Showing papers on "Interpersonal relationship published in 1983"

Assessing Social Support: The Social Support Questionnaire.

Abstract: : A measure of social support, the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), is described and four empirical studies employing it are described. The SSQ yields scores for (a) number of social supports, and (b) satisfaction with social support that is available. Three of the studies deal with the SSQ's psychometric properties, its correations with measures of personality and adjustment, and the relationship of the SSQ to positive and negative life changes. The fourth study was an experimental investigation of the relationship between social support and persistence in working on a complex, frustrating task. The research reported suggests that the SSQ is a reliable instrument, and that social support is (1) more strongly related to positive than negative life changes, (2) more related in a negative direction to psychological discomfort among women than men, and (3) an asset in enabling a person to persist at a task under frustrating conditions. Research and clinical implications are discussed. (Author)

Interdependence and Interpersonal Attraction Among Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Individuals: A Theoretical Formulation and a Meta-analysis of the Research:

Abstract: This article presents a theoretical framework specifying the conditions under which physical proximity and interaction will lead to positive or negative relationships between (a) ethnically diverse individuals, (b) handicapped and nonhandicapped individuals, and (c) ethnically similar and nonhandicapped individuals. A review of literature supporting the theoretical framework is presented, including a meta-analysis of 98 studies conducted between 1944 and 1982 that yielded 251 findings. Three meta-analysis procedures were used: voting-method, effect-size method, and z-score method. The results of the meta-analysis indicate that (a) cooperation without intergroup competition promotes greater interpersonal attraction among both heterogeneous and homogeneous individuals than do interpersonal competition, individualistic efforts, and cooperation with intergroup competition; (b) cooperation with intergroup competition promotes greater interpersonal attraction among participants than does interpersonal competiti...

Interpersonal communication and human relationships

Abstract: Part I Human Communication in Developing Relationships 1 Communication: The Lifeblood of Relationships Relationship Messages Five Important Misconceptions About Communication in Relationships How Communication Changes as Our Relationships Develop Dimensions of Communication: Patterns and Variations Summary Selected Readings Notes 2 Stages of Coming Together and Coming Apart Types of Relationships A Model of Interaction Stages in Relationships Interaction Stages Movement: In, Out, and Around Stages Summary Selected Readings Notes Part II Factors Affecting Human Communication Behavior in Relationships 3 The Nature of the Communicators The Influence of Interpersonal Needs The Role of Interpersonal Needs Analyzing Our Own Needs and Those of Others Interpersonal Needs Across the Lifespan Interpersonal Needs of Females and Males Summary Selected Readings Notes 4 The Communication Environment: Cultural and Physical The Influence of the Cultural Environment The Influence of the Immediate Physical Environment or Setting Summary Selected Readings Notes Part III Interaction Patterns for Coming Together 5 The Genesis of Dialogue Getting Together Sizing Up the Other Person The Many Faces of Attraction Summary Selected Readings Notes 6 Interaction Rituals Communication Rules The Rhetoric of Hello Forms of Address Relationship "Openers" Small(?) Talk Summary Selected Readings Notes 7 The Foundations of Intimate Dialogue Types of Love Liking Versus Loving Intimacy and Close Relationships Foundations of Intimacy Summary Selected Readings Notes Part IV Interaction Patterns and the Maintenance of Relationships 8 Maintaining Relationships Through Dialogue: Disclosures, Lies, and Fights Relationship Maintenance Self-Disclosure, Confidentiality, and Trust Lying Constructive Conflict Summary Selected Readings Notes 9 Maintaining Relationships Through Dialogue: Commitment and Intimacy Commitment and Commitment Talk Personal Idioms Giving Compliments and Gifts Giving Comfort and Advice Persuasion Sex Talk Intimate Play Intimacy Without Words Summary Selected Readings Notes Part V Interaction Patterns for Coming Apart 10 Communication and the Process of Relationship Disengagement Terminating Relationships Communication During Relationship Decay: Return of the Stranger Summary Selected Readings Notes 11 The Dialogue of Distance and De-escalation Some Potentially Destructive Patterns of Communication: An Interpersonal Chamber of Horrors Summary Selected Readings Notes Part VI Toward More Effective Communication in Relationships 12 Evaluating and Developing Effective Communication in Relationships The Relativity of Effective Communication Perceptions of Effective Communication Rx for Effective Communication Becoming an Effective Communicator Writing Your Own Story Communicating Effectively Together Summary Selected Readings Notes Author Index Subject Index

