Dyadic Partner Research Articles

Controlled by Love: The Harmful Relational Consequences of Perceived Conditional Positive Regard.

Research on conditional positive regard (CPR) has shown that this seemingly benign practice has maladaptive correlates when used by parents. However, there is no research on the correlates of this practice in romantic relationships or on the processes mediating its effects. Building on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, ), three studies tested the hypothesis that perceived CPR impairs relationship quality, partly because it undermines the fulfillment of the basic psychological needs for autonomy and relatedness. Study 1 (N = 125) examined perceived CPR and relationship quality across four relationship targets: mother, father, romantic partner, and best friend. Study 2, involving romantic partners (N = 142), examined whether needs fulfillment mediated the association between perceived CPR and relationship quality. Study 3, involving romantic dyads (N = 85), also included partner reports on CPR. Across the three studies, CPR was linked with poor relationship quality between relationships, between people, and between dyadic partners. Moreover, results of Study 2 and Study 3 revealed that the inverse association between perceived CPR and relationship quality was mediated by dissatisfaction of autonomy but not relatedness. Despite its seemingly benign nature, CPR is detrimental to relationship quality, partly because it thwarts the basic need for autonomy.

When and Why We Partner in Crime: Comparing the Unethical Decisions of Dyads and Individuals

While joint ethical violations are fairly common in the workplace, sports teams, and academic settings, little research has studied such collaborative wrongdoings. Our work examines whether people are more unethical when they make decisions jointly with a partner (i.e., reach one shared decision as a dyad) versus alone. Four experiments show that people use joint ethical violations (“partnering-in-crime”) strategically to generate social bonding. Thus, dyads make more unethical decisions than individuals only when social bonding is needed, that is, when the dyad members do not know each other. In such cases, joint unethical decisions offer an avenue for bonding. However, this effect is attenuated when dyad partners build rapport with each other prior to the joint decision-making. In such cases, dyads are equally ethical as individual decision-makers. Our findings offer insights into the social aspects of unethical behavior and have broad practical implications for enhancing ethicality in the workplace.

Social support exchanges in a social media community for people living with HIV/AIDS in China

In recent years, social media has become an important source of social support. People living with HIV/AIDS in China created an online support group (the HIV/AIDS Weibo Group) on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, in January 2011. The current study examined how social support transmitted in this social media community. First, messages over five successive weeks (2 May 2011 to 13 June 2011) were randomly selected from the HIV/AIDS Weibo Group on Weibo. Next, we employed social network analysis to map the HIV/AIDS Weibo Group’s structure and to measure the study variables. After that, a multivariate analysis of variance was applied to examine the influence of frequency of contact and reciprocity on informational and emotional social support exchanged in each dyad. The results revealed that pairs with a high level of contact frequency or reciprocity exchanged more informational support than do pairs with a low level of contact frequency or reciprocity. Moreover, dyadic partners with high frequency of contact exchanged a larger amount of emotional support than those with a low level frequency of contact; but strongly reciprocal dyads did not exchange significantly more emotional social support than their counterparts with a low level of reciprocity.

Interpersonal Distances are the Consequence of the Self-organization of Human Spatial Behavior: A Theoretical Study Based on Synergetics

It is well documented that humans position themselves at preferred distances with respect to others. The distances characterizing human spatial behavior are known to depend on the social interactions between the actors and their dyadic partners. A quantitative model that predicts interpersonal distances and is based on the concept of the self-organization of human spatial behavior has been missing in the literature. In the present study such a model is derived within the framework of synergetics, a theory of self-organization. The model corresponds to an evolution equation for the variations of interpersonal distance over time. In line with the equilibrium point hypothesis of interpersonal distances discussed in the literature, preferred distances are represented by the fixed points of the proposed evolution equation. In this context, it is argued that the adjustment of an actor from a personal to an intimate interpersonal distance can be considered as a subcritical pitchfork bifurcation. As a by-product of the proposed theoretical approach, the notion is supported that interpersonal distances are body-scaled.

