Showing papers on "Interpersonal communication published in 2015"

Communication Accommodation Theory

Abstract: Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) is a general theoretical framework of both interpersonal and intergroup communication. It seeks to explain and predict why, when, and how people adjust their communicative behavior during social interaction, and what social consequences result from those adjustments. In this entry, a brief historical overview of CAT's development is first provided, and some of its basic concepts are introduced. Second, the different adjustment strategies that speakers may enact are explained, and objective and subjective measures of accommodation are distinguished. Third, the motivations underlying communicative adjustment are examined, and the ways in which they can be shaped by the sociohistorical context in which an interaction is embedded are discussed. Fourth, the social consequences of communicative adjustment (and nonadjustment) are explored, and some of the many factors that mediate and moderate people's evaluations of others’ behavior are discussed. Finally, previous CAT principles are refined and elaborated, and directions for future research are suggested. Keywords: accommodation; convergence; divergence; intergroup communication; interpersonal communication; language; overaccommodation; social identity; underaccommodation

News Recommendations from Social Media Opinion Leaders: Effects on Media Trust and Information Seeking

Abstract: Polls show a strong decline in public trust of traditional news outlets; however, social media offers new avenues for receiving news content. This experiment used the Facebook API to manipulate whether a news story appeared to have been posted on Facebook by one of the respondent's real-life Facebook friends. Results show that social media recommendations improve levels of media trust, and also make people want to follow more news from that particular media outlet in the future. Moreover, these effects are amplified when the real-life friend sharing the story on social media is perceived as an opinion leader. Implications for democracy and the news business are discussed.

Using social media for social comparison and feedback-seeking: gender and popularity moderate associations with depressive symptoms

Abstract: This study examined specific technology-based behaviors (social comparison and interpersonal feedback-seeking) that may interact with offline individual characteristics to predict concurrent depressive symptoms among adolescents. A total of 619 students (57 % female; mean age 14.6) completed self-report questionnaires at 2 time points. Adolescents reported on levels of depressive symptoms at baseline, and 1 year later on depressive symptoms, frequency of technology use (cell phones, Facebook, and Instagram), excessive reassurance-seeking, and technology-based social comparison and feedback-seeking. Adolescents also completed sociometric nominations of popularity. Consistent with hypotheses, technology-based social comparison and feedback-seeking were associated with depressive symptoms. Popularity and gender served as moderators of this effect, such that the association was particularly strong among females and adolescents low in popularity. Associations were found above and beyond the effects of overall frequency of technology use, offline excessive reassurance-seeking, and prior depressive symptoms. Findings highlight the utility of examining the psychological implications of adolescents’ technology use within the framework of existing interpersonal models of adolescent depression and suggest the importance of more nuanced approaches to the study of adolescents’ media use.

“Respect the way I need to communicate with you”: Healthcare experiences of adults on the autism spectrum

Abstract: Our objective was to obtain an in-depth understanding of autistic adults' experiences with healthcare and their recommendations for improving care. Our academic-community partnership used a community-based participatory research approach to conduct semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 39 autistic adults and 16 people who had experience supporting autistic adults in healthcare settings. Participants identified patient-level, autism-related factors that impact healthcare interactions, including verbal communication skills, sensory sensitivities, challenges with body awareness, slow processing speed, atypical non-verbal communication, and challenges with organization. However, the success of healthcare interactions largely depended on the interplay between patient- and provider-level factors, as well as the larger context in which patients were receiving care. Provider-level factors included providers' knowledge about autism in adults, incorrect assumptions about individual patients, willingness to allow written communication, use of accessible language, openness to providing other accommodations, and skill in appropriately incorporating supporters. System-level factors included the availability of supporters, complexity of the healthcare system, accessibility of healthcare facilities, and stigma about autism. Further efforts are needed to empower patients, adequately train providers, increase the accessibility of the healthcare system, and decrease discrimination.

