and Corpus Linguistics

Abstract: 1. Introduction: Corpus approaches to sociolinguistics 2. Corpora and sociolinguistic variation 3. Englishes around the World 4. Diachronic variation 5. Corpora and interpersonal communication 6. Uncovering discourses 7. Conclusion.

Reasoning about social conflicts improves into old age

Abstract: It is well documented that aging is associated with cognitive declines in many domains. Yet it is a common lay belief that some aspects of thinking improve into old age. Specifically, older people are believed to show better competencies for reasoning about social dilemmas and conflicts. Moreover, the idea of aging-related gains in wisdom is consistent with views of the aging mind in developmental psychology. However, to date research has provided little evidence corroborating this assumption. We addressed this question in two studies, using a representative community sample. We asked participants to read stories about intergroup conflicts and interpersonal conflicts and predict how these conflicts would unfold. We show that relative to young and middle-aged people, older people make more use of higher-order reasoning schemes that emphasize the need for multiple perspectives, allow for compromise, and recognize the limits of knowledge. Our coding scheme was validated by a group of professional counselors and wisdom researchers. Social reasoning improves with age despite a decline in fluid intelligence. The results suggest that it might be advisable to assign older individuals to key social roles involving legal decisions, counseling, and intergroup negotiations. Furthermore, given the abundance of research on negative effects of aging, this study may help to encourage clinicians to emphasize the inherent strengths associated with aging.

Spiritual Struggles and Psychological Distress: Is There a Dark Side of Religion?

Abstract: A growing literature examines the correlates and sequelae of spiritual struggles. Particular attention has been focused on three specific types of such struggles: (a) divine, or troubled relationships with God; (b) interpersonal, or negative social encounters in religious settings; and (c) intrapsychic, or chronic religious doubting. To date, however, this literature has focused primarily on one or another type, leaving open the possibility that these are highly correlated and may tap a single, underlying dimension. Further, because studies have relied mostly on small, specialized samples, it is not clear whether the associations between spiritual struggles and psychological functioning vary across key subgroups in the US population. Using data from the 1998 NORC General Social Survey we address these issues. Findings reveal strong and independent associations between each type of spiritual struggle and psychological distress, and they also show that these patterns are robust across most population subgroups, except for variations by age and marital status. Implications, study limitations, and directions for further research are identified.

Religion as Attachment: Normative Processes and Individual Differences:

Abstract: The authors review findings from the psychology of religion showing that believers' perceived relationships with God meet the definitional criteria for attachment relationships. They also review evidence for associations between aspects of religion and individual differences in interpersonal attachment security and insecurity. They focus on two developmental pathways to religion. The first is a "compensation" pathway involving distress regulation in the context of insecure attachment and past experiences of insensitive caregiving. Research suggests that religion as compensation might set in motion an "earned security" process for individuals who are insecure with respect to attachment. The second is a "correspondence" pathway based on secure attachment and past experiences with sensitive caregivers who were religious. The authors also discuss conceptual limitations of a narrow religion-as-attachment model and propose a more inclusive framework that accommodates concepts such as mindfulness and "nonattachment" from nontheistic religions such as Buddhism and New Age spirituality.