If You’re Not With Me You’re . . . ? Examining Prototypes and Cooperation in Leader–Follower Relationships

This study investigated how congruence between dyadic partners’ leader and follower prototypes affects leader–member exchange (LMX) quality. Specifically, we examined cooperation as a process variable in the dyadic relationship. Participants in a laboratory setting completed a group task followed by dyadic task in the context of a leader–follower relationship. Observed cooperation mediated the relationship between congruence on leader prototypes and leader assessed LMX quality, and the relationship between congruence on leader prototypes and LMX agreement. As congruence on leader prototypes decreased, leaders were less likely to be cooperative in an exchange relationship. As congruence on follower prototypes decreased, there was a greater chance leaders would cooperate but followers would defect.

The Effects of Constant Time Delay and Instructive Feedback on the Acquisition of English and Spanish Sight Words

The authors of this study evaluated the acquisition of instructive feedback information presented to four kindergarten children with mild delays taught in dyads using a constant time delay (CTD) procedure. They also assessed the learning of observational (dyadic partner) information within this instructional arrangement. A multiple probe design across word sets, replicated across the four participants, was used to evaluate the efficacy of the CTD procedure and instructive feedback on the students’ expressive English sight word identification, the corresponding Spanish translations, and other students’ target words. Results showed that all participants acquired high percentages of their targeted English sight words, as well as targeted Spanish translations taught through an instructive feedback procedure. Lower percentages of non-targeted English and Spanish words were acquired through observational learning.

Communication technology in international business-to-business relationships

Purpose – This study aims to examine the antecedents and performance consequences of three types of communication technology (phone, e-mail and internet) in cross-border business-to-business relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the proposed theoretical framework six hypotheses are advanced and tested. The authors use regression analysis on data from a survey of American exporters combined with secondary data on emerging European markets. Findings – This research finds that relationship-level variables are better predictors of ICT use than country-level variables, and that ICT use impacts dyadic performance. More specifically, information exchange predicted all three communication modes, while the use of warnings predicted both inter-personal communication methods. From an institutional standpoint, the authors find that bureaucratic barriers predict both phone and e-mail communication. At the firm level, it is found that firm-level technological skills are a significant predictor for the use of internet-based data exchange. The paper also finds that increased frequency of phone and e-mail communication among dyadic partners improves performance. Research limitations/implications – Although micro-level variables are found to be more important, country variables still bring interesting insights and should not be ignored. Also, newer technologies should be explored in future research. Originality/value – The authors explore antecedents of information/communication technology (ICT) use at three levels: country or macro level, dyadic (or inter-firm relationship) level, and firm capabilities (intra-firm). At the country level, the authors move beyond infrastructure to examine the impact of institutional factors, such as government red tape. At the relationship level, the authors include trust-type social norms, but extend the analysis to incorporate the use of unilateral influence attempts, such as warnings.

The Relative Effectiveness of Active Listening in Initial Interactions

Although active listening is considered an important communication skill in a variety of occupational and therapeutic fields, few experiments compare dyadic partners' perceptions of active listening with other types of listening responses. This study involves 115 participants engaged in interactions with 10 confederates trained to respond with active listening messages, advice, or simple acknowledgements. Results indicate that participants who received active listening responses felt more understood than participants who received either advice or simple acknowledgements. Further, participants who received either active listening responses or advice were more satisfied with their conversation and perceived the confederate to be more socially attractive than participants who received simple acknowledgements, although the effect sizes for these differences were small. Conversational satisfaction and social attractiveness did not differ between participants receiving active listening responses and participants receiving advice, however.

Male social bonds: strength and quality among co-resident white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus)

Social relationships among immigrant same-sex co-residents have received relatively little attention, particularly for species where males are the dispersing sex. White-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) are unusual in that immigrant males form cooperative alliances with co-resident males during intergroup encounters, and also have affiliative and tolerant intragroup relationships. We collected approx. 3341 h of focal animal data on 25 adult and subadult males in five groups of wild Cebus capucinus in the Santa Rosa Sector, Costa Rica, across three distinct field seasons. Using generalized linear mixed models, we examined the influence of number of co-resident males, group socionomic sex ratio, dominance status and age, and past parallel dispersal on social bond strength (i.e., proximity, contact rest, grooming, preferred grooming partners) and quality (i.e., grooming reciprocity) for 47 unique male–male dyads. Overall, dyads that included an alpha male had the weakest and least equitable bonds, while dyads composed of subordinate males had the strongest and most equitable bonds, with subordinate subadult peers being most likely to form preferred relationships. Several measures of bond strength and quality were highest among dyads in groups with few males and low socionomic sex (female-to-male) ratios. Dyad partners who had previously engaged in parallel dispersal had slightly better bonds than those that did not, suggesting that kinship and/or familiarity may be important. Our results indicate that within groups, male relationships are influenced by power asymmetry, partner availability, and dyad relationship history.

Partner relationships and long‐term sick leave among female workers: consequences and impact on dimensions of health and return to work

Few efforts have been made to prospectively identify resources and obstacles outside work that may predict regained work ability and return to work when workers are on sick leave. This study investigates the association between partner relationships and sick leave. Our research questions were as follows: (i) What is the influence of sick leave, pain, stress and domestic strain on the quality of the dyadic partner relationship?, and (ii) What is the influence of the partner and social relationship on pain, stress, work ability, self-rated health and return to work? A cohort of female workers (n = 225) on long-term sick leave (>60 days), all in a partner relationship, at 6-month intervals completed a questionnaire based on the Quality of Dyadic Relationship (QDR) instrument, the Interview Schedule of Social Interaction (ISSI), the Work Ability Index (WAI) and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). Univariate and multivariate analyses of baseline and prospective data were performed. The results showed that decreased partner relationship quality was related to having major responsibility for household work despite being on sick leave, having pain and having decreased social integration. Among younger individuals on sick leave, a reduction in the quality of the partner relationship was shown already at the first (6-month) follow-up, while among middle-aged women, such a reduction was seen only at the 12-month follow-up. No dimensions of partner relationship quality at baseline were related to dimensions of return to work, either as a resource or as an obstacle. Consequently, our results show that a good relationship does not keep the woman from returning to work. Having main responsibility for household work, which implies domestic strain while on sick leave, predicts lower partner relationship quality. The practical implications are that healthcare professionals treating women on sick leave should emphasize the importance of keeping a social network as well as making sufficient adjustments at home for the relationship quality to be safeguarded. Special attention should be given to the young woman on sick leave as being on sick leave seems to influence her partner relationship considerably.

Power in Leader–Follower Work Relationships

There is perhaps no more important dyadic relationship than that between a leader and a follower. Nonetheless, few studies examine the implications of both leader and follower power on important work outcomes. Therefore, using resource dependence and role theories, the authors examined the process by which leader power affects important work outcomes, namely, work relationship quality and job tension, through met relationship expectations. Additionally, the authors suggest that the leader power–met expectations relationship is conditional on follower power. A state agency was sampled to obtain and analyze 100 leader–follower work relationship dyads, whereby both dyadic partners were surveyed. Results indicated that leader power affected both leader–follower relationship quality and job tension through followers’ met relationship expectations. However, contrary to our hypothesis, the leader power–met expectations relationship was not conditional on follower power. Contributions of this study, strengths and limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Beyond Individual Creativity

Although recent research has consistently demonstrated the benefits of multicultural experience for individual-level creativity, its potential advantages for collective creativity in culturally diverse teams have yet to be explored. We predicted that multicultural experience among members of a collective would enhance joint creativity in a superadditive fashion. Using a two-step methodology that included both individual and dyadic brainstorming sessions, we found that even after controlling for individual creativity, multicultural experience had a superadditive effect on dyadic creativity. Specifically, dyads performed best on a creative task in terms of fluency, flexibility, and novelty—three classic dimensions of creativity—when both dyad partners had high levels of multicultural experience. These results show that when it comes to multicultural experience, the creative whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Implications for diversity research are discussed.

External legitimation in international new ventures: toward the typology of captivity

This paper explores within the framework of new venture legitimation how and why international new ventures acquire external legitimacy and strive for survival in the face of critical events. Following a longitudinal multiple-case study methodology that was adopted for the purpose of theory building, the paper introduces the typology of captivity, and the four types that have emerged: captive industry supplier, captive dyadic partner, captive market leader, and free market leader. The effects of captivity types on the acquisition of external legitimacy and its survival, on reaching legitimacy threshold, and on the valuation of the venture are discussed and respective propositions are put forward to guide future research.

Trust as a mediator of the relationship between leader/member behavior and leader-member-exchange quality

We examined how and why trust between a subordinate and supervisor develops over time from the separate perspectives and experiences of both dyad partners. Integrating the literatures on trust, leader-member-exchange (LMX) and promotion regulatory focus (PRF), we test our model using longitudinal data from a Malaysian subsidiary of a U.S. headquartered corporation. Subordinate's trust in supervisor mediated between supervisor's PRF and subordinate's experience of LMX quality; supervisor's trust in subordinate mediated between subordinate's job performance and leader's experience of LMX quality. Findings are interpreted within the high power-distance, high collectivist, and high performance orientation of Malaysian culture.

Third-party trade, political similarity, and dyadic conflict

A growing literature maintains that trade is pacifying to interstate relations, and recent work on trade networks suggests that this pacifying effect extends to indirect trade ties. In this article, it is argued that third-party trade can also have an aggravating effect within dyads, by threatening to alter the dyadic balance of capabilities. For the state trading outside the dyad, trade gains from third parties provide incentives to demand change in the dyadic status quo and finance violent conflict when dyadic disputes arise. For the state whose dyadic partner trades with third parties, potential for the trading state to grow increasingly more powerful encourages action to prevent erosion of the non-trading state’s relative power. These aggravating effects are conditional, however, on dyadic political similarity, as concerns for relative capability shifts decrease when states do not view their dyadic partners as threats. Hypotheses derived from this argument are tested on data spanning 1885 to 2000. Results support these hypotheses, suggesting important implications for the literature on trade and conflict. When extending the relative gains arguments associated with realism beyond the dyad, a clear, yet conditional, aggravating effect of third-party trade emerges.

Crossover between work and home in dyadic partner relationships

This study aimed at providing insight into the processes underlying crossover between "work" and "home" in dyadic partner relationships. Specifically, we examined to what extent husbands' work demands (work load and overtime hours) and psychological health (fatigue and depressive symptoms) "cross over" to their wives' home demands (home load) and psychological health. These associations were investigated among three couple groups, based on wives' working hours (i.e., more than 20 hours per week, from 1 to 20 hours per week, and not engaged in paid work) (253 couples in total). All husbands worked for at least 35 hours a week. Three possible crossover mechanisms were hypothesized: (i) time-based, (ii) strain-based, and (iii) empathy-based crossover. The results partially supported mechanisms (i) and (ii): when husbands reported higher work load (mechanism i) and more psychological health complaints (mechanism ii), their wives experienced higher home load. The results further supported mechanism (iii) that wives' and husbands' psychological health were associated. It is concluded that crossover from husbands to wives may occur through various mechanisms.

Use of different signaling modalities to communicate status by dominant and subordinate Heermann’s kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermanni)

Dominance relationships in solitary species may be an important factor in the maintenance of long-term, stable relationships among territorial neighbors. We examined the mediation of intraspecific interactions in a solitary, territorial kangaroo rat, Dipodomys heermanni, and tested whether unfamiliar kangaroo rats establish a dominance hierarchy and then decrease aggression and increase communication (via footdrumming and sandbathing) after initial interactions and the establishment of a social structure. Results revealed that both dominance hierarchies and familiarization with particular individuals are likely to mediate social interactions. After only one pairing per dyad, an almost linear dominance hierarchy emerged, which became perfectly linear after a 90-min familiarization period. During the course of subsequent interactions between dyad partners, fighting decreased and non-agonistic communication increased. Dominant kangaroo rats sandbathed at higher rates than subordinates, possibly to deposit scent to advertise competitive ability, whereas subordinate kangaroo rats footdrummed from inside the burrow, which seemed to indicate an unwillingness to interact. We suggest the kangaroo rats use a conditional strategy when deciding to fight (be dominant) or withdraw (be subordinate) by employing different modes to communicate status and minimize the potential risk of injury during unnecessarily prolonged fights.

Effects of Mutual Dyad Support on Quality of Life in Women With Breast Cancer

This study examined the effects of a mutual dyadic support intervention between survivors and women newly diagnosed with breast cancer on the quality of life and interpersonal relationships of the participants. This matched-pairs, baseline-postintervention study included 31 survivors and 31 newly diagnosed women with stage I or II breast cancer. The women met in mutually supportive, self-directed dyads at least twice a week for 8 weeks. Instruments included contact Logs and Meaningful Observations Journals. Content analysis of the Logs showed that most dyad interactions were by telephone. Most participant dyadic conversations focused on the health and functioning of newly diagnosed partners, with survivors providing informational and emotional support. Meaningful Observations Journal thematic analysis supported the social exchange theory to describe dyad partner relationships. Most dyadic relationships were supportive, some were reciprocal, and some experienced conflict. Themes varied little between groups and from baseline to postintervention. Themes across time were support of others, health, changing priorities, and faith. Further quantitative study is needed to examine the effects of a dyad support intervention on quality of life in more diverse populations of women with breast cancer. Nurses need to evaluate the existing social-network support systems of patients with breast cancer and consider the need for dyadic peer support.

BEGINNING AND MENTOR AGRICULTURE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL ASSISTANCE, SIMILARITIES, AND SATISFACTION

The purpose of the study was to describe the extent to which a formal mentoring relationship met psychosocial needs of beginning agriculture teachers and to describe the extent of satisfaction with the dyad relationship. The accepting sample consisted of Missouri agriculture teachers (n = 40) in their first year of teaching during the 2003-2004 school year, and their formal mentors (n = 40) provided by school districts. Data were collected using the Mentoring Relationship Questionnaire (MRQ) developed by Greiman (2002). This instrument consisted of both a beginning teacher version and mentor version. From the findings of the study it was concluded that formal mentors provide psychosocial assistance to beginning agriculture teachers. Psychosocial assistance was intended to enhance a sense of competence, identity, and effectiveness in beginning teachers and consisted of support encompassing the functions of acceptance, counseling, friendship, role modeling, and social. It was found that beginning agriculture teachers and formal mentors who perceive they are similar to their dyad partner are more likely to have a satisfying mentoring experience. Dyad partners who recognize that they have similar values, attitudes, working styles, and teaching philosophies are more likely to have a positive mentoring experience, successful relationship, and satisfactory interaction.

Quality of life and coping strategies among lung transplant candidates and their family caregivers

Although numerous studies have examined coping strategies and quality of life (QOL) among patients with chronic diseases and their family caregivers, no studies have examined the reciprocal effects of patient and caregiver coping strategies on their dyad partner's QOL. Because most people who cope with stressful health experiences do so within the context of interpersonal relationships, it is important to understand the ways in which the two partners’ coping strategies may reciprocally affect each other's QOL. Adult lung transplant candidates and their caregivers ( N=114 pairs) participated in semi-structured interviews that included measures of QOL and coping with patients’ health-related problems. Multivariate, canonical correlation analyses were performed to examine unique patterns of associations between coping and QOL in patient–caregiver dyads. Better patient QOL, across multiple domains, was associated with better caregiver QOL. Multiple elements of patients’ coping, including greater use of active coping and emotionally oriented coping were related to generally poorer patient QOL in psychosocial and physical domains. Similarly, caregivers who used more emotionally oriented coping had poorer QOL. There was no statistically reliable relationship between either (a) patient and caregiver use of coping strategies, or (b) caregiver coping and patient QOL. However, patients’ coping strategies were important correlates of caregivers’ QOL. These findings belie common clinical beliefs that family members’ coping responses to patients’ health are likely to affect patient well-being. Instead, patients’ coping and QOL may be critical for understanding caregiver well-being, especially in the current era in which caregivers are assuming increased responsibility for providing patient care.