Interpersonal Adjustment Research Articles

Do Psychologically Adjusted Individuals Know What Other People Really Think About Them? The Link Between Psychological Adjustment and Meta-Accuracy

Do psychologically adjusted individuals know what other people think about them? Participants rated their own personality and levels of intrapersonal and interpersonal adjustment and also estimated how a new acquaintance and friends perceived them on core personality traits. These individuals rated the participant’s personality and friends described participants’ adjustment. Intrapersonally and interpersonally adjusted individuals were aware of the positive rather than the distinctive and potentially negative impressions they made, although people who were interpersonally adjusted (e.g., socially skilled) had insight into what made them distinctive in their friends’ eyes. Psychologically adjusted individuals also tended to overestimate their transparency, meaning they assumed others saw them as they saw themselves more so than others actually did. Interestingly, effects depended somewhat on who reported on adjustment, such that friend-reported adjustment was linked to accuracy, whereas self-reported adjustment was linked to transparency. Implications for the adaptiveness of accuracy are discussed.

Motivational goals, group identifications, and psychosocial adjustment of returning migrants: The case of Jews returning to Russia.

The present study investigated the motivational goals, group identifications, and psychosocial adjustment of Jews who returned to Russia after emigrating from the republics of the Former Soviet Union to different countries (n = 151). To gain a deeper understanding of these returning migrants, their traits were compared with those of Jews living in Russia who did not emigrate (n = 935). Compared to locals, returnees reported a higher preference for the openness to change and self-enhancement values and a lower preference for the conservation values; there was no difference in the self-transcendence values. Returning migrants had a relatively weak affiliation with the home country: they had a weaker identification with the home country than with the country of emigration, their identification with Russians was weaker than that among Jews who did not emigrate from Russia, and their intention to emigrate (again) from Russia was greater than that among locals. However, the Jewish identification of returning migrants was similar to that of locals. The adjustment of returning migrants varied across different dimensions: their economic adjustment was better than that of locals; however, the interpersonal adjustment of returnees was less successful than among locals.

Supportive Romantic Relationships as Predictors of Resilience Against Early Adolescent Maternal Negativity.

Negativity in parent-child relationships during adolescence has been viewed as a risk factor for teens' future personal and interpersonal adjustment. This study examined support from romantic partners and close friends during late adolescence as protective against maternal negativity experienced during early adolescence. A combination of observational, self-report, and peer-report measures were obtained from a community sample of 97 youth (58% female), their mothers, closest friends, and romantic partners assessed at ages 13, 18, and 20. Moderating effects suggested a protective effect of romantic support against maternal negativity across a variety of psychosocial outcomes, including depressive symptoms, self-worth, social withdrawal, and externalizing behavior. Protective effects were found even after controlling for initial levels of outcome behavior and observed support from close friends throughout adolescence. Receiving support from a romantic partner may provide teens with new, positive ways of coping with adversity and help them avoid more serious distress that may be predicted from maternal negativity when such support is not available.

Implications of gambling problems for family and interpersonal adjustment: results from the Quinte Longitudinal Study.

AimsTo evaluate (1) whether gambling problems predict overall trajectories of change in family or interpersonal adjustment and (2) whether annual measures of gambling problems predict time‐specific decreases in family or interpersonal adjustment, concurrently and prospectively.DesignThe Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS) involved random‐digit dialling of telephone numbers around the city of Belleville, Canada to recruit ‘general population’ and ‘at‐risk’ groups (the latter oversampling people likely to develop problems). Five waves of assessment were conducted (2006–10). Latent Trajectory Modelling (LTM) estimated overall trajectories of family and interpersonal adjustment, which were predicted by gambling problems, and also estimated how time‐specific problems predicted deviations from these trajectories.SettingSoutheast Ontario, Canada.ParticipantsCommunity sample of Canadian adults (n = 4121).MeasurementsThe Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) defined at‐risk gambling (ARG: PGSI 1–2) and moderate‐risk/problem gambling (MR/PG: PGSI 3+). Outcomes included: (1) family functioning, assessed using a seven‐point rating of overall functioning; (2) social support, assessed using items from the Non‐support subscale of the Personality Assessment Inventory; and (3) relationship satisfaction, measured by the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale.FindingsBaseline measures of ARG and MR/PG did not predict rates of change in trajectories of family or interpersonal adjustment. Rather, the annual measures of MR/PG predicted time‐specific decreases in family functioning (estimate: −0.11, P < 0.01), social support (estimate: −0.28, P < 0.01) and relationship satisfaction (estimate: −0.53, P < 0.01). ARG predicted concurrent levels of family functioning (estimate: −0.07, P < 0.01). There were time‐lagged effects of MR/PG on subsequent levels of family functioning (estimate: −0.12, P < 0.01) and social support (estimate: −0.24, P < 0.01).ConclusionsIn a longitudinal study of Canadian adults, moderate‐risk/problem gambling did not predict overall trajectories of family or interpersonal adjustment. Rather, the annual measures of moderate‐risk/problem gambling predicted time‐specific and concurrent decreases in all outcomes, and lower family functioning and social support across adjacent waves.

