熟悉性对外群体同质性效应的影响

两个实验考查了年龄和性别群体中是否存在外群体同质性效应以及熟悉性对该种效应的影响。结果表明：1．年龄群体中存在明显的外群体同质性效应,这与青年群体和老年群体彼此不够熟悉有关;2．性别群体中不存在外群体同质性效应,这与青年男女群体彼此较为熟悉有关。     

Expanding the analysis of social orientations by reference to the sequential–temporal structure of situations

The purpose of this paper is to identify logically the types of choice points that people encounter in their interpersonal relationships. It is assumed that associated with each type of choice point is a special class of choice criterion or decision rule. Therefore, identifying the types of choice points provides a basis for distinguishing the various decision criteria that are required by interdependent life and that should be assessed in order to predict patterns of interpersonal interaction. This paper explains how these distinctions will serve to expand our thinking about social orientations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding Marital Satisfaction and Couple Type as Functions of Relational Expectations

The present study examined the role played by relational expectations in determining marital satisfaction and in discriminating between married couple types. The discrepancy between one's expectations for his or her spouse's relational behavior and one's perceptions of his or her spouse's actual behavior significantly predicted marital satisfaction. Discrepancy scores for the relational dimensions of intimacy, distance, equality/ trust, dominance, and noncomposure/arousal appear to be most central in predicting satisfaction. While agreement between spouses on relational expectations significantly predicted satisfaction, expectation/perception discrepancies were revealed to be stronger predictors than agreement scores. There were no differences in relational expectations when compared across couple type; however, intimacy and noncomposure/arousal displayed significant differences when compared across wives’ individual marital type. Overall, intimacy, noncomposure/arousal, and equality/trust played central roles in understanding marital satisfaction.     

The Nature of Arousal and Nonverbal Indices

The current monograph asserts that nonverbal behaviors can serve as useful overt indices of experienced arousal. Various conceptualizations of arousal and factors eliciting arousal in communication situations are examined. It is proposed that, from a communication standpoint, indices of arousal and arousal change are best classified along two dimensions of arousal intensity and arousal valence. Diverse bodies of literature on nonverbal concamitants of arousal are reviewed. As a first test of whether separate profiles exist for negatively, as opposed to positively or neutrally, valenced arousal, data are analyzed from a mock-interview experiment in which, following a baseline interview, participants (N=52) were subjected by an interviewer to either increased or decreased involvement. The involvement changes were expected to elevate arousal intensity for all participants and induce positively or negatively valenced arousal in the two respective conditions. Polynomial regressions and z-test comparisons of correlations revealed that 16 composites, comprising a total of 47 nonverbal variables, showed significant associations with changes in arousal.     

Relational Expectancy Fulfillment as an Explanatory Variable for Distinguishing Couple Types

Previous research demonstrates that Traditional and Separate-Traditional (Mixed) couples report highest levels of marital satisfaction, followed by Independents and Separates (Fitzpatrick, 1988). This research project used an expectancy fulfillment framework to understand these differences in marital satisfaction across couple type. Focusing on relational expectations (Kelley & Burgoon, 1991) as critical variables to relational functioning, behavior-expectation discrepancy scores across 7 relational dimensions (intimacy, dominance, equality-trust, receptivity, distance, noncomposure-arousal, and informality) were examined by couple type. As predicted, Traditional couples generally reported more expectancy fulfillment and relational satisfaction than did other couple types, and Separates less. Only informality failed to distinguish between any 2 couple types. Interestingly, Traditionals experienced primarily positive expectancy violations, whereas Separates experienced more negative violations than did other couple types. Couples also differed as to what they considered a positive or negative violation. Both couple type and relational discrepancy scores were found to be important predictors of relational satisfaction.     

CONVERSATIONAL DEVIANCE: A STRUCTURAL MODEL

Expectation violations are common interpersonal communication occurrences. A prerequisite of communication competence then is the ability to deal effectively with the unexpected in conversation. A structural model of existing relationships among variables considered important to children's ability to handle conversational deviance, specifically three successive turn-taking violations, was proposed and tested in this investigation. Children ranging in age from 3 years, 5 months to 11 years, 5 months served as subjects. Results of the study suggest that cognitive complexity plays an influential role in the development of children's ability to provide accounts for conversational deviance as well as the ability to provide alternative strategies for the completion of conversations disrupted by improper turn-taking. Social perspective-taking and communication adaptation ability appear to play less significant roles.