The Heart of Higher Education: A Call to Renewal

Abstract: The Heart of Higher Education absorbs its readers into a series of conversations with two giants in the field of higher education, Parker Palmer and Arthur Zajonc. In the past decade both authors have become major voices in the growing movement to re-engage institutions in fulfilling higher education’s original mission to educate the whole person by integrating cognitive, emotional and spiritual learning into the student experience. In this volume, Palmer and Zajonc explore the range of conceptual models and practices that have become associated with the integrative education movement, defined as a shift of educational focus from imparting information to cultivating the development of students’ learning through personal insights. The Heart of Higher Education provides its readers an encounter with a compilation of recent and reformulated ideas. and thinking of two giants in the field of higher education. In fact, this volume not only offers its readers a compendium of thoughtful, innovative approaches for redirecting their own educational orientation and practices but also absorbs its readers into a series of conversations with the authors, Parker Palmer and Arthur Zajonc. This feeling of a personal engagement with the authors results both from the style in which the volume is written, which emphasizes personal experiences over academic analysis, and most significantly from the fact that the book emerged out of a long series of actual conversations between the authors. As the authors state in the “Afterward” to the book, “What began as a conversation between the two of us has grown into a full book of questions and explorations, probes and proposals, visions and hopes” (Palmer & Zajonc, 2010, p. 151). The underlying premise of each author’s longtime work in and contributions to higher education is that “The education of the young is one of humanity’s greatest communal undertakings. . . . Education is a vital, demanding and precious undertaking and much depends on how well it is done” (Palmer & Zajonc, 2010, pp. 151–152). In their individual ways, for many years both authors have devoted themselves to and promoted approaches for transforming our systems of education and higher education to serve more fully the moral and spiritual side of human experience. And in the past decade both authors have become major voices in the growing movement to reengage institutions in fulfilling higher education’s original mission to educate the whole person by integrating cognitive, emotional, and spiritual learning into the student experience. 1 Liesa Stamm has contributed to higher education at institutional, state, and national levels; currently teaches cultural anthropology at Saint Joseph College; and is a senior research associate at Rutgers University Center for Children and Childhood Studies. JCC C © NASPA 2011 http://journals.naspa.org/jcc/ doi:10.2202/1940-1639.1772 2 Journal of College and Character VOLUME 12, No. 1, February 2011 Palmer and Zajonc define transformational education as “educating the whole person by integrating the inner life and the outer life, by actualizing individual and global awakening, and by participating in compassionate communities” (Palmer & Zajonc, 2010, p. vii). They introduce their examination of transformative learning with a central question: How can higher education become a more multidimensional enterprise, one that draws on the full range of human capacities for knowing, teaching, and learning; that bridges the gaps between the disciplines; that forges stronger links between knowing the world and living creatively in it, in solitude and community? (p. 2) In answering this question, Palmer and Zajonc explore a broad set of philosophical frameworks and pedagogical approaches with the goal of bringing a more coherent and powerful conceptualization of integrative education to the forefront of higher education practice. The Heart of Higher Education is in essence the unfolding of the authors’ separate and joint explorations of the range of conceptual models and practices that have become associated with the integrative education movement, which has emerged during the first decade of the 21st century. One of the basic principles of integrative education is that at its heart education is not a process for conveying information “but a leading of the inquiring minds of our students through the manifold layers of experience and reason . . . to the exalted experience of genuine insight” (Palmer & Zajonc, 2010, p. 69). As Zajonc proposes, this shift of focus from imparting information to cultivating the development of students’ learning through personal insights results in bringing to the forefront of education inner human experiences such as trust and jealousy, love and hate, aspiration and depression . . . [as] legitimate areas of inquiry. They no longer need to be explained solely in terms of neuroscience or biochemistry. . . . The mind is at the core of our human nature, our humanity. Yet its direct exploration by introspection has been off limits [in higher education] for a century. (p. 71) Some of the major elements of the integrative learning approach are familiar. These include interdisciplinary teaching and learning that emphasizes “connecting skills and knowledge from multiple sources and experiences . . . [and] utilizing diverse and even contradictory points of view” (p. 8); a focus on applying theory to practice in such areas as service learning; and engaging students in systematically examining the relationships between their studies of specific disciplinary knowledge and “the purpose, meaning, limits, and aspirations of their lives” (p. 10). The sense that the reader is engaging in conversation with Parker Palmer and Arthur Zajonc throughout this book reflects one of Palmer and Zajonc’s central premises about educational change: Collegial conversations represent the most effective process for transforming the academy. As Palmer suggests, the disciplinary silos around which the academy is structured result in isolating faculty and administrative staff from each other and largely from the students. There is significant evidence that the utopian concept of the university as a community of scholars is rarely, if ever, realized. Palmer proposes the conversation of colleagues as a critical element for breaking down the professional isolation typical of most campuses. He asserts that transformative conversations draw on the same skills as those used by scholars in their research: The skills that are key to inquiry are also key to transformative conversations. . . . Good scholars keep asking honest, open questions of the phenomena they are studying, questions meant to deepen understanding of what that reality is all about. They reach conclusions and doi:10.2202/1940-1639.1772 http://journals.naspa.org/jcc/ C © NASPA 2011 JCC The Heart of Higher Education 3 think about the implications only when the inquiry feels complete, all the while expecting a next round of questions, conclusions and implications. (Palmer & Zajonc, 2010, p. 132) Palmer further argues that the problem is not that we don’t know how to conduct inquiries, but that these skills so familiar to scholars in their academic work are not used in interactions with each other. He suggests that coming together with a few colleagues to engage with them in the same types of inquiry we use toward the phenomena we study is the first step toward change: Those of us who understand inquiry, for whom it is a way of being in the world, can use our understanding to reach across the gaps, ask each other questions that matter, listen with care, and find our way toward personal and communal action. (p. 133) Through this process we can seek to learn about and understand our colleagues’ experiences and visions as educators. To assist readers seeking to initiate such collegial conversations, Palmer provides a set of guidelines that includes the following. In seeking those on campus who might be receptive to engaging in integrative education, “cast the net wide: consider faculty, administrators, students, staff, alumni and anyone else who is a stakeholder in the nature of education on your campus” (p. 137). To fully achieve the goals of initiating conversations that “take us to the deeper reaches of our lives—to tap into those values, visions, and energies that might lead us to become agents of change” (p. 137), it is critical to establish a safe space for taking such relational risks. Palmer proposes that starting collegial conversations by sharing personal experiences is the most effective pathway for creating a space where colleagues feel safe to be vulnerable. “Storytelling can create community at an even deeper level: the more one knows about another person’s story, the less one is able to dislike or distrust, let alone despise, that person” (p. 139). And as even more encouragement for readers to engage in this process, Palmer provides a list of possible storytelling prompts intended to open the conversation to the larger issues involved with “uncovering the heart of higher education” (p. 140). He suggests that this approach leads to an exploration of the philosophy of integrative education because “when we start from our own experience, moving from the ‘heart of an educator’ to the ‘heart of higher education,’ the means are congruent with the end” (p. 141). As you move from personal stories to examination of ideas, Palmer recommends staying connected to the personal stories, “referring to them and weaving them in and out of your exploration of theory and practice” (p. 141). Other higher education leaders also have advocated for the centrality of collegial conversations as a mechanism for producing significant change. Robert J. Nash, DeMethra LaSha Bradley, and Arthur W. Chickering (2008) in their book on How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus (reviewed in the Journal of College and Character in 2008) propose the creation of a campus culture o