Teacher emotions in the classroom: Associations with students’ engagement, classroom discipline and the interpersonal teacher-student relationship

Abstract: The present study explores teacher emotions, in particular how they are predicted by students’ behaviour and the interpersonal aspect of the teacher-student relationship (TSR). One hundred thirty-two secondary teachers participated in a quantitative study relying on self-report questionnaire data. Based on the model of teacher emotions by Frenzel (2014), teachers rated their experienced joy, anger and anxiety during classroom instruction (dependent variable). Students’ motivational behaviour (= engagement), socio-emotional behaviour (= discipline in class) and relational behaviour (= closeness; interpersonal TSR) were assessed as the independent variables. Teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs served as a control variable. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the interpersonal relationship formed between teachers and students was the strongest predictor for teachers’ joy (positive relation) and anxiety (negative relation), whereas lack of discipline in class best predicted teachers’ anger experiences. Students’ engagement also proved a significant predictor of teacher emotions. The results suggest that interpersonal TSR plays a particularly important role in teachers’ emotional experiences in class.

Beyond Formal Procedures: The Interpersonal Context of Procedural Justice

Abstract: This chapter analyzes the Thibaut and Walker paradigm and explains why it has excluded the interpersonal context of formal decision-making procedures. It reviews the empirical research on the interpersonal context of formal decision-making procedures and identifies factors that influence employee's judgments of procedural justice. The chapter proposes a broader concept of procedural justice and explore its implications for theory, research, and application to business settings. In particular, people's judgments of procedural fairness are influenced by the quality of interpersonal treatment they receive from decision makers enacted the formal procedure properly. The broader view of procedural justice suggests four major implications for theory, research, and application, such as decision-maker conduct, or the "missing link" in procedural justice, the attribution and social construction of procedural justice, the "human" side of procedural justice, and conduct, community, and procedural justice.

Interpersonal Deception Theory

Abstract: Interpersonal deception theory (IDT) explains the process and outcomes of deception in interpersonal conversations. It focuses on intentional, strategic communication behaviors by interacting senders and receivers in conversations, as well as the involuntary behavior that arises from their affective reactions and cognitions. Articulated are its core assumptions and a series of interconnected propositions that model the entire deception process. Evaluation, criticisms, and future research directions pertaining to the theory are presented. Keywords: communication theory; information processing and cognitions; interpersonal communication; strategic communication; visual and nonverbal communication

Incivility Online: Affective and Behavioral Reactions to Uncivil Political Posts in a Web-based Experiment

Abstract: With the advances in interpersonal communication of the “Web 2.0” era, questions about the importance of civility are perhaps more important than ever. Mass digital interaction between strangers has become an everyday occurrence, bound by few behavioral norms. I argue that the widespread presence of incivility in online political communication limits the deliberative potential of online interactions. To test this hypothesis, I manipulate exposure to uncivil political discourse in an online discussion forum. I find that exposure to disagreeable uncivil political talk induces feelings of anger and aversion, which in turn reduces satisfaction with the message board discourse. On the other hand, exposure to like-minded incivility increases the use of uncivil behavior in political comments by message board posters. Notably, these effects mainly occur when histrionic, emotional incivility is present. I discuss why like-minded and disagreeable incivility have different effects, and reflect on what the pr...

Hope in the Face of Climate Change: Associations With Environmental Engagement and Student Perceptions of Teachers’ Emotion Communication Style and Future Orientation

Abstract: Is hope concerning climate change related to environmental engagement, or is it rather associated with unrealistic optimism and inactivity? This study on Swedish high school students identified two ...

Measuring social communication behaviors as a treatment endpoint in individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract: Social communication impairments are a core deficit in autism spectrum disorder. Social communication deficit is also an early indicator of autism spectrum disorder and a factor in long-term outcomes. Thus, this symptom domain represents a critical treatment target. Identifying reliable and valid outcome measures for social communication across a range of treatment approaches is essential. Autism Speaks engaged a panel of experts to evaluate the readiness of available measures of social communication for use as outcome measures in clinical trials. The panel held monthly conference calls and two face-to-face meetings over 14 months. Key criteria used to evaluate measures included the relevance to the clinical target, coverage of the symptom domain, and psychometric properties (validity and reliability, as well as evidence of sensitivity to change). In all, 38 measures were evaluated and 6 measures were considered appropriate for use, with some limitations. This report discusses the relative strengths and w...

Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior and Media Dependency Theory: Predictors of Public Pro-environmental Behavioral Intentions in Singapore

Abstract: Applying the theory of planned behavior and media dependency theory, this study examines the effects of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), media dependency, traditional media attention, Internet attention, and interpersonal communication on two types of pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs)—green-buying and environmental civic engagement. Regression analysis of a nationally representative survey of adult Singaporeans (N = 1168) indicated that attitude, PBC, media dependency, traditional media attention, and interpersonal communication were positively associated with green-buying. Notably, traditional media attention, as well as interpersonal communication, moderated the influence of media dependency on green-buying behavior. In addition, attitude, descriptive norms, media dependency, Internet attention, and interpersonal communication positively predicted environmental civic engagement. Findings suggest the importance of communication factors in the adoption of the two PEBs.

