Optimal informational discrepancies for persistent communication

Abstract

Motivation for accuracy was predicted to lead to an inverted-U effect of interpersonal disagreement on amount of task-relevant discussion. A method was developed for experimentally creating interpersonal discrepancies along two dimensions—implicational structure (IS) and content of information—and validated on 130 undergraduate subjects. Subsequently, 3 levels of discrepancy in IS and in content were produced within 36 randomly composed dyads, all of whom were motivated for accuracy of decisions. Amount of talking was significantly greater in the intermediate IS discrepancy dyads than in the low or high IS discrepancy dyads. Content discrepancy in itself had no significant effect. The results support an optimal arousal hypothesis of communication, and point to a limitation in the linear discrepancy hypothesis.