The Premarital Communication Roots of Marital Distress and Divorce: The First Five Years of Marriage

Abstract: Using data from 210 couples who provided data across the first 5 years of marriage, we examined how premarital communication quality was related to divorce and later distress. The results showed that premarital observed negative and positive communication nearly reached significance as predictors of divorce, while self-reported negative communication was significantly associated with divorce. In terms of marital adjustment, we found that both premarital observed and self-reported negative premarital communication (but not observed positive communication) were associated with lower adjustment during the first 5 years of marriage. The most important questions addressed in this study pertain to how positive and negative dimensions of communication change over time and how these changes are related to being distressed or nondistressed after 5 years of marriage. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to examine the changes in communication over time that are so central to theories of the development of marital distress and for research-based interventions. We found that all couples showed decreases in negative communication over time, but the nondistressed group declined significantly more than the distressed group in negative communication, suggesting they are handling negative emotions better. Implications for future research on the development of relationship distress and for enhancing research-based couples' intervention programs are provided.

Demographic and Psychological Predictors of Parent–Adolescent Communication About Sex: A Representative Statewide Analysis

Abstract: Sexual communication is a principal means of transmitting sexual values, beliefs, expectations, and knowledge between parents and children Although this area has received considerable research attention, more studies with representative samples are needed to assure that findings are reflective of populations of interest A representative statewide sample of households with adolescents (N = 907) from a large and diverse state in the United States was employed to examine the content and extent of sexual communication between parents and their adolescents, and the influence of selected primary demographic (age and gender), socio-demographic (Hispanic ethnicity, education, and religious attendance), and psychological (self-reported comfort, knowledge, and sexual communication difficulties) factors on the number of topics discussed More than two-thirds of the parents reported experiencing some type of sexual communication difficulty, such as developmental concerns and embarrassment Hierarchical regression results indicated that self-reported comfort, knowledge, and sexual communication difficulties strongly predicted the number of topics discussed, beyond the effect of demographic variables These findings reinforce the notion that sexual communication between parents and adolescents can be universally challenging, and parents of both genders, all ages, and all socio-demographic characteristics might benefit from education and support

Bullying, harassment, and horizontal violence in the nursing workforce: the state of the science.

