Interpersonal Consequences Research Articles

Reflexive moralization: The crucial role of clinician moral well-being.

BackgroundMoralization, or the application of moral value onto individuals' actions or identities, has broad impact in the context of health and healthcare. In particular, moralization may result in interpersonal and institutional consequences for certain groups of individuals such as people who use substances during pregnancy or while feeding human milk. Reflexive moralization is an underexplored phenomenon that represents the reflex-like nature of some instances of moralization. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore and explain how reflexive moralization impacts the perinatal care of substance-exposed dyads.Research DesignIn this targeted sub-analysis, dimensional analysis was used in the mode of emergent fit to analyze qualitative interviews conducted for a parent study investigating the circumstances under which clinicians bring moral considerations into the care of substance-exposed dyads.Participants and Research ContextInterviews with fifteen perinatal health clinician providing health or social care to substance-exposed dyads were included in this analysis.Ethical ConsiderationsThe X IRB determined this study exempt. All participants provided informed consent prior to enrolling in the study.ResultsFindings revealed novel dimensions of reflexive moralization, including the process of sympathization, which occurs when clinicians demoralize and transform their reflexive moralization into a tool for care. In order for the transformative process of sympathization to occur, clinician moral well-being must be assessed as sufficient, meaning clinicians must feel they have the capacity and competence to provide adequate care to patients. Discussion: Future research should further investigate the nature of clinician moral well-being in order to measure and develop interventions to support it.ConclusionsClinician moral well-being plays a pivotal role in clinical care delivery for substance-exposed dyads, in the context of reflexive moralization.

VFC Competence Framework as a Human Resources Development Framework: A Qualitative Study of Competency-Based Teaching and Learning Theories

Understanding and nurturing the requisite competencies for success have emerged as essential due to rapidly changing professional landscapes. If the future of the workspace is to stay relevant, this research has developed a detailed Competency Framework to document such knowledge types. The framework is built on three such dimensions: Functional Expertise, which covers role and domain specific, digital and interdisciplinary competencies; Cognitive Psychology, embracing critical thinking and emotional resilience, as well as interpersonal effectiveness; and Visionary Management, focusing on leadership and management as well as strategic innovation. This is based on well-established theories, such as Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, Bandura's Social Learning Theory, Seligman's PERMA Model etc.This approach uniquely integrates systematic reviews, qualitative meta-analysis, and real-world observations to forge a framework that connects academic findings with industry realities. The study additionally has implications for future research including empirical verification and cultural adaptation of the framework. This framework includes characteristics for organizations and educators to develop resilient, emotionally intelligent, agile professionals who can excel in and with a wide range of environments.

The interpersonal consequences of community gatekeeping.

Humans define themselves through memberships in groups organized around common values. But how are group boundaries and membership criteria determined? Specifically, how do individuals evaluate those who exclude (vs. include) outsiders from group membership (i.e., gatekeeping), and what explains variation in these evaluations? Six preregistered primary studies (and seven preregistered supporting studies) from laboratory and online samples (N = 7,549) demonstrate that individuals who exclude (vs. include) potential members are perceived as less likable but more committed to the values that define the group. These effects depend on candidate fit: Relative to inclusion, exclusion reduces liking less and increases perceived commitment more, as candidates' values become increasingly misaligned with those of the group as a function of perceived threat to group distinctiveness. Moreover, as individuals hold group values increasingly sacred, when considering targets who are misaligned with group values, they evaluate exclusionary individuals as less unlikable and more committed. Further, as individuals hold group values increasingly sacred, they become more willing to vote for exclusionary individuals and make more consequential donations to organizations with exclusionary practices. Our findings unpack the interplay between individual-level and group-level dynamics that drives social perceptions and behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Preventing Gender-Based Violence: Portuguese Youth Perspectives on Primary Prevention Programs

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pressing societal issue that requires urgent attention. Although there have been efforts to implement GBV prevention programs in Portugal, research assessing their long-term impact on young people is notably scarce. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the perceptions and experiences of young individuals involved in these programs. The research captures a comprehensive view of the participants’ perspectives through in-depth interviews. The findings reveal personal and interpersonal effects from participation in GBV prevention initiatives. They highlight the necessity for such programs to commence in early childhood to maximize their effectiveness and societal impact over time. Moreover, the research indicates that these initiatives influence youth’s personal development, relationships, career aspirations and professional choices. Consequently, this study advocates for the broader implementation of holistic GBV prevention programs in educational settings and calls for further investigation into their long-lasting outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of adopting a holistic, structured, and interactive approach to primary prevention, ultimately empowering future generations and creating a safer society for all.