Interpersonal Affect Dynamics: It Takes Two (and Time) to Tango

Abstract: Everything is constantly changing. Our emotions are one of the primary ways we track, evaluate, organize, and motivate responsive action to those changes. Furthermore, emotions are inherently interpersonal. We learn what to feel from others, especially when we are children. We “catch” other people’s emotions just by being around them. We get caught in escalating response–counterresponse emotional sequences. This all takes place in time, generating complex patterns of interpersonal emotional dynamics. This review summarizes theory, empirical findings, and key challenges for future research regarding three processes that contribute to interpersonal affective dynamics: (a) Convergence of social partners’ emotional responses to the external world, (b) emotional reactivity of social partners to each other, and (c) interpersonal emotion regulation.

Positive Stereotypes Are Pervasive and Powerful.

Abstract: Stereotypes and their associated category-based processes have traditionally been considered largely within the context of the negativity of their content and consequences, both among the general public and the scientific community. This review summarizes and integrates extant research on positive stereotypes, which are subjectively favorable beliefs about social groups, and examines their implications for individuals and groups directly targeted by such stereotypes. Furthermore, we examine the beneficial and adverse implications of positive stereotypes for interpersonal and intergroup relations, as well as the ways in which positive stereotypes, more so than negative stereotypes, may contribute to and perpetuate systemic differences in power and privilege.

Selection and Transmission Processes for Information in the Emerging Media Environment: Psychological Motives and Message Characteristics

Abstract: The emerging media environment introduced fundamental changes in the quality and format of information available to the public, which can now flexibly seek, alter, and disseminate the information they receive Therefore, the two processes of information selection and information retransmission are crucial for understanding the reach of any information available in the online information environment From this starting point, we examine the common psychological motives driving information selection and transmission of attitude-relevant information: defense and accuracy motives adding a focus on interpersonal motives We also review message factors that can activate psychological motives leading to selection or retransmission of information, such as the desire for novelty and emotional stimulation We speculate about the directions for the next generation of research necessary to understand exposure as a core outcome in media effects research and theory

Interpersonal and Hyperpersonal Dimensions of Computer‐Mediated Communication

Abstract: The social information processing theory of computer-mediated communication (CMC) was the first of several theoretical models of interpersonal interaction online to explain how individuals and groups formed impressions and developed relational communication via text-based electronic communication. Prior to its introduction, the predominant theoretical approaches to CMC predicted that the relative lack of nonverbal cues in CMC compared with face-to-face (FtF) communication would reduce the socioemotional quality of communication online. The social information processing (SIP) theory, in particular, articulated assumptions about the CMC medium, the relationships between nonverbal and verbal cue systems, and users’ adaptation to media that represented a significant departure from other prevalent models at the time it was introduced. Premises of the social information processing theory became the basis for several models to follow, including the hyperpersonal model of CMC. Both approaches to CMC focus on message qualities and how the characteristics of the CMC channel (such as the lack of most nonverbal cues, and, at times, the asynchronous nature of messaging systems) interact with interpersonal goals and strategies, resulting in systematic patterns of interaction via mediated channels. They each involve a high degree of human agency and depict how users appropriate the channel and its technological characteristics to suit their communicative purposes. They depict CMC users as more or less creative and opportunistic rather than as passive adopters of a relatively restricted medium. This chapter reviews the development, status, and

Interpersonal Factors as Drivers of Quality and Performance in Western–Hong Kong Interorganizational Business Relationships:

Abstract: The authors report the findings of a study conducted among a sample of 202 Hong Kong–based Chinese importing companies regarding their working relationships with Western export manufacturers. In particular, the study emphasizes the effect of interpersonal factors on financial performance through the intervening roles of intercompany trust and relationship quality. Using structural equation modeling, the authors confirm that (1) several interpersonal relational dimensions—namely, personal communication (sijiao), personal credibility (xinyong), and personal affection (ganqing)—positively influence interfirm trust; (2) trust plays an instrumental role in enhancing the components of the interfirm relationship quality (i.e., cooperation, commitment, and satisfaction); (3) interfirm relationship quality is positively related to superior financial performance; and (4) most of the associations between each of the interpersonal factors and interfirm trust were moderated by the importer's size and foreign ...

