Showing papers on "Interpersonal communication published in 2011"

Parental Mediation Theory for the Digital Age

Abstract: This article describes the theory of parental mediation, which has evolved to consider how parents utilize interpersonal communication to mitigate the negative effects that they believe communication media have on their children. I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this theory as employed in the sociopsychologically rooted media effects literature as well as sociocultural ethnographic research on family media uses. To account for the emotional work that digital media have introduced into contemporary family life, I review interpersonal communication scholarship based on sociologist A. R. Hochschild's (1977, 1989) work on emotions, and suggest L. Vygotsky's (1978) social development theory as a means of rethinking the role of children's agency in the interactions between parents and children that new media affords. The article concludes by suggesting that in addition to the strategies of active, restrictive, and co-viewing as parental mediation strategies, future research needs to consider the emergent strategy of participatory learning that involves parents and children interacting together with and through digital media.

A biopsychosocial formulation of pain communication

Abstract: We present a detailed framework for understanding the numerous and complicated interactions among psychological and social determinants of pain through examination of the process of pain communication. The focus is on an improved understanding of immediate dyadic transactions during painful events in the context of broader social phenomena. Fine-grain consideration of social transactions during pain leads to an appreciation of sociobehavioral events affecting both suffering persons as well as caregivers. Our examination considers knowledge from a variety of perspectives, including clinical health psychology, social and developmental processes, evolutionary psychology, communication studies, and behavioral neuroscience.

Evidence That Gendered Wording in Job Advertisements Exists and Sustains Gender Inequality

Abstract: Social dominance theory (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999) contends that institutional-level mechanisms exist that reinforce and perpetuate existing group-based inequalities, but very few such mechanisms have been empirically demonstrated. We propose that gendered wording (i.e., masculine- and feminine-themed words, such as those associated with gender stereotypes) may be a heretofore unacknowledged, institutional-level mechanism of inequality maintenance. Employing both archival and experimental analyses, the present research demonstrates that gendered wording commonly employed in job recruitment materials can maintain gender inequality in traditionally male-dominated occupations. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated the existence of subtle but systematic wording differences within a randomly sampled set of job advertisements. Results indicated that job advertisements for male-dominated areas employed greater masculine wording (i.e., words associated with male stereotypes, such as leader, competitive, dominant) than advertisements within female-dominated areas. No difference in the presence of feminine wording (i.e., words associated with female stereotypes, such as support, understand, interpersonal) emerged across male- and female-dominated areas. Next, the consequences of highly masculine wording were tested across 3 experimental studies. When job advertisements were constructed to include more masculine than feminine wording, participants perceived more men within these occupations (Study 3), and importantly, women found these jobs less appealing (Studies 4 and 5). Results confirmed that perceptions of belongingness (but not perceived skills) mediated the effect of gendered wording on job appeal (Study 5). The function of gendered wording in maintaining traditional gender divisions, implications for gender parity, and theoretical models of inequality are discussed.

Privacy Concerns Versus Desire for Interpersonal Awareness in Driving the Use of Self-Disclosure Technologies: The Case of Instant Messaging in Two Cultures

Abstract: Social computing technologies typically have multiple features that allow users to reveal their personal information to other users. Such self-disclosure (SD) behavior is generally considered positive and beneficial in interpersonal communication and relationships. Using a newly proposed model based on social exchange theory, this paper investigates and empirically validates the relationships between SD technology use and culture. In particular, we explore the effects of culture on information privacy concerns and the desire for online interpersonal awareness, which influence attitudes toward, intention to use, and actual use of SD technologies. Our model was tested using arguably the strongest social computing technology for online SD-instant messaging (IM)-with users from China and the United States. Our findings reveal that cross-cultural dimensions are significant predictors of information privacy concerns and desire for online awareness, which are, in turn, found to be predictors of attitude toward, intention to use, and actual use of IM. Overall, our proposed model is applicable to both cultures. Our findings enhance the theoretical understanding of the effects of culture and privacy concerns on SD technologies and provide practical suggestions for developers of SD technologies, such as adding additional control features to applications.