만 4세 유아의 애착 안정성과 놀이성이 사회적 능력에 미치는 영향

The purposes of this study were to examine relations among attachment security, playfulness, and social competence during the preschool period and to investigate relative effects of attachment security and playfulness on preschoolers' social competence. A total of forty eight 4-year-old preschool children participated in the current study. Attachment security was assessed using the Attachment Q-sort during a two- or two and half hour home visit. Preschoolers' playfulness and social competence were evaluated by mothers. First, preschoolers' attachment security was significantly associated with their interpersonal adjustment. Preschoolers with secure attachment were rated by their mothers as having higher interpersonal adjustment. In addition, preschoolers' playfulness was significantly related to popularity/leadership and social participation. Second, when preschoolers' attachment security and playfulness were entered together to predict social competence, attachment security and sense of humor were significant predictors of preschoolers' interpersonal adjustment, and social and cognitive spontaneity significantly predicted popularity/leadership. With respect to social participation, preschoolers' physical spontaneity was a significant predictor. Findings of this study indicate that attachment security and playfulness tap into different aspects of social competence, suggesting that both are needed to be emphasized in the development of social competence during the preschool period.

Situation Change: Stability and Change of Situation Variables between and within Persons.

When, how, and why situations flow into one another is important for understanding dynamic personality processes, but the topic of situation change has traditionally been a thorny issue in personality/social psychology. We explore conceptual and methodological issues in research on situation change: (1) What is situation change, which variables could we measure, and how can situation change be methodologically captured and analyzed (at between- and within-person levels)? (2) Which person-situation transaction mechanisms (situation management strategies) could entail stability and change of situations in daily life? (3) How do single or repeated instances of situation change impact short-, middle-, and long-term outcomes (e.g., intra- and interpersonal adjustment)? Besides laying out a research program for situation change, we present preliminary data from participants who wore mini-video cameras recording their situations so that they could be rated later in the lab. We demonstrate rater consensus on when situations change, mean-level changes of situation characteristics across situations, similarity of situation characteristics across adjacent situations, and inter-individual differences in intra-individual situation change in change networks.

Interpersonal motivation in a First Year Experience class influences freshmen's university adjustment

The present study examined the influence of interpersonal motivation on university adjustment in freshman students enrolled in a First Year Experience (FYE) class. An interpersonal motivation scale and a university adjustment (interpersonal adjustment and academic adjustment) scale were administered twice to 116 FYE students; data from the 88 students who completed both surveys were analyzed. Results from structural equation modeling indicated a causal relationship between interpersonal, motivation and university adjustment: interpersonal adjustment served as a mediator between academic adjustment and interpersonal motivation, the latter of which was assessed using the internalized motivation subscale of the Interpersonal Motivation Scale as well as the Relative Autonomy Index, which measures the autonomy in students' interpersonal attitudes. Thus, revising the FYE class curriculum to include approaches to lowering students' feelings of obligation and/or anxiety in their interpersonal interactions might improve their adjustment to university.

Speech Setting Affects Where We Gesture : Interpersonal Adjustment of Gesture and Where It Is Made

Speech Setting Affects Where We Gesture : Interpersonal Adjustment of Gesture and Where It Is Made

Antecedents, Consequences, and Mechanisms: On the Longitudinal Interplay Between Academic Self-Enhancement and Psychological Adjustment.