Beyond technical skills: a fuzzy DEMATEL analysis of emotional intelligence and its impact on IT professionals’ performance in hybrid work settings

This study explores the key factors influencing emotional intelligence among information technology (IT) professionals in hybrid work environments and their impact on performance and interpersonal dynamics. Utilizing a mixed model approach, the study analyzed data from 422 valid responses, identifying six critical factors through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), which were subsequently validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Complementing this, a fuzzy linguistic scale facilitated pairwise comparisons of these factors, with inputs drawn from 15 experts possessing over 10 years of industry experience. The findings highlight Trustworthiness, Interpersonal influence and Adaptability as critical causal factors shaping the dimensions of emotional intelligence, notably Emotional clarity and Self-expression, which substantially enhance decision-making, collaboration and job performance. The research provides actionable insights for organizations to develop tailored training programs aimed at fostering key emotional intelligence factors, thereby improving productivity and interpersonal effectiveness. By integrating EFA, CFA and fuzzy DEMATEL, this research provides a novel framework for understanding emotional intelligence in hybrid work contexts. It offers both theoretical contributions to the emotional intelligence literature and actionable strategies for organizations seeking to enhance their employees' emotional intelligence.

Supplemental Material for The Interpersonal Consequences of Community Gatekeeping

Supplemental Material for The Interpersonal Consequences of Community Gatekeeping

University Students Who Report Providing Sexual Services, Acts, or Materials for Financial Compensation: Survey Results at a Public, Midwestern University.

Young adults provide sexual services, acts, or materials for pay or financial compensation (SSAMP), which include in-person (e.g., contact), virtual (e.g., videos), and material (e.g., underwear) forms. Whether and how university students provide SSAMP in the United States is not well understood primarily because of a lack of survey-based research using methodologically rigorous measures in university contexts. Therefore, we sought to understand the characteristics of and conditions under which undergraduate and graduate students provide SSAMP. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of students at a public, Midwestern university. Participants were 875 undergraduate and graduate students (Mage = 21.88 years [SD = 4.77]); 57.4% cisgender women; 64.1% white). We conducted a descriptive analysis using a multi-item SSAMP measure to assess acts, reasons, compensations, harm-reduction strategies, and perceived health, violence, interpersonal, and financial consequences of SSAMP. The 120 students (13.7% of the sample) who reported any SSAMP were more likely to be first-generation university students, trans or nonbinary, LGBQ+, disabled, and reported difficulty meeting basic needs. Among those who provided SSAMP, 42% reported being personally empowered but about a third reported doing so to please someone and/or because they were pressured in a way that they could not say no, most commonly by an intimate partner. Half reported receiving compensation for basic needs. Students reported using harm-reduction strategies to provide SSAMP and experiencing diverse consequences such as increased self-esteem or confidence (27.6%), discovering aspects of sexuality (26.5%), worse mental health (25.5%), difficulty dating (25.3%), feeling fetishized (23.5%), and unwanted sexual contact (22.3%). To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a nuanced understanding of SSAMP among university students using multi-item survey measures. Future research should replicate in different university contexts and conduct longitudinal research to better inform harm-reducing practices and policies.

How do people perceive listeners?

Listening is essential in shaping social interactions, relationships and communication. While listening research has generated significant insights on how speakers benefit from good listening, one fundamental question has been largely overlooked: how do people perceive listeners? This gap is crucial for understanding how perceptions of listeners impact relational dynamics. In three studies (two preregistered; total N = 1509), we assessed the attributes and behaviours associated with good and bad listeners, and whether the favourability of these attributes and behaviours impact downstream consequences. In Study 1, participants identified an acquaintance they judged as a good or bad listener. Good listeners were rated higher in positive listening attributes and behaviours, which mediated their perceived warmth, competence and values. Study 2 replicated this using a reverse correlation technique: one sample generated faces of a good or bad listener, which were then evaluated by a second, naïve sample. Consistent with Study 1, good listener faces were rated higher in positive listening attributes and behaviours, mediating perceptions of warmth, competence, humility and values. Study 3 extended Study 2 by showing that the effects were not due to a general positivity bias, demonstrating the significant interpersonal consequences of being perceived as a good or bad listener.