Expectancy Violations Theory

Abstract: Expectancy violations theory predicts and explains the effects of nonverbal behavior violations on interpersonal communication outcomes such as attraction, credibility, persuasion, and smooth interactions. Human interactions are strongly governed by expectations which, if violated, are arousing and trigger an appraisal process that may be moderated by the rewardingness of the violator. Violation interpretations and evaluations determine whether they are positive or negative violations. Positive violations are predicted to produce more favorable outcomes, and negative violations less favorable outcomes, than positive and negative confirmations respectively. Many of the theory's propositions have been supported empirically. Some contrary findings have led to revision of the theory. The theory has also been expanded to several kinds of nonverbal violations, including personal space, eye contact, posture, touch, involvement, and immediacy violations. The theory also spawned the investigation of the meanings associated with violations and the kinds of arousal that violations provoke. Keywords: communication theory; expectations; interpersonal communication; interpersonal theory; interviewing; nonverbal communication; relational communication; social norms; violations

When the Bases of Social Hierarchy Collide: Power Without Status Drives Interpersonal Conflict

Abstract: Leveraging the social hierarchy literature, the present research offers a role-based account of the antecedents of interpersonal conflict. Specifically, we suggest that the negative feelings and emotions resulting from the experience of occupying a low-status position interact with the action-facilitating effects of power to produce vicious cycles of interpersonal conflict and demeaning behavior. Five studies demonstrate that power without status leads to interpersonal conflict and demeaning treatment, both in specific dyadic work relationships and among organizational members more broadly. Study 1 provides initial support for the prediction that employees in low-status/high-power roles engage in more conflict with coworkers than all other combinations of status and power. In Studies 2a and 2b, a yoked experimental design replicated this effect and established low-status/high-power roles as a direct source of the interpersonal conflict and demeaning treatment. Study 3 used an experimental manipulation of relative status and power within specific dyadic relationships in the workplace and found evidence of a vicious cycle of interpersonal conflict and demeaning treatment within any dyad that included a low-status/high-power individual. Finally, Study 4 utilized survey and human resource data from a large government agency to replicate the power without status effect on interpersonal conflict and demonstrate that power interacts with subjective status change to produce a similar effect; increasing the status of a high-power role reduces conflict whereas decreasing its status increases conflict. Taken together, these findings offer a role-based account of interpersonal conflict and highlight the importance of making a theoretical distinction between status and power.

Interpersonal Perceptions and the Emergence of Leadership Structures in Groups: A Network Perspective

Abstract: We develop and test a multilevel theory explaining how patterns of interpersonal perceptions explain the emergence of informal leadership structures in groups. At the group level, we hypothesize that the network pattern of competence and warmth perceptions among group members determines the amount of leadership exhibited leadership structure density and the degree to which the emergent leadership structure is centralized or shared leadership structure centralization. We then identify two individual-level mechanisms underlying these group-level effects: a individuals' identification with the group and b the differentiation of leader-prototypical roles within the group. Using social network analysis, we test these hypotheses in a sample of 255 MBA consulting teams working full time on projects in 41 different countries over seven weeks. Our findings establish the emergent nature of leadership structures in self-managing teams and foreground interpersonal perceptions as an explanation for why emergent, informal leadership structures vary across teams.

Using social media for support and feedback by mental health service users: thematic analysis of a twitter conversation

Abstract: Internet based social media websites represent a growing space for interpersonal interaction. Research has been conducted in relation to the potential role of social media in the support of individuals with physical health conditions. However, limited research exists exploring such utilisation by individuals with experience of mental health problems. It could be proposed that access to wider support networks and knowledge could be beneficial for all users, although this positive interpretation has been challenged. The present study focusses on a specific discussion as a case study to assess the role of the website www.twitter.com as a medium for interpersonal communication by individuals with experience of mental disorder and possible source of feedback to mental health service providers.

Unearned Status Gain: Evidence from a Global Language Mandate

Abstract: Theories of status rarely address “unearned status gain,” defined as an unexpected and unsolicited increase in relative standing, prestige, or worth attained not through individual effort or achiev...

Nonverbal Synchrony in Social Interactions of Patients with Schizophrenia Indicates Socio-Communicative Deficits.