We investigated the reciprocal associations between academic self-enhancement and key indicators of intra- and interpersonal adjustment as well as the role of self-esteem as a mediator. This longitudinal study involved three assessments in a sample of 709 German children and adolescents (Mage = 11.83; 54% female) over the course of one academic year. We assessed self-reported subjective well-being as an indicator of intrapersonal adjustment and peer-reported popularity as an indicator of interpersonal adjustment. We computed cross-lagged and longitudinal mediational analyses. Academic self-enhancement prospectively predicted high subsequent well-being and popularity. Vice versa, well-being and popularity prospectively predicted high subsequent levels of self-enhancement. High self-esteem mediated the longitudinal associations between self-enhancement and well-being in both directions, but not the links between self-enhancement and popularity. Self-enhancement and adjustment are bidirectionally linked: Self-enhancement entails intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits; at the same time, adjustment in both domains fosters self-enhancement. In terms of intrapersonal, but not interpersonal adjustment, self-esteem seems to serve as a linchpin, accounting for all longitudinal associations. Furthermore, we present evidence indicating that self-enhancement indicators that are based on difference scores (instead of residuals) are problematic and might have led to negatively biased results in the literature.

Counseling College Women: The Interplay of Psychological Development, Social Factors, Alcohol, and Sexual Risk-Taking

This article examines how traditional college-age women adjust to the campus environment, including alcohol usage and sexual risk-taking, from a developmental/feminist perspective. Interpersonal adjustment, alcohol usage, and sexual risk-taking are explored, with consideration for physical and psychosocial consequences. Recommendations for counseling, including an illustrative case example, are provided.

The effects of divorce on Saudi girls’ interpersonal adjustment

Considering the increase in divorce in Saudi Arabia, 99 girls, ages 12–16, were randomly selected in the city of Riyadh, SA, to measure the impact of parental divorce on their social and educational adjustment. Multivariate analysis was used to test a model of three independent variables ‘behavior, self-relation, and stress’, which explained 45 percent of the variation in the dependent variable ‘adjustment’. Findings indicate that Saudi girls’ adjustment to divorce was influenced by the Saudi society cultural traditions and expectations. Implications for social work practice in school settings have been drawn based on the available intervention models with children of divorce.

Impact of Combat Deployment on Psychological and Relationship Health: A Longitudinal Study

Although previous research has indicated an elevated prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems among veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom following deployment, most of this research has been cross-sectional and has focused on a limited range of military groups and outcome criteria. This investigation was a longitudinal study of U.S. Air Force security forces assigned to a year-long high-threat ground mission in Iraq to determine the degree to which airmen's emotional and behavioral health and committed relationships were adversely impacted by an extended deployment to a warzone. Participants were a cohort of 164 security forces airmen tasked to a 365-day deployment to train Iraqi police. Airmen completed study measures both prior to and 6-9 months following deployment. Rates of deterioration in individual and interpersonal adjustment were both significant and medium to large in magnitude of effect, d = 0.43 to 0.90. Results suggest that the negative effects of deployment are related to levels of traumatic experiences and do not spontaneously remit within the first 6-9 months following return from deployment-particularly among those service members having relatively lower levels of social support.

The Influence of Creative Personality Factors on Interpersonal Adjustment in Adolescents: What's the Relationship?

The relationship between factors of creative personality and interpersonal adjustment was analysed in 130 Sicilian adolescents aged 14-18 years. Test of creative personality (Williams, 1994) was used for the evaluation of curiosity (Cu), preference for complexity (Co), imagination (Im), and willingness to risk-taking (Wr); Interpersonal Adjustment Questionnaire (Di Nuovo, 1998) was utilized for the analysis of passivity, impulsivity, narcissism, Self-image worry, and social stress. Results showed that Cu and Wr correlated both negatively with passivity, and Wr correlated negatively with stress in social situations.

Does acculturation predict interpersonal adjustment? It depends on who you talk to

Much acculturation research has investigated links with depression or with general psychological adjustment. Social adjustment, although critical to the acculturation process, has been relatively neglected. The association between acculturation and interpersonal problems was assessed in two samples of Chinese-Canadian university students using the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (VIA) and the circumplex version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-C). Sample 1 participants (N=185) completed the standard IIP-C, yielding a single effect: Mainstream acculturation predicted fewer problems with nonassertiveness. Sample 2 (N=187) completed a short-form of the IIP-C twice – once referring specifically to problems they experienced in interacting with Chinese-Canadians and once referring specifically to problems interacting with Euro-Canadians. In this case, heritage acculturation predicted a pattern of interpersonal problems with Chinese-Canadian others and mainstream acculturation predicted a similar pattern with Euro-Canadian others. These results support the use of interpersonal adjustment measures in acculturation research, and suggest that such instruments should be modified so that questions refer directly to salient cultural groups in the respondent's social world.

The relationship between effortful control, current psychopathology and interpersonal difficulties in adulthood

This study examined whether the relationship between low effortful control (EC), general psychopathology and interpersonal maladjustment previously reported among children extends to adulthood. Two hundred and forty undergraduate students were assessed using the EC scale of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire, the General Severity Index of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-GSI) and the interpersonal distress index of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems–Short Circumplex (IIP-distress). Both the BSI-GSI and the IIP-distress scores were related to low levels of EC. Furthermore, interpersonal distress mediated the association between low EC and greater psychopathology severity. These results suggest that deficits in regulatory temperament among adults may be associated with experiencing greater psychopathology distress, and that this relationship may be explained by an impairment in interpersonal adjustment. Such preliminary findings may constitute a useful starting point for investigating this hypothesis among clinical populations.

Psychometric properties of a short form of the Inventory of

Psychometric properties of a short form of the Inventory of

Positive Intelligence Illusions: On the Relation Between Intellectual Self‐Enhancement and Psychological Adjustment

The relation between self-enhancement and psychological adjustment has been debated for over 2 decades. This controversy is partly due to the variety of approaches implicated in the assessment of mainly self-enhancement but also psychological adjustment. We adopted a face-valid approach by statistically removing actual intellectual ability variance from self-rated intellectual ability variance. Study 1 (N = 2,048), a concurrent Internet investigation, provided initial insight into the relation between intellectual self-enhancement and psychological adjustment. Study 2 (N = 238), a longitudinal round-robin investigation, allowed a closer examination of the dynamic processes underlying this relation. Self-enhancement was positively linked to multiple indicators of intrapersonal and interpersonal adjustment, and predicted rank-order increases in adjustment over time. The links between intellectual self-enhancement and intrapersonal adjustment were mediated by self-esteem. Finally, the interpersonal costs and benefits of self-enhancement systematically varied depending on methodology.

Parenting perfectionism and parental adjustment

The parental role is expected to be one of the most gratifying and rewarding roles in life. As expectations of parenting become ever higher, the implications of parenting perfectionism for parental adjustment warrant investigation. Using longitudinal data from 182 couples, this study examined the associations between societal- and self-oriented parenting perfectionism and new mothers’ and fathers’ parenting self-efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. For mothers, societal-oriented parenting perfectionism was associated with lower parenting self-efficacy, but self-oriented parenting perfectionism was associated with higher parenting satisfaction. For fathers, societal-oriented parenting perfectionism was associated with higher parenting stress, whereas higher levels of self-oriented parenting perfectionism were associated with higher parenting self-efficacy, lower parenting stress, and greater parenting satisfaction. These findings support the distinction between societal- and self-oriented perfectionism, extend research on perfectionism to interpersonal adjustment in the parenting domain, and provide the first evidence for the potential consequences of holding excessively high standards for parenting.

Bouncing Back from a Breakup: Attachment, Time Perspective, Mental Health, and Romantic Loss

Coping with a romantic breakup is a normal developmental task of emerging adulthood. Because of their role in influencing interpersonal relationships and adjustment, attachment history and time perspectives may influence resilience to romantic loss. In an online survey of 1,404 university students ages 18–25 who reported experiencing recent breakups, individuals with secure parental bonding, past positive time orientation, and lower future relationship orientation reported less distress after their breakup. However, time perspectives did not buffer the negative effects of poor parental bonding on mental health. These results suggest that professionals counseling college students experiencing breakups might consider addressing parental bonding and time orientation.

Les troubles de la personnalité en oncologie : caractéristiques et prise en charge

Confronted with a patient with a personality disorder, the oncologist must recognize it and adapt his treatment accordingly. Some pathological character types require interpersonal adjustments to ensure a good understanding of the cancer disease and also to obtain the best compliance with supportive care. Given the fact that specific pharmacological treatment does not exist, collaboration between oncologists and the psycho-oncology team is paramount. The interaction between the somatic disease and the psychiatric disorder demand collaboration among caregivers sharing explanations and recommendations. Clinical examples will illustrate each personality disorder and will focus on the several problems raised by the psychiatric disorder. Treatment principles will be addressed in a second section.