Actor and partner effects of coparenting on marital quality: Mediating role of marital attachment

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the actor and partner effects of coparenting on marital quality and the mediating role of marital attachment.BackgroundPrevious studies found that good marital quality could benefit both spouses' physical and psychological health, making the exploration of factors influencing marital quality and the development of recommendations to enhance it an important research question for ensuring the mental and physical well‐being of both spouses.MethodThis study gathered dyadic data of 779 heterosexual married spouses through questionnaire survey. Measurements encompassed the Marriage Perception Scale, the Perceptions of the Coparenting Relationship Scale, the Experiences in Close Relationships–Relationship Structures Scale, and demographic information.ResultsThe results revealed that coparenting among spouses could affect marital quality through both intrapersonal spillover effects and interpersonal crossover effects. Mediation analysis showed that the indirect effects of both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety in the actor effects in wives, as well as in husbands, were significant. Moreover, in the partner effects and other effects, the indirect effects of attachment avoidance were more likely to exert their effect through crossover effects, whereas the indirect effects of attachment anxiety were more likely to do so through spillover effects.ConclusionCoparenting could affect marital quality through both intrapersonal spillover and interpersonal crossover effects, with marital attachment serving as a mediator in these effects.ImplicationsThese insights contribute to a deeper understanding of dyadic interactions between coparenting and marital quality, highlighting the unique role of marital attachment, and enriching family systems theory and attachment theory.

The Psychosocial and Marketing Factors That Motivate and Sustain Youth Sports Betting in Australia: A Qualitative Study

Abstract The advent of online sports betting and its accompanying features have fundamentally altered the nature of sports betting and potentially amplified its negative consequences. Identifying the interplay of factors that contribute to young people’s initial interest in and sustained engagement in sports betting is essential for developing effective policies to protect them from potential harm. The current qualitative study employed thematic analysis to examine the betting experiences of 20 Australians aged 18–24 years old. The overarching themes that emerged were initial interest, perpetuating factors, and perceptions of risk. Young Australians developed an initial interest in sports betting as a result of early exposure to gambling from their family and peer groups, exposure to advertising portraying betting as a common and acceptable pastime, and personal motivations such as the desire to win money and participate in a new hobby. Their sports betting behaviour was sustained by a desire to not miss out on potential winnings, their mutual interest in sports betting with their peers, and the availability of betting promotions. Respondents were cognisant of the adverse consequences that could result from disordered gambling behaviours, including the financial, psychological, and interpersonal consequences. The study suggests that restricting advertising and implementing interventions to reduce the social norms of sports betting may be effective in reducing potential gambling-related harm among young Australians.

Communication Paradoxes in Borderline Personality Disorder.

Borderline personality disorder is a disorder marked by a pattern of contradictory, paradoxical, and self-defeating behavior, yet the communication methods of patients with the condition have remained largely unexamined since the disorder was first described nearly a century ago. This article applies communication theory to the study of borderline personality disorder in an attempt to understand patients' characteristically paradoxical modes of relating. Three types of double-bind communications are examined-the "be spontaneous" paradox, the covert contract, and the Kafka trap. The potential psychodynamic mechanisms and interpersonal effects of double-bind communication in patients with borderline personality disorder are briefly explored.

A Dyadic Analysis of Optimism, Pessimism, and Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Couples Coping With Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common yet unaddressed concern among breast cancer (BC) survivors and their intimate partners. Moderate-to-severe FCR has been associated with numerous negative health outcomes and diminished functioning among survivors and their intimate partners. Therefore, it is essential to understand what factors are associated with higher FCR for both patients and partners. Dispositional traits, such as optimism and pessimism, have been associated with FCR severity at the individual (intrapersonal) level. However, few studies have focused on this link in a dyadic, interpersonal context. To address this gap, the present study sought to investigate the association between optimism, pessimism, and FCR in BC survivors and their intimate partners. Optimism, pessimism, and FCR were assessed for 79 couples (n=158 paired individuals) in which one partner was an early-stage BC survivor who had recently completed adjuvant treatment. The intrapersonal (actor) and interpersonal (partner) associations between optimism or pessimism and FCR were simultaneously investigated using actor-partner interdependence modeling. A significant positive intrapersonal effect was observed between pessimism and FCR for both survivors and partners, but not between optimism and FCR. No significant interpersonal effects were observed between either optimism or pessimism and FCR. Findings indicated that higher levels of pessimism (rather than optimism) are uniquely associated with higher FCR in early-stage BC survivors and their partners. Understanding the role of pessimism in FCR susceptibility will allow for more efficient and timely support of BC survivors and their intimate partners following a cancer diagnosis.

The Impact of Individual and Context-Related Factors on Students' Reactions After Sexual Assault: A Vignette Study.

University students are often victims of sexual assault (SA) with a wide range of severity, but they are the least likