social interaction 2: communication & perception

what is the interpersonal gap?

the gap between what the sender intends to communicate and what the listener perceives

what is the role of the sender in communication?

• convey private knowledge

• encode this knowledge into verbal and non-verbal actions

• potential interference (mood, social skills, etc.)

what is the role of the receiver in interpersonal communication?

• decode the speaker’s actions

• potential interference

• interpret (privately)

examples of non-verbal communication

• eyes and gazing

• body movement

• paralanguage

• interpersonal distance

• facial expressions

describe Aron et al.’s (1997) study

• 36 questions that will make you fall in love with anyone

• participants randomly paired up and made to answer a fixed set of questions

• results: revealing personal info to someone else generates closeness; we tend to like people who disclose personal info to us; we like people more after we have disclosed

how does closeness develop?

• meaningful disclosure

• other responds with interest and empathy

• other perceived as responsive

what is responsiveness?

attentive and supportive recognition of one person’s needs and interests by another (it is the basis of secure, well-functioning and highly satisfying relationships)

what are attributions?

explanations we use to understand each other’s behaviour (internal - cause is due to the person; external - cause is due to something else)

how does satisfaction influence attributions of a partners behaviour?

• satisfied people make internal attributions for partners’ good behaviour and external for partners’ bad behaviour

• opposite is true for unsatisfied partners

how do attributions of a partner’s behaviour influence satisfaction?

• people who make internal attributions for partners’ good behaviour and external attributions for partners’ bad behaviour become happier (relationship enhancing)

• the opposite is also true (distress maintaining)

what are positive illusions?

when an individual emphasises their partner’s positive qualities and minimises their faults

advantages of positive illusions

• related to increased relationship satisfaction and stability

• give benefit of the doubt

• minimises conflict

• partner feels good and more secure

disadvantages of positive illusions

• minor illusions smooth social interaction, major illusions minimise problems

• partners may feel pressure to live up to ideals

what is self-verification?

the idea that people prefer that others view them in the same way that they view themselves even if their self-view is negative

in what situations are positive illusions more beneficial than self-verification?

when relationships are ‘new’

in what situations is self-verification more beneficial for relationships than positive illusions?

• longer term relationships - feeling understood

• when it is related to aspects of self-concept that are important

what is a belief?

an idea or theory about what the world is like

what are the types of relationship beliefs?

• destiny belief - people are either compatible or not

• growth belief - relationship challenges can be overcome

relationship outcomes of destiny beliefs

• initially happier with their relationships but when faced with conflict satisfaction declines

• especially sensitive to signs that their relationship is ‘not meant to be’

• disengage from the relationship when there is a problem

relationship outcomes of growth beliefs

• these people are more constructive, optimistic and committed in the face of conflicts

• fewer one-night stands; dating a partner for a longer period of time

• try to maintain the relationship when there is a problem

problems in closing the interpersonal gap

• we expect others to read our minds but we don’t realise how bad we can be at reading people’s minds

• studies on romantic partners and college roommates show that as relationships progressed, accuracy did not increase but overconfidence did

how can the interpersonal gap be closed?

• time, effort, perspective taking

• actively encode info

• construe oneself at a higher level of abstraction (see ourselves as we see others)