Social Psychology of Health and Illness

Abstract: Contents: Part I:Health-Related Personality Traits SC Kobasa, The Hardy Personality: Toward a Social Psychology of Stress and Health CS Carver, C Humphries, Social Psychology of the Type A Coronary-Prone Behavior Pattern KA Wallston, BS Wallston, Who is Responsible for Your Health? The Construct of Health Locus of Control Part II:Medical Information Processing JA Skelton, JW Pennebaker, The Psychology of Physical Symptoms and Sensations GS Sanders, Social Comparison and Perceptions of Health and Illness Part III:Professional/Client Interaction SJ Mentzer, ML Snyder, The Doctor and the Patient: A Psychological Perspective H Leventhal, RS Hirschman, Social Psychology and Prevention C Maslach, SE Jackson, Burnout in Health Professions: A Social Psychological Analysis Part IV:Environmental Influences J Suls, Social Support, Interpersonal Relations, and Health: Benefits and Liabilities A Baum, A Wallace Deckel, RJ Gatchel, Environmental Stress and Health: Is There a Relationship? R Kastenbaum, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise? Health Care Provision for the Elderly from a Psychological Perspective

Loneliness, social interaction, and sex roles.

Abstract: Forty-three male and 53 female college seniors maintained the Rochester Interaction Record for 2 weeks, providing information about every social interaction of 10 minutes or more. Subjects then completed the revised UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Loneliness Scale and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, measuring sex-role orientation. For both sexes, loneliness was negatively related to the amount of time spent with females and to the meaningfulness of interaction with males and females. However, meaningfulness with males was more important than meaningfulness with females. Femininity was negatively related to loneliness for both sexes and partially mediated the above relationships. There were sex differences, however, in the extent to which variables overlapped in predicting loneliness. For example, a large group of nonlonely males was characterized both by having meaningful relationships with males and by spending time with females, whereas a second group of nonlonely males was characterized simply by having meaningful relationships with males. The largest group of nonlonely females was characterized simply by having meaningful relationships with males, but another sizable group was characterized simply by spending time with females. Females doing both accounted for very little of the variance.

An Intergroup Perspective on Group Dynamics.

Abstract: : Intergroup perspectives began to shape the understanding of human behavior from the beginning of the twentieth century. Intergroup theory provides interpretations for individual, interpersonal, group, intergroup, and organizational relations. The version of intergroup theory given here uses a definition of group that is concerned with both internal and external properties. It explains intergroup dynamics in terms of group boundaries, power, affect, cognition, and leadership behavior. It examines the nature of identity and organization groups. It relates the state of intergroup relations to the suprasystem in which they are embedded. It presents an understanding of the changing relations among interdependent groups and their representatives through the operation of parallel and unconscious processes. The theory relates to a wide array of social and organizational problems, including the development of effective work teams, the definition and management of organizational culture, and the teaching of organizational behavior in Management schools.

The decision to leave an abusive relationship: Economic dependence and psychological commitment.

Abstract: Past research and theory suggest that a battered woman's economic dependence on her assailant, and her commitment to "saving" the relationship, are important factors in the decision to leave her partner. However, clear empirical evidence for these relationships is lacking. The present study examined these two factors, using both objective and subjective measures. Results indicated that both economic dependence and commitment were significantly, and independently, related to decisions to leave an abusive relationship. Furthermore, these results held for both objective and subjective measures, though more strongly for the latter.

Horizons of Observability and Limits of Informal Control in Organizations

Abstract: There are various views on the relationship between the interpersonal communication networks within organizations and informal social control. The relative merits of some of these viewpoints can be assessed by examining the distribution of interpersonal observability in communication networks. In a study of six communication networks, it is demonstrated that there is a "horizon" to observability (a distance in a communication network beyond which persons are unlikely to be aware of the role performance of other persons). Observability tends to be restricted to persons who are either in direct contact or who have at least one contact in common. It is shown, moreover, that the number of contacts shared by two persons is a powerful predictor of the probability that one person is aware of the role performance of another, according to a simple stochastic function. Based on this evidence, some viewpoints on informal control structures are more plausible than others. A theory is presented that is consistent with both the present evidence and current thinking on the relationship of communication network structure and informal control. It is hoped that the theory-will provide a useful starting pointfor future studies of this relationship. Most conceptions of social systems allow for gaps in the network of interpersonal relations within a system (i.e., places where face-to-face communications are absent), suggesting that these gaps do not necessarily impede the integration of a system. Social network analysis has developed various methods and concepts for describing the structure of such networks. But these studies have been less effective in ferreting out the implications of various structures for other substantively important phenomena. This paper addresses the relationship between communication network structure and informal social control. Informal control is defined as con

Intimacy and affiliation motives in daily living: An experience sampling analysis

Abstract: Fifty subjects who participated in an experience-sampling procedure carried electronic pagers with them for a week, during which time they were each paged seven times a day. In response to each page, subjects immediately completed a self-report form designed to sample current thoughts, affects, wishes, and behavior. Both intimacy and affiliation motivation were assessed via a prior administration of .the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Over the course of the week, subjects high in intimacy motivation revealed more (a) interpersonal thoughts and (b) positive affects in interpersonal situations than did subjects low in intimacy. Both intimacy and affiliation motivation were positively related to conversations and letter writing, which are behaviors indicative of warm and close interpersonal relations. Further, intimacy motivation was negatively associated with expressed wishes to be alone when interacting with others, whereas affiliation motivation was positively associated with expressed wishes to be interacting with others when alone. Sex differences are discussed, and the study's implications for (a) the measurement of motivational trends in operant thought and (b) investigations into Person X Situation interactions are outlined.

INTERPERSONAL PERCEPTION BETWEEN INTIMATES An Integrative Review

Abstract: Despite the considerable importance often attributed to interpersonal perception between married partners, family members, and other intimates, there have been few theoretical developments that address the distinctive factors affecting perception in these contexts. This article draws upon a broad literature review to suggest how interpersonal perception between intimates may be affected by such factors as familiarity, emotionality, behavioral interdependence, and ideological beliefs about intimacy. Particular attention is given to the role of perceptual bias in intimate conflict and relationship adjustment.

The Measurement of Intimacy in Marriage: The Waring Intimacy Questionnaire.

Abstract: Developed eight independent content scales to assess components of marital intimacy (Conflict Resolution, Affection, Cohesion, Sexuality, Identity, Compatibility, Autonomy, and Expressiveness). The measures were designed to be relatively free from social desirability and acquiescent responding (N = 248). Test retest and internal consistency reliabilities were high and sexual bias was not indicated.

Strategies to maintain relationships: Their identification and perceived usage

Abstract: One purpose of this study was to identify strategies people feel they use to keep their interpersonal relationships stable. A second purpose was to determine if such strategies would be differentially employed under different relationship circumstances. In order to approach these questions, the study proceeded in two phases. The first phase employed a factor analysis procedure to identify three factors people feel they would use to keep their stable relationships stable. The factors were concerned with avoidance, balancing, and directness respectively. The second phase of this investigation revealed that subjects felt they would use these factors differently depending on perceived differences in the relational intent of their dyadic partner (i.e., whether the other wanted the relationship to remain stable, to have it develop, or to have it deteriorate). No such differences emerged as a function of the sex of the relational partner or the type of relationship (acquaintance, friend, teacher, or co‐worker). ...

Mothers' personal social networks and child maltreatment.

Abstract: The social networks of 32 mothers in families being treated in a hospital-based program for indicated cases of child abuse and neglect were compared to the networks of a demographically comparable control group of 24 mothers whose children were not subject to maltreatment. The clinic mothers were found to be more isolated and more insulated from other people in their -networks. Their isolation reflected a deficiency primarily in their peer connections, and their insularity served to separate their immediate families from their peer connections and from the rest of their families. Child and adolescent maltreatment has become more noticeable to the public in recent years as our information-gathering systems have become more efficient and reports issued have revealed its deleterious effects on children (American Health Association, 1976; American Humane Association, 1978; Konopka, 1975; Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980; Child Protective Services, Note 1). Severe maltreatment of children by members of their families is unsanctioned by all social communities. There are cultural differences in disciplinary child-rearing practices that share some of the attributes of violence, as described in Erlanger's (1974) review, but nevertheless, there are limits and standards set by all social groups regulating such behavior and specifying the contexts in which and the extent to which it is permitted. The behavior we are concerned with, child maltreatment severe enough to be indicated by Child Protective Services, falls outside these limits and is considered a problem in every social group. Its persistence within the

The Relationship of Organization Structure and Interpersonal Attitudes to Role Conflict and Ambiguity in Different Work Environments

Abstract: Role conflict and role ambiguity were investigated in relation to structural and interpersonal variables. Role conflict was not related to either structural or interpersonal variables in a producti...

Social categorization, interpersonal attraction and group formation

Abstract: It is widely assumed that interpersonal attraction is the primary psychological basis of group formation. Recent research disputes this view: the external designation of individuals as members of different groups (social categorization) in the absence of interpersonal relationships and interdependence seems sufficient for private acceptance of group membership and discriminatory intergroup behaviour. The present experiment manipulated interpersonal attraction and social categorization orthogonally: 80 school pupils were randomly assigned one of two types of personal code number (in the 40s or the 50s) on an explicitly criterial (the 40s were liked, the 50s disliked) or random basis, and categorized into groups or not in terms of these numbers. Interpersonal attraction was necessary and sufficient for group formation in the non-categorization conditions but not necessary in the categorization conditions. Social categorization on a positive, negative, or arbitrary basis produced favouritism to similar others. Moreover, negatively categorized subjects were as discriminatory as positively categorized and more discriminatory than randomly categorized ones. The data are interpreted as evidence for the importance of self-defining social categorizations in group formation. An explanation of the role of interpersonal attraction is offered in line with this interpretation.

Social factors and affective disorder: an investigation of Brown and Harris's model.

Abstract: The aetiological model proposed by Brown and Harris was examined in a sample of 110 working class women with children in Oxford. Using the same methodology as Brown and Harris, the role of provoking agents in the onset of affective disorder was found to be very similar to that which they originally described. Lack of an intimate relationship with a husband or boyfriend was found to act as a vulnerability factor, increasing the risk of psychiatric disorder in the face of a provoking agent. There was a trend for women with three or more children aged 14 or under to have an increased vulnerability. However, unemployment was not found to be a vulnerability factor. These results provide general support for Brown and Harris's causal model.

Body movement and interpersonal communication

Abstract: Considers the social significance of body movement, emphasizing the relationship between movement and interpersonal communication. Reviews research on body movement, considering the information conveyed by bodily cues in relation to emotion, speech, individual differences, and interpersonal relationships. Theoretical treatment of the social significance of body movement is based on Wiener's encoding/decoding distinction. Discusses methods of changing people's use and awareness of body movement.

Marital intimacy and self‐disclosure

Abstract: Examined the relationship between the qualitative aspects of marital intimacy among 20 couples and a quantitative, microalysis of their selfdisclosing behavior. Two interview segments and their combination were scored for the basic parameters of self-disclosure using the Self-Disclosure Coding System (SDCS). The scores served as predictor variables for each of 12 intimacy dimensions derived from the standardized, structured Victoria Hospital Intimacy Interview in stepwise multiple regression analyses. The resulting multiple Rs ranged from 0.357 for Sexuality in segment 1 to 0.853 for Identity in segment II. Analysis of the couples' self-disclosures across segments I and II yielded multiple Rs from 0.446 to 0.850, with the intimacy dimensions of Expressiveness, Compatibility, Behavior, and Identity the highest correlates. These results suggest that although self-disclosure and intimacy are not synonymous, self-disclosing behavior is a major determinant of various aspects of marital intimacy and accounts for more than 50% of the variance in at least four dimensions. Explanations for these findings and their clinical relevance are discussed.

Conflict Resolution Within the Supervisory Relationship

Abstract: The present article examines conflicts in the supervisory relationship from the supervisee's perspective. One hundred and fifty-eight graduate students in clinical psychology were surveyed concerning the occurrence, handling, and outcome of conflicts in their supervisory experiences. Thirty-eight percent of the students with supervised experience reported a major conflict with a supervisor, which made it difficult to learn from supervision. Trainees described three areas of conflict—theoretical orientation or therapeutic approach, style of supervision, or personality issues. The degree to which conflicts were discussed and successfully resolved seemed to depend partly on the type of conflict; it was easier to resolve conflicts that centered on style of supervision than on personality issues. When conflicts were not resolved, students often sought support from others, altered their behavior to conceal difficulties, or appeared to comply with the supervisor. The implications of these findings for the learning process in supervision are discussed. One of the most important elements in the training of a psychotherapist is the direct supervision of his or her clinical work. The knowledge acquired through books and classes provides the basis for therapeutic work, but the critical element is the more intensive, personal training provided by experienced supervisors. Supervision is more than simply a didactic experience in which the supervisor teaches the trainee. It is a complex interpersonal interaction subject to the vicissitudes of all human relationships. The importance of these interpersonal or relationship aspects of supervision to the quality of the learning experience has repeatedly been emphasized throughout the supervision literature. For example, Cohen and DeBetz (1977) stated that success in supervision depends on the quality of the relationship between supervisor and trainee, and Fleming and Benedek (1966) stressed the importance of establishing a "learning alliance" with the trainee, which they view as analogous to the therapeutic alliance. Indeed, one study found that trainees' perceptions of the quality of supervision were more strongly related to the interpersonal aspects of the relationship than to the content emphasized by the supervisor (Nash, 1975). A positive supervisory relationship characterized by good rapport, empathy, and respect appears to facilitate the trainee's receptivity to learning from the supervisor. Sources of tension in the, supervisory relationship have been discussed by numerous authors. For the most part, these discussions have highlighted problems that relate to personality dynamics and role definition, for example, personal issues or anxieties of the therapist in training (Fleming & Benedek, 1966; Langs, 1980; Mueller & Kell, 1972), need for dominance on the part of the supervisor (Robiner, 1982), and the dual role of supervisor as teacher and evaluator (Cohen & DeBetz, 1977; Hassenfeld & Sarris, 1978;,Kadushin, 1968; Robiner, 1982; Wolberg, 1977). Wolberg (1977) has also noted th^t conflicts may center around differences in orientation; that is, supervisor and supervisee may differ in theoretical orientation used in case conceptualization and treatment planning, in clinical methods and techniques, in use of terminology, and in the setting of psychotherapeutic goals. Numerous authors have stressed the importance of discussing conflicts in the su

A Test of the Social Isolation of Male Tokens

Abstract: The article discusses a research on social isolation of male tokens in a nursing school environment. Such study was limited to testing the social isolation of male tokens, indicating that future re...

Prevention of adolescent substance abuse through social skill development.

Abstract: The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the capability of social skills training approaches for preventing adolescent substance abuse and to suggest directions for future research in this area. Social skills and training are defined from the perspective of social learning theory. Training approaches are then reviewed for their effect on drug use and drug use-related behaviors. The results indicate that social skills training reduces substance use and related behaviors such as aggression, withdrawal, truancy, and stealing in adolescents. Outcome was enhanced by the inclusion of modeling in a training program and the use of normal (versus problem or disordered) adolescents. In addition, discriminant analyses indicated that the more positive outcomes were discriminable by a focus on prevention, experimental rigor, and training comprehensiveness, that is, inclusion of multiple techniques and skills. Follow-up results showed that training effects were maintained, and that they could be generalized to several areas of everyday adolescent functioning. The findings suggest that social skills training is an effective means for substance abuse prevention in adolescents, and that it may have an advantage over more direct prevention methods in terms of long-term generalization capabilities. Finally, several issues are raised for their potential impact on social skills training as a strategy for substance abuse prevention in adolescents. These issues encompass conceptual, methodological, and evaluative domains: development of a taxonomy of person-situation specificity characteristics to increase the validity and reliability of assessment and training procedures; assessment of the relative contribution of individual differences in adolescents to training outcome; identification of qualitative developmental shifts in social skills as adolescents progress through grade, school, and family transitions; and comparison of the maintenance and generalization effects, over time, of social skills training with more direct abuse prevention methods. Guidelines are offered for addressing these issues, as well as directions for the role of social skills training research in future drug abuse prevention efforts.

Self-reported social, speech, and facial concerns and personality adjustment of adolescents with cleft lip and palate.

Abstract: This study examined the relationships among self-perceived social adjustment, concerns regarding facial disfigurement and defective speech, and objective personality assessment of 30 adolescents with cleft lip and palate. The results suggest that while cleft group scores indicate good adjustment, a significant number of adolescents with cleft have self-perceived social adjustment problems related to concerns with facial appearance. Social introversion appears to be related more to facial concerns than speech concerns during adolescence.

Affective Self-disclosure and Marital Adjustment: A Test of Equity Theory

Abstract: Based upon responses to questionnaries by 162 university married-housing couples (324 persons), equity theory was used to explain the relations between affective self-disclosure and marital adjustment Specifically, it was found that the greater the discrepancy in partners'" affective self-disclosure, the less was an individual's marital adjustment This finding held for individuals who indicated receiving either more or less disclosure than they gave In addition, individuals who indicated high levels of marital adjustment were more likely than those who indicated low levels of marital adjustment to distort selectively their perceptions of disclosure received, in an apparent attempt to eliminate distress from their relationships