Abstract: Background Disordered interpersonal communication can be a serious problem in schizophrenia. Recent advances in computer-based measures allow reliable and objective quantification of nonverbal behavior. Research using these novel measures has shown that objective amounts of body and head movement in patients with schizophrenia during social interactions are closely related to the symptom profiles of these patients. In addition to and above mere amounts of movement, the degree of synchrony, or imitation, between patients and normal interactants may be indicative of core deficits underlying various problems in domains related to interpersonal communication, such as symptoms, social competence, and social functioning. Methods Nonverbal synchrony was assessed objectively using Motion Energy Analysis (MEA) in 378 brief, videotaped role-play scenes involving 27 stabilized outpatients diagnosed with paranoid-type schizophrenia. Results Low nonverbal synchrony was indicative of symptoms, low social competence, impaired social functioning, and low self-evaluation of competence. These relationships remained largely significant when correcting for the amounts of patients‘ movement. When patients showed reduced imitation of their interactants’ movements, negative symptoms were likely to be prominent. Conversely, positive symptoms were more prominent in patients when their interaction partners’ imitation of their movements was reduced. Conclusions Nonverbal synchrony can be an objective and sensitive indicator of the severity of patients’ problems. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of nonverbal synchrony may provide novel insights into specific relationships between symptoms, cognition, and core communicative problems in schizophrenia.

Identity Negotiation Theory

Abstract: Identity negotiation theory concerns the importance of negotiating sociocultural membership identity and personal identity issues in intercultural and interpersonal communication settings. The entry is organized in five sections. First, the historical background of the identity negotiation theory (INT) is introduced. Second, the 10 core assumptions of INT are mapped out. Third, recent research evidence and findings that draw from the INT are discussed. Fourth, the concept of mindful identity attunement as the optimal process and outcome of INT is further explicated. Fifth, theoretical and research directions for the next 10 years of INT extensions are proposed. Keywords: identity; intercultural communication; intergroup communication

Perceptions and experiences of adolescents, parents and school administrators regarding adolescent-parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues in urban and rural Uganda.

Abstract: Evidence suggests that in spite of some adolescents being sexually active, many parents do not discuss sex-related issues with them due to lack of age-appropriate respectful vocabulary and skills. The likelihood of parent-adolescent communication improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes appears plausible. The desire to understand parent-adolescent communication and how to improve it for promotion of healthy sexual behaviours inspired this research. The paper is meant to describe perceptions of adolescents, parents and school administrators about parent-adolescent communication on sexual issues; describe the content of such communication and identify factors that influence this communication. The study was done among two urban and two rural secondary school students in their second year of education. Data were collected from 11 focus group discussions and 10 key Informants Interviews. Data management, analysis and interpretation followed thematic analysis principles. Illuminating verbatim quotations are used to illustrate findings. Parental warmth and acceptability of children was perceived by parents to be foundational for a healthy adolescent- parent communication. Perceptions of adolescents tended to point to more open and frequent communication with mothers than fathers and to cordial relationships with mothers. Fathers were perceived by adolescents to be strict, intimidating, unapproachable and unavailable. While adolescents tended to generally discuss sexual issues with mothers, male adolescents communicated less with anyone on sex, relationships and condoms. Much of the parent-adolescent communication was perceived to focus on sexually transmitted infections and body changes. Discussions of sex and dating with adolescents were perceived to be rare. Common triggers of sexuality discussions with female adolescents were; onset of menstruation and perceived abortion in the neighbourhood. Discussion with male adolescents, if it occurred was perceived to be triggered by parental suspicion of having female ‘friends’ or coming home late. Peers at school and mass media were perceived to the main source of sexuality information. Communication on sexuality issues between parents and their adolescent children was infrequent and critical elements like sex and specifics of protection against undesirable sexual behaviour consequences were avoided. Peers, schools and mass media should be creatively harnessed to improve parent-adolescent communication about sexuality issues.

The Interpersonal Challenges of Instructional Leadership Principals’ Effectiveness in Conversations About Performance Issues

Abstract: Purpose: Principals commonly struggle to have effective conversations about staff performance issues, tending to tolerate, protect, and work around such issues rather than effectively addressing them. This article evaluates principals’ effectiveness in having “difficult” conversations with parents and with teachers. Research Methodology: This article reports a partial replication of a previous study in which the theoretical framework of Argyris and Schon was used to analyze the interpersonal effectiveness of newly appointed principals in a conversation with a parent. In this study, the results of these same 27 principals are compared with those gained in a second difficult conversation, this time with a teacher. The conversations were standardized by limiting each to 7 minutes and using the same actor to play the part of the parent complainant and teacher. Findings: Overall, principals demonstrated consistently low to moderate levels of skill across the two conversations. Typically, principals were more s...

Inner work life: understanding the subtext of business performance

Abstract: Anyone in management knows that employees have their good days and their bad days--and that, for the most part, the reasons for their ups and downs are unknown. Most managers simply shrug their shoulders at this fact of work life. But does it matter, in terms of performance, if people have more good days than bad days? Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer's new stream of research, based on more than 12,000 diary entries logged by knowledge workers over three years, reveals the dramatic impact of employees' inner work lives--their perceptions, emotions, and motivation levels--on several dimensions of performance. People perform better when their workday experiences include more positive emotions, stronger intrinsic motivation (passion for the work), and more favorable perceptions of their work, their team, their leaders, and their organization. What the authors also found was that managers' behavior dramatically affects the tenor of employees' inner work lives. So what makes a difference to inner work life? When the authors compared the study participants' best days to their worst days, they found that the single most important differentiator was their sense of being able to make progress in their work. The authors also observed interpersonal events working in tandem with progress events. Praise without real work progress, or at least solid efforts toward progress, had little positive impact on people's inner work lives and could even arouse cynicism. On the other hand, good work progress without any recognition--or, worse, with criticism about trivial issues--could engender anger and sadness. Far and away, the best boosts to inner work life were episodes in which people knew they had done good work and their managers appropriately recognized that work.

Mapping the role of structural and interpersonal violence in the lives of women: implications for public health interventions and policy

Abstract: Research on interpersonal violence towards women has commonly focused on individual or proximate-level determinants associated with violent acts ignores the roles of larger structural systems that shape interpersonal violence. Though this research has contributed to an understanding of the prevalence and consequences of violence towards women, it ignores how patterns of violence are connected to social systems and social institutions. In this paper, we discuss the findings from a scoping review that examined: 1) how structural and symbolic violence contributes to interpersonal violence against women; and 2) the relationships between the social determinants of health and interpersonal violence against women. We used concept mapping to identify what was reported on the relationships among individual-level characteristics and population-level influence on gender-based violence against women and the consequences for women’s health. Institutional ethics review was not required for this scoping review since there was no involvement or contact with human subjects. The different forms of violence—symbolic, structural and interpersonal—are not mutually exclusive, rather they relate to one another as they manifest in the lives of women. Structural violence is marked by deeply unequal access to the determinants of health (e.g., housing, good quality health care, and unemployment), which then create conditions where interpersonal violence can happen and which shape gendered forms of violence for women in vulnerable social positions. Our web of causation illustrates how structural factors can have negative impacts on the social determinants of health and increases the risk for interpersonal violence among women. Public health policy responses to violence against women should move beyond individual-level approaches to violence, to consider how structural and interpersonal level violence and power relations shape the ‘lived experiences’ of violence for women.

The Effect of Technology on Face-to-Face Communication

Abstract: Recent technological advancements have had a drastic impact on the way individuals communicate. In this research, previous studies were analyzed, field observations were conducted, and an online survey was administered to determine the level of engagement individuals have with their cell phones, other technologies and with each other in face-to-face situations. Findings suggest that technology has a negative effect on both the quality and quantity of face-to-face communication. Despite individuals’ awareness of the decrease of face-to-face communication as a result of technology, more than 62% of individuals observed on Elon’s campus continue to use mobile devices in the presence of others.

Family matters in bereavement : Toward an integrative intra-interpersonal coping model

Abstract: The death of a loved one can be heartbreaking for those left behind, and indeed, bereavement is associated not only with adverse health effects but also a higher risk of dying oneself. Not surprisingly, its consequences have been the subject of much psychological enquiry, with a major interest in shedding light on how one adapts, who is most at risk, and why. Often the focus is on the bereaved individual, yet people do not typically grieve in isolation; most do so with family members who have likewise experienced the loss. Family dynamics affect personal grief and vice versa. What is more, family concerns, such as reduced finances, legal consequences, and changed family relationships, have to be dealt with. While the latter stressful aspects have been investigated, there is still a huge gap between the individual and family approaches. To move them closer together, we propose a family-level extension of our Dual Process Model, showing how the whole may actually be more-and more accurate-than the sum of the two parts.