Expansive and contractive communication scope: A construal level perspective on the relationship between interpersonal distance and communicative abstraction

People adopt an expansive relational scope when communicating with psychologically distant audiences and a contractive relational scope when communicating with psychologically near audiences. We review recent research that has adopted a Construal Level Theory perspective to examine the impact of psychological distance of an audience on interpersonal communication. People communicate more abstractly when communicating with a distant audience and more concretely when communicating with an audience that is more proximal; correspondingly, communicating abstractly orients people toward more distant others and communicating concretely toward more proximal others. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the relationship between distance and communicative abstraction is dynamic and is influenced by communication goals and situational contexts. Moreover, a communicator's level of abstraction is consequential, influencing both how the communicator is perceived by observers and the potential effectiveness of the communication. We close by pointing to additional open questions and areas for future research.     

TEACHING SELF-PROTECTION TO CHILDREN USING TELEVISION TECHNIQUES

This study compared the effectiveness of a videotape training program with other methods of teaching children self-protection to prevent child abduction. Subjects were kindergarten and first-grade students. Four experimental conditions were presented: videotape with behavior rehearsal, videotape only, a standard safety program, and no training. Acquisition of self-protective behaviors was measured at posttraining and follow-up by having confederate adults entice the children near their schools and homes. Results revealed that the videotape program with behavior rehearsal was highly effective in teaching children safe responses to potential abductors. The standard safety program was effective with fewer than half of the children. Three fourths of the children who received no training immediately agreed to go with the confederate suspects. The videotape program can be easily used with groups of young children in a classroom setting.     

Effectiveness of the GOFER course in decision making for high school students

The paper describes and evaluates the GOFER course in decision making for high school students (Mann, Harmoni and Power, 1988). The course was based on principles from the conflict theory of decision making (Janis and Mann, 1977) and was designed to provide adolescents with an understanding of factors that produce good and poor decision making as well as knowledge and practice of sound decision skills. Two evaluation studies were conducted to examine effectiveness of the course. Study 1 was conducted with young adolescents (12 year olds). It found a significant difference between students trained in the course and a control group on measures of self-esteem as a decision maker, self reported decision habits and knowledge of decision strategy. Study 2 was conducted with mid-adolescents (15 year olds). It, too, found a significant difference between students who took the course and a control group on measures of self esteem as a decision maker and self-reported decision habits. It is concluded that while the evaluation study fell short of an ideal test, the GOFER course met the criteria of improving student knowledge, raising confidence in decision making and changing self reported decision habits.     

The social and emotional well-being of divorced residential parents

Social and emotional well-being of 141 divorced mothers and 36 divorced fathers were examined. All parents had children living in their households. There were no differences between mothers' and fathers' reports of psychosomatic symptomatology, life satisfaction, life-area rankings, family cooperation, social support from relatives, and satisfaction with the contact with their former spouses. Mothers reported more health improvements since the divorce and higher levels of family esteem than fathers did. These findings are discussed in relation to the expectations associated with and the enactment of social and familial roles.This study was partially funded by the University of Minnesota Experiment Station. The author would like to thank M. J. Hogan for her support of this project and Jo Lynn Cunningham for her helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.