Body Image: A Handbook of Science, Practice, and Prevention

Abstract: Part I: Conceptual Foundations. Cash, Smolak, Understanding Body Images: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. Tiggemann, Sociocultural Perspectives on Human Appearance and Body Image. Swami, Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Appearance and Body Image. Suisman, Klump, Genetic and Neuroscientific Perspectives on Body Image. Cash, Cognitive-Behavioral Perspectives on Body Image. McKinley, Feminist Perspectives on Body Image. Tylka, Positive Psychology Perspectives on Body Image. Part II: Developmental Perspectives and Influences. Smolak, Body Image Development in Childhood. Wertheim, Paxton, Body Image Development in Adolescent Girls. Ricciardelli, McCabe, Body Image Development in Adolescent Boys. Grogan, Body Image Development in Adulthood. Levine, Chapman, Media Influences on Body Image. Jones, Interpersonal and Familial Influences on the Development of Body Image. Smolak, Sexual Abuse and Body Image. Part III: Body Image Assessment. Cash, Crucial Considerations in the Assessment of Body Image. Hill, Body Image Assessment of Children. Gardner, Perceptual Measures of Body Image for Adolescents and Adults. Menzel, Krawczyk, Thompson, Attitudinal Assessment of Body Image for Adolescents and Adults. Part IV: Individual and Cultural Differences. Murnen, Gender and Body Images. Neumark-Sztainer, Obesity and Body Image in Youth. Latner, Wilson, Obesity and Body Image in Adulthood. McCreary, Body Image and Muscularity. Petrie, Greenleaf, Body Image and Athleticism. Morrison, McCutcheon, Gay and Lesbian Body Images. Franko, Roehrig, African American Body Images. Kawamura, Asian American Body Images. Schooler, Lowry, Hispanic/Latino Body Images. Anderson-Fye, Body Images in Non-western Cultures. Rumsey, Harcourt, Body Image and Congenital Conditions Resulting in Visible Difference. Part V: Body Image Dysfunctions and Disorders. Tantleff-Dunn, Lindner, Body Image and Social Functioning. Wiederman, Body Image and Sexual Functioning. Delinsky, Body Image and Anorexia Nervosa. Crowther, Williams, Body Image and Bulimia Nervosa. Hrabosky, Body Image and Binge-Eating Disorder. Phillips, Body Image and Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Hildebrandt, Lai, Body Image and Appearance- and Performance-Enhancing Drug Use. Part VI: Body Image Issues in Medical Contexts. Thompson, Body Image Issues in Dermatology. White, Hood, Body Image Issues in Oncology. Skouteris, Body Image Issues in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Jolly, Body Image Issues in Rheumatology. Lawrence, Fauerbach, Body Image Issues Associated with Burn Injuries. Part VII: Changing the Body: Medical, Surgical, and Other Approaches. Sarwer, Dilks, Spitzer, Weight Loss and Changes in Body Image. Ginis, Bassett, Exercise and Changes in Body Image. Kent, Body Art and Body Image. Sarwer, Crerand, Magee, Cosmetic Surgery and Changes in Body Image. Harcourt, Rumsey, Body Image and Biomedical Interventions for Disfiguring Conditions. Part VIII: Changing Body Images: Psychosocial Interventions for Treatment and Prevention. Jarry, Cash, Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches to Body Image Change. Rabinor, Bilich, Experiential Approaches to Body Image Change. O'Dea, Yager, School-based Psychoeducational Approaches to Prevention. Weisman, Bailey, Winzelberg, Taylor, Computer-based Approaches to Prevention. Piran, Mafrici, Ecological and Activism Approaches to Prevention. Paxton, Public Policy Approaches to Prevention. Part IX: Conclusions and Directions. Smolak, Cash, Future Challenges for Body Image Science, Practice, and Prevention.

Relationships between work-home segmentation and psychological detachment from work: The role of communication technology use at home.

Abstract: Employees can have difficulty mentally distancing themselves from work during off-job time due to increasing use of communication technologies (e.g., e-mail, cell phone, etc.). However, psychological detachment from work during nonwork time is important for employee recovery and health. This study examined several antecedents of psychological detachment: work-home segmentation preference, perceived segmentation norm, and the use of communication technology at home. Results indicate that segmentation preference and segmentation norm were positively associated with psychological detachment. Further, technology use at home partially mediated these relationships. Findings indicate that segmenting work and nonwork roles can help employees detach and recover from work demands. In addition, findings show that the segmentation norm within a work group is associated with employee experiences outside of work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

Social Support, Social Networks, and Health

Abstract: The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the prominent research areas regarding the impact of supportive communication on health. Several important literature reviews already exist (e.g. Burleson Albrecht & Sarason 1994; Heaney & Israel 1995; Uchino Cacioppo & Kiecolt-Glaser 1996; Sarason Pierce & Sarason 1990). However most derive from the domains of interpersonal communication sociology health education and social psychology. Our contribution is to provide a review of this terrain from the vantage point of health communication. We include a brief overview of the history of conceptualizing social support as communication a summary of representative findings on the relationship between supportive interaction and health and illness a discussion of promising frameworks and directions for research and a review of the implications for further practice and interventions. (excerpt)

We're in it together: interpersonal management of disclosure in social network services

Abstract: The workload needed for managing privacy and publicness in current social network services (SNSs) is placed on individuals, yet people have few means to control what others disclose about them. This paper considers SNS-users' concerns in relation to online disclosure and the ways in which they cope with these both individually and collaboratively. While previous work has focused mainly on individual coping strategies, our findings from a qualitative study with 27 participants suggest that collaborative strategies in boundary regulation are of additional importance. We present a framework of strategies for boundary regulation that informs both theoretical work and design practice related to management of disclosure in SNSs. The framework considers disclosure as an interpersonal process of boundary regulation, in which people are dependent on what others choose to disclose about them. The paper concludes by proposing design solutions supportive of collaborative and preventive strategies in boundary regulation that facilitate the management of disclosure online.

Sociobiological Perspectives on Human Development

Abstract: I. Theoretical Issues.- 1 The Interfaces Between Sociobiology and Developmental Psychology.- 2 Resources and Resource Acquisition During Ontogeny.- 3 Toward a Developmental Evolutionary Ecology of Humans.- II. The Domains of Children's Behavior: The Self, Moral Development, Altruism, Aggression, Peer Relations, and Cognition.- 4 On the Evolution of Self-Knowledge and Self-Deception.- 5 Sociobiology and the Cognitive-Developmental Tradition in Moral Development Research.- 6 Cooperation, Competition, and Altruism in Human Twinships: A Sociobiological Approach.- 7 Observations on Adolescence.- 8 Psychological Development: Epigenetic Rules and Gene-Culture Coevolution.- III. The Sociobiology of Parent-Child Interactions.- 9 Research in Developmental Sociobiology: Parenting and Family Behavior.- 10 Ultimate and Proximate Determinants of Child Maltreatment: Natural Selection, Ecological Instability, and Coercive Interpersonal Contingencies.- 11 Socialization in the Context of the Family: A Sociobiological Perspective.- 12 A Sociobiological Perspective on the Development of Human Reproductive Strategies.- 13 Father Involvement, Reproductive Strategies, and the Sensitive Period.

Interpersonal psychotherapy for depression

Abstract: Interpersonal psychotherapy is an evidence-based therapy, originally developed to treat major depression. It is cited in numerous good practice guidelines. The biopsychosocial signs of depression are understood in the context of current social and interpersonal stressors, defined in terms of role transitions, disputes, bereavements and sensitivities. In therapy, the patient learns to understand the interactions between symptoms and interpersonal difficulties and the ways in which they are mutually reinforcing. Patients are helped to break this pattern and achieve a reduction in depressive symptoms and improvement in interpersonal functioning through improved communication, expression of affect and proactive engagement with the current interpersonal network. The therapeutic relationship is used as a tool for exploring and modelling external relationships. This article outlines the background to interpersonal psychotherapy, the process of therapy and the expansion of the evidence base.