Abstract: In the complex health care workplace of nurses, intra/interprofessional ideals intersect with the expectations of patients, families, students, and coworkers in a context of managed care environments, academia, and other health care enterprises Integral to quality assessment, management, and assurance is collegial and respectful communication Decades of reported descriptive and anecdotal data on intra/inter professional and on client communication, describe the antithesis of these ideals Specifically, increasing frequency and rates of persistent bullying, harassment, or horizontal violence (BHHV) have shown to yield detrimental effects on workplace satisfaction, workforce retention, and the psychological and physical health of nurses as well as implied effects on quality of patient care and risk of poor health outcomes Persistent BHHV among nurses is a serious concern In advancing the science of description and explanation to a level of prevention intervention, explanatory models from biology, developmental psychology, intra/interpersonal interactionism are described along with theoretical explanations for the prevalence of BHHV in nurse workplaces Making the connection between explanatory models and creative solutions to address BHHV through multiple levels of behavioral influence such as individual, environmental, interpersonal, and cultural contexts is key to advancing the science of the relationship between professional behavior and client/family/community health care outcomes

Emotions in SLA: New Insights From Collaborative Learning for an EFL Classroom

Abstract: What is the role and meaning of emotions in the second language learning process? To respond to this question, this article focuses on how learners' emotions manifest in their verbal communication over the course of a semester-long joint task. Recognizing interpersonal, functional, and developmental aspects of emotions, I illustrate how a group of English-as-a-foreign-language learners discursively constructed and shared their emotional attitudes toward their group work and how such emotional intersubjectivity pushed the group, in their knowledge co-construction, to challenge assigned tasks and material. I argue that emotions do not merely facilitate, filter, or hinder an individual's inner cognitive functioning; rather, they can in any forms mediate development, especially when learning is embedded in an interpersonal transaction. I end by considering implications of the study and its limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships

Abstract: This is the first collection of readings on computer-mediated communication focusing exclusively on interpersonal interactions. Examining messages exchanged via email, Twitter, Facebook, websites, and blogs, the authors analyze communication issues of ongoing importance in relationships including deception, disclosure, identity, influence, perception, privacy, sexual fidelity, and social support. This book examines subjects that attract intense student interestincluding online performance of gender, online dating, and using computer-mediated communication to achieve family/work life balanceand will inspire further research and course development in the area of computer-mediated communication in personal relationships. Because it provides a synthesis of ideas at the nexus of interpersonal communication theory and computer-mediated communication theory, the book can serve as a textbook for advanced undergraduate as well as graduate courses.

Fluid Tasks and Fluid Teams: The Impact of Diversity in Experience and Team Familiarity on Team Performance

Abstract: In this paper, we consider how the structures of tasks and teams interact to affect team performance. We study the effects of diversity in experience on a team's ability to respond to task changes, by separately examining interpersonal team diversity (i.e., differences in experience across the entire team) and intrapersonal team diversity (i.e., whether individuals on the team are more or less specialized). We also examine whether team familiarity - team members' prior experience working with one another - helps teams to better manage challenges created by task changes and greater interpersonal team diversity. Using detailed project- and individual-level data from an Indian software services firm, we find that the interaction of task-change with intrapersonal diversity is related to improved project performance, while the interaction of task-change with interpersonal diversity is related to diminished performance. Additionally, the interaction of team familiarity with interpersonal diversity is related to improved project performance in some cases. Our results highlight a need for more nuanced approaches to leveraging experience in team management.

Effects of Culture, Social Presence, and Group Composition on Trust in Technology-Supported Decision-Making Groups

Abstract: This study examines trust in technology-supported groups from the perspectives of culture, social presence, and group composition. Our results demonstrate that, in culturally homogeneous groups, individualism has a negative impact on the level of interpersonal trust; however, in culturally heterogeneous groups consisting of Chinese and U.S. participants, individualism has a positive impact on interpersonal trust among members. There were also significant differences in the level of trust between homogeneous Chinese groups and heterogeneous groups consisting of Chinese and U.S. participants. In addition, the mediating role of communication quality was identified to explain the effect of social presence on trust. These findings have important implications for building trust and communication in global technology-supported, decision-making groups. (If you need the latest version of the paper, please send email request to Paul.Lowry.PhD@gmail.com and I will be happy to send it to you.)

Logging On and Letting Out: Using Online Social Networks to Grieve and to Mourn

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to explore how and why younger Internet users of social networking platforms such as MySpace and Facebook maintain connections with those who have died or been killed...

Interpersonal Influences on Self-Regulation

Abstract: Since the 1960s, personality and social psychologists have taken major strides toward understanding the intrapersonal processes that promote successful self-regulation. The current article reviews insights into the understanding of self-regulation gained by examining the impact of interpersonal processes on the initiation, operation, and monitoring of goals. We review research suggesting that other people can act as triggers of goals, causing people to unconsciously initiate new goal pursuits; that interpersonal interactions can tap self-control, leaving people with depleted resources for goal pursuit; that relationship partners can support goal operation, leading to more effective goal pursuit; and that the social environment can facilitate effective monitoring of one’s extant goal progress and likelihood of future goal achievement.

Effects of culture, social presence, and group composition on trust in technology‐supported decision‐making groups

Abstract: This study examines trust in technology-supported groups from the perspectives of culture, social presence and group composition. Our results demonstrate that, in culturally homogeneous groups, individualism has a negative impact on the level of interpersonal trust; however, in culturally heterogeneous groups consisting of Chinese and U.S. participants, individualism has a positive impact on interpersonal trust among members. There were also significant differences in the level of trust between homogeneous Chinese groups and heterogeneous groups consisting of Chinese and U.S. participants. In addition, the mediating role of communication quality was identified to explain the effect for trust-of social presence on trust. These findings have important implications on building and communication in global technology-supported decision-making groups.

2007 Cattell Award Address Paper The Social Accuracy Model of Interpersonal Perception: Assessing Individual Differences in Perceptive and Expressive Accuracy

Abstract: The social accuracy model of interpersonal perception (SAM) is a componential model that estimates perceiver and target effects of different components of accuracy across traits simultaneously. For instance, Jane may be generally accurate in her perceptions of others and thus high in perceptiveaccuracy—the extent to which a particular perceiver’s impressions are more or less accurate than other perceivers on average across different targets. Just as well, Jake may be accurately perceived by others and thus high in expressive accuracy—the extent to which a particular target is accurately perceived on average across different perceivers. Perceptive and expressive accuracy can be further decomposed into their constituent components of normative and distinctive accuracy. Thus the SAM represents an integration of Cronbach’s componential approach with Kenny’s (1994) social relations model. The SAM is illustrated using both a half-block as well as a round-robin design. Key findings include reliable individual differences in several specific aspects of interpersonal perceptions.

Invited Review Article A multiple goals theory of personal relationships: Conceptual integration and program overview

Abstract: Despite being the dominant perspective for understanding how messages are produced in interpersonal communication, multiple goals theories of communication have not been prominent in relationship scholarship. In this article, I argue that multiple goals theories can be adapted to provide important insights into communication and relational outcomes (e.g., satisfaction). To illustrate the utility of this perspective, I summarize three sets of studies from my research program and conclude that a multiple goals perspective can enrich both relationship and message production scholarship. In particular, a multiple goals perspective provides a counterpoint to some overly simplistic conceptualizations of relational interaction and highlights important research questions that are rarely addressed.

The Emerging View of Emotion as Social Information

Abstract: Emotions play an important role in coordinating social life. In the last decade, traditional research on the intrapersonal effects of emotions has been complemented by a growing focus on interpersonal effects. I propose that a primary function of emotion at this interpersonal level is to disambiguate social interaction by providing information about the expresser’s feelings, goals, motives, and intentions. Building on this idea, I introduce the emotions as social information (EASI) model. The model posits that emotional expressions influence observers by eliciting affective reactions in them and/or by triggering inferential processes, depending on the observer’s information processing motivation and ability and on social-contextual factors. I discuss implications of this view for theorizing about the social functions of emotions; the evolution of emotion; the influence of emotional expressivity, emotion recognition, and emotion regulation; and the role of culture.

Beyond Coffee with the Principal: Toward Leadership for Authentic School–Family Partnerships:

Abstract: This article problematizes conventional school–family partnerships, as geared toward narrow school agendas or mandates for collaboration, and documents efforts to lead more authentic partnerships a...

Interpersonal problems in eating disorders

Abstract: Objective: Eating disorders are often chronic in nature and lead to a number of problems among which interpersonal issues are suggested to be central. Although research has shown that individuals with disturbed patterns of eating consistently report problems in social interactions, this study is unique in assessing a range of interpersonal problems among patients with all types of eating disorders before and after intensive hospital-based treatment. Method: A total of 208 patients receiving a primary diagnosis of restrictive anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or anorexia nervosa of the binge/purging-subtype were included in the study. Eating pathology, symptom severity, and interpersonal patterns were examined before and after treatment. Results: Patients with eating disorders exhibited a generally nonassertive, submissive interpersonal style, with anorexic patients of the binge/purging-subtype reporting more difficulties with social inhibition and nonaffiliation. These patterns were found to change over the course of treatment with interpersonal problems at intake predictive of greater binge severity at discharge. Furthermore, issues of dominance and social avoidance predicted outcome for specific subgroups of patients. Discussion: Results underscore the importance of interpersonal problems in eating disorders and suggest that interpersonal patterns remain a focus of treatment and future research. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2010;)