Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Relations

Abstract

In 7 studies, the authors examined the link between emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations. In Studies 1 and 2, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence had higher scores for empathic perspective taking and self-monitoring in social situations. In Study 3, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence had higher scores for social skills. In Study 4, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence displayed more cooperative responses toward partners. In Study 5, the participants with higher scores for emotional intelligence had higher scores for close and affectionate relationships. In Study 6, the participants' scores for marital satisfaction were higher when they rated their marital partners higher for emotional intelligence. In Study 7, the participants anticipated greater satisfaction in relationships with partners described as having emotional intelligence.     

Social Comparison Orientation Moderates the Effects of Group Membership on the Similarity-Attraction Relationship

ABSTRACT

The present study examined how the similarity-attraction relationship is affected by a combination of the tendency to compare oneself to other people (Social Comparison Orientation, SCO) and group membership. We expected that high-SCO individuals would prefer similar to dissimilar others only when the target belonged to their in-group and was relevant for the evaluation of their self-concept. It was also expected that among low-SCO individuals who are more certain about the self and less concerned about “being evaluated,” a main effect of attitude similarity would appear, regardless of the group membership of the target. Results partially support these predictions and suggest that further research should be carried out into the combined effects of individual and group variables in the attraction literature.     

Systems Theory,Family Attachments and Processes of Triangulation: Does the Concept of Triangulation Offer a Useful Bridge?

This article reviews the usefulness of the systemic concept of triangulation as a bridge between systemic thinking and practice and attachment theory. Traditionally attachment theory has theorized and researched with dyads, parent‐child and adult romantic partners, whereas systemic theory has worked therapeutically with the triangle as the basic human relationship; that is, when any two people interact, their interactions are influenced by their respective relationships with the same third person. Here it is argued, for example, that a child's attachment representations are shaped not only by the relationship with each parent but with the relationship between them. Thus, the process of triangulation in intimate relationships is seen in this article to link attachment theory with systemic thinking, as systemic theory needs a theory of love and attachment theory needs to consider how intimate relationships are nested and interconnected in an attachment network.     

心理健康素质测评系统·中国成年人人际健康素质量表的编制

在文献分析和专家评定的基础之上,构建了人际健康素质的基本结构,并编制了初始的中国成年人人际健康素质问卷。然后通过项目区分度分析和验证性因素分析对初始问卷进行了修订,最终形成了包括合群性、亲仁性、利他性、共情性和友善性5个维度的正式量表。结果表明,人际健康素质量表具有较高的内部一致性信度、重测信度和分半信度以及较好的内容效度、结构效度、校标关联效度和会聚效度。结论：人际健康素质量表具有较好的心理测量学特征,可以作为中国成年人人际健康素质的心理测量工具。     

The Compromise Effect in Choosing for Others

Most research into the compromise effect focuses on cognitive factors related to choosing for oneself. However, there are daily opportunities to make choices for others, from helping friends to buy merchandise to choosing souvenirs for relatives. Although it is a common practice, choosing for others is rarely discussed in the literature. Hence, this research is directed to determine whether (i) the compromise effect is greater for people choosing for others with whom one has a distant relationship compared to choosing for themselves, (ii) the decision maker's susceptibility to interpersonal relationships, accountability, and anticipated regret moderate the relationship between choosing for others versus choosing for themselves and the compromise effect, and (iii) the confidence of the decision maker mediates the relationship between deciding for others and the compromise effect. Five hypotheses are proposed and they are supported by the results from four experiments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence in Mainland China

To validate the consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (SUSCEP) scale in China, questionnaires were administered to 1114 adult employees and 350 university students. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence scale had a stable three‐factor structure (i.e. the utilitarian, value‐expressive, and informational dimensions) in both samples, while the original two‐factor structure could not be retrieved. Using Chinese samples, the consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence scale and its three sub‐scales demonstrated acceptable internal reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Positive correlations between the consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence scale (as well as its sub‐scales) and attention to social comparison information also indicated good convergent validity. The distinction between utilitarian dimension and value‐expression dimension in Chinese samples as well as the non‐significant correlations of the utilitarian dimension with self‐esteem and the informational dimension with self‐esteem revealed cultural differences between the East and the West.     

网络聊天情境大学生人际知觉准确性与知觉过程

本研究基于Funder现实精确性模型,考查了网络聊天情境中大学生人际知觉的准确性,影响准确性的因素,以及人际知觉的过程。研究发现：（1）网络情境中与陌生人进行极短时间的初次接触时,对16种人格特质知觉的准确性较低。（2）大学生对知觉对象的性别判断,会在一定程度上影响对被知觉者的人格特质的判断。（3）16种特质只凭言语推断的难易程度对人际知觉的准确性有影响。（4）人际关系的深度与自我表露的程度有关,并且自我表露程度随时间增加而逐步深入。     

THE TOTALITARIAN STATE OF MIND

The paper describes the development of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy for use with complex depression (DITCC), and a pilot study testing DITCC’s effectiveness. The pilot found large pre-post improvements in well-being and distress; moderate rates of reliable improvement and clinically significant change; and curvilinear declines in depression and anxiety. Treatment completers and near-completers (N= 19) showed a significant curvilinear decline in symptoms of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7). The results provide preliminary evidence that DITCC can be used as an effective treatment approach for complex depression. However, further research is needed to test its effectiveness in different settings with a larger sample size, using appropriate comparison groups under controlled conditions to further elaborate the short-term and long-term effects.     

Interpersonal effects of parents and adolescents on each other’s health behaviours: a dyadic extension of the theory of planned behaviour

Objective: Interpersonal relationships are important predictors of health outcomes and interpersonal influences on behaviours may be key mechanisms underlying such effects. Most health behaviour theories focus on intrapersonal factors and may not adequately account for interpersonal influences. We evaluate a dyadic extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour by examining whether parent and adolescent characteristics (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intentions) are associated with not only their own but also each other’s intentions/behaviours.

Design: Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, we analyse responses from 1717 parent-adolescent dyads from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating study.

Main Outcome Measures: Adolescents/parents completed self-reports of their fruit and vegetable consumption, junk food and sugary drinks consumption, engagement in physical activity, and engagement in screen time sedentary behaviours.

Results: Parent/adolescent characteristics are associated with each other’s health-relevant intentions/behaviours above the effects of individuals’ own characteristics on their own behaviours. Parent/adolescent characteristics covary with each other’s outcomes with similar strength, but parent characteristics more strongly relate to adolescent intentions, whereas adolescent characteristics more strongly relate to parent behaviours.

Conclusions: Parents and adolescents may bidirectionally influence each other’s health intentions/behaviours. This highlights the importance of dyadic models of health behaviour and suggests intervention targets.     

Application of the APA ethics code for psychologists working in integrated care settings: Potential conflicts and resolutions

ABSTRACT

Increasingly, there is evidence of the potential benefits of an integrated care model. In fact, the American Psychological Association (APA) supports the role of psychologists in integrated healthcare given the positive outcomes for patients in primary care settings such as increased access to mental health services, reduced mental illness stigma, and improved health associated with recognizing the impact of psychosocial factors on physical wellbeing. Less attention has been paid, however, to ethical dilemmas that may arise for psychologists working in integrated healthcare. This paper explores considerations for resolving potential ethical conflicts that may arise for psychologists working in integrated care settings.