Communication in social networks: Effects of kinship, network size, and emotional closeness

Abstract: Communication is important in preventing social relationships from decaying over time This study examined the effects of social network size, emotional closeness, and type of relationship (kinship vs friendship) on communication patterns in the social networks of 251 women Participants with large kin networks had longer times to last contact to both kin and friends Participants with high levels of emotional closeness in their networks had shorter times to last contact The effect of emotional closeness on time to last contact was greater for kin than for friends These results demonstrate that time to last contact is closely tied to emotional closeness and suggest that the costs of maintaining kin relationships are lower than the costs of maintaining friendships

Group Buying: A New Mechanism for Selling Through Social Interactions

Abstract: This paper examines a unique selling strategy, Group Buying, under which consumers enjoy a discounted group price if they are willing and able to achieve a required group size and coordinate their transaction time. We argue that Group Buying allows a seller to gain from facilitating consumer social interaction, i.e., using a group discount to motivate informed customers to work as “sales agents” to acquire less-informed customers through interpersonal information/knowledge sharing. We formally model such an information-sharing effect and examine if and when Group Buying is more profitable than (1) traditional individual-selling strategies, and (2) another popular social interaction scheme, Referral Rewards programs. We show that Group Buying dominates traditional individual-selling strategies when the information/knowledge gap between expert and novice consumers is neither too high nor too low (e.g., for products in the midstage of their life cycle) and when interpersonal information sharing is very efficient (e.g., in cultures that emphasize trust and group conformity, or when implemented through existing online social networks). We also show that, unlike Referral Rewards programs, Group Buying requires information sharing before any transaction takes place, thereby increasing the scale of social interaction but also incurring a higher cost. As a result, Group Buying is optimal when interpersonal communication is very efficient or when the product valuation of the less-informed consumer segment is high. This paper was accepted by Preyas Desai, marketing.

"I Luv U :)!": A Descriptive Study of the Media Use of Individuals in Romantic Relationships

Abstract: In this study, we address the communication technologies individuals within romantic relationships are using to communicate with one another, the frequency of use, and the association between the use of these technologies and couple's positive and negative communication. Participants consisted of individuals involved in a serious, committed, heterosexual relationship. The Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire instrument was used to assess a variety of relationship variables. The majority of individuals within the study frequently used cell phones and text messaging to communicate with their partner, with “expressing affection” being the most common reason for contact. Younger individuals reported using all forms of media (except for e-mail) more frequently than older participants. Relationship satisfaction did not predict specific use of media but predicted several reasons for media use. Additional analyses revealed that text messaging had the strongest association with individuals' positive and negative communication within their relationships. Specifically, text messaging to express affection, broach potentially confrontational subjects, and to hurt partners were associated with individuals' view of positive and negative communication within their relationship. Implications of the results are discussed.

The interactive effect of marital conflict and stress reactivity on externalizing and internalizing symptoms: The role of laboratory stressors

Abstract: Growing evidence supports the biological sensitivity to context theory, which posits that physiologically reactive children, as indexed by autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity to laboratory stressors, are more susceptible to both negative and positive environmental influences than their low reactive peers. High biological sensitivity is a risk factor for behavioral and health problems in the context of high adversity, whereas in contexts of low adversity it has been found to promote positive adaptation. However, several studies have shown the opposite effect, finding that children who exhibited high ANS reactivity in response to interpersonal stressors were buffered from the deleterious effects of marital conflict, whereas children who showed low ANS reactivity were more vulnerable to high levels of marital conflict. Using an ethnically diverse sample of 260 kindergartners (130 girls, 130 boys), the current study investigated whether the interaction effect of marital conflict and the two branches of ANS reactivity on children's externalizing and internalizing symptoms differs with the nature of the laboratory challenge task used to measure children's stress response. As hypothesized, results indicate that the interaction between ANS reactivity and marital conflict significantly predicted children's behavior problems, but the direction of the effect varied with the nature of the challenge task (i.e., interpersonal or cognitive). This study illustrates the importance of considering the effect of laboratory stimuli when assessing whether children's ANS reactivity moderates the effects of adversity exposure on adaptation.

Are Social Value Orientations Expressed Automatically? Decision Making in the Dictator Game

Abstract: Drawing on the social intuitionist model, the authors studied the hypothesis that social value orientations are expressed automatically in behavior. They compared spontaneous and more deliberated decisions in the dictator game and confirmed that social values determine behavior when responses are based on the automatic system. By means of both mediation and experimental analyses, the authors further demonstrate that the automatic expression of social value orientations is mediated by perceptions of interpersonal closeness. A reasoning process can subsequently override these automatic responses and disconnect decisions from perceptions of interpersonal closeness. This results in lower levels of other-regarding behavior, at least for prosocials.

Has Dating Become More Egalitarian? A 35 Year Review Using Sex Roles

Abstract: In this selective review, we examined research on heterosexual dating published in Sex Roles since its inception to determine if dating practices have become more egalitarian over the past 35 years. An analysis of current best-selling dating advice books suggests that gender roles continue to be institutionalized in cultural scripts. A sexual scripts framework was used to categorize research findings to determine if the empirical evidence confirmed the durability of gender roles over time or revealed that dating has become less gender-typed. Research in Sex Roles suggests that heterosexual dating among young adults in the U. S. remains highly gender-typed in terms of cultural scripts (e.g., beliefs, ideals, and expectations), as well as interpersonal scripts (e.g., actual interpersonal emotions, interpersonal behaviors, or behaviors aimed at achieving or signaling a partner). Some variability was observed in interpersonal scripts in terms of occasional initiation of dates by women, for instance, but was not sufficiently widely used to challenge the dominant script. Functional reasons for the persistence of gender stereotypes in dating are presented. In addition, a friendship script is proposed as an alternative, egalitarian model of dating that might fulfill the same functions.

Self-compassion and relationship maintenance: the moderating roles of conscientiousness and gender.

Abstract: Should intimates respond to their interpersonal mistakes with self-criticism or with self-compassion? Although it is reasonable to expect self-compassion to benefit relationships by promoting self-esteem, it is also reasonable to expect self-compassion to hurt relationships by removing intimates' motivation to correct their interpersonal mistakes. Two correlational studies, 1 experiment, and 1 longitudinal study demonstrated that whether self-compassion helps or hurts relationships depends on the presence versus absence of dispositional sources of the motivation to correct interpersonal mistakes. Among men, the implications of self-compassion were moderated by conscientiousness. Among men high in conscientiousness, self-compassion was associated with greater motivation to correct interpersonal mistakes (Studies 1 and 3), observations of more constructive problem-solving behaviors (Study 2), reports of more accommodation (Study 3), and fewer declines in marital satisfaction that were mediated by decreases in interpersonal problem severity (Study 4); among men low in conscientiousness, self-compassion was associated with these outcomes in the opposite direction. Among women, in contrast, likely because women are inherently more motivated than men to preserve their relationships for cultural and/or biological reasons, self-compassion was never harmful to the relationship. Instead, women's self-compassion was positively associated with the motivation to correct their interpersonal mistakes (Study 1) and changes in relationship satisfaction (Study 4), regardless of conscientiousness. Accordingly, theoretical descriptions of the implications of self-promoting thoughts for relationships may be most complete to the extent that they consider the presence versus absence of other sources of the motivation to correct interpersonal mistakes.

The Sage handbook of interpersonal communication

Abstract: PART I: Basic Issues and Approaches 1. Background and Current Trends in the Study of Interpersonal Communication - Mark L. Knapp & John A. Daly PART II: Perspectives on Inquiry 2. Quantitative Social Science Methods of Inquiry - Tim Levine 3. Qualitative Methods in Interpersonal Communication - Karen Tracy & Christine Fitch 4. Biological and Physiological Perspectives on Interpersonal Communication - Kory Floyd & Tammy Afifi PART III: Fundamental Units 5. Personality and Interpersonal Communication - John A. Daly 6. Knowledge Structures and Social Interaction - Charles R. Berger & Nicholas A. Palomares 7. Language and Interpersonal Communication - Matthew S. McGlone & Howard Giles 8. Nonverbal Signals - Judee K. Burgoon, Laura K. Guerrero, & Valerie Manusov PART IV: Processes and Functions 9. Emotion Experience and Expression: Current Trends and Future Directions in Interpersonal Relationship Research - Sandra Metts & Sally Planalp 10. Supportive Communication - E.L. MacGeorge, B. Feng, and B. R. Burleson 11. Social Networks and the Life of Relationships - Malcolm R. Parks 12. Interpersonal Influence - James P. Dillard & Leanne Knobloch 13. Interpersonal Conflict: A Review - Michael E. Roloff & Benjamin Chiles 14. Theories of Computer Mediated Communication and Interpersonal Relations - Joseph B. Walther 15. Interpersonal Skills - Brian H. Spitzberg & William R. Cupach PART V: Contexts 16. Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace - Karen K. Myers, David R. Seibold, & Hee Sun Park 17. Intercultural Perspectives on Interpersonal Communication - John Oetzel & Stella Ting-Toomey 18. Interpersonal Processes in Romantic Relationships - Anita L. Vangelisti 19. Interpersonal Communication and Health Care - Teresa L. Thompson, Jeffrey D. Robinson, & Dale E. Brashers 20. Interpersonal Communication in Family Relationships - John P. Caughlin, Ascan F. Koener, Paul Schrodt, & Mary Anne Fitzpatrick 21. Interpersonal Communication Across the Lifespan - Jon F. Nussbaum, Loretta L. Pechionni, & Kevin B. Wright Author Index Subject Index About the Authors

Ethnography goes online: towards a user-centred methodology to research interpersonal communication on the internet:

Abstract: Ethnographic research is increasingly concerned with how the internet operates within our everyday life. This article attempts to offer a methodological contribution of online communication and an exploration of initial empirical data generated with this methodology. The article calls for a specification of how ethnography can be applied appropriately to the study of relationships online. It departs from the real versus virtual dichotomy, offering a user-centred methodology to study interpersonal communications on the internet. It suggests the use of three main strategies to pay tribute to the characteristics of uses online: multi-situated, online and offline, and flexible and multimedia data collection methods. This approach facilitates a holistic analysis of the way in which social information and communication technologies operate within society in everyday life. It deals with the problem of defining the setting of research online and proposes an expanded ethnography. The article specifies details of this methodology for research into interpersonal communications and emotions online. It does so by drawing on empirical data generated in a study on everyday life and emotions on the internet. Epistemic questions related to this methodological approach will also be discussed. Overall, the exemplification suggests that the methodological approach proposed here is able to capture the uses and understandings of the internet.

Facebook and MySpace: complement or substitute for face-to-face interaction?

Abstract: Previous studies have claimed that social-networking sites are used as a substitute for face-to-face interaction, resulting in deteriorating relationship quality and decreased intimacy among its users. The present study hypothesized that this type of communication is not a substitute for face-to-face interaction; rather, that it is an extension of communication with face-to-face partners. A survey was administered to examine the use of Facebook and MySpace in this regard among 183 college students. The study confirmed that Facebook and MySpace do act as an extension of face-to-face interaction, but that some users do tend to rely on Facebook and MySpace for interpersonal communication more than face-to-face interaction.

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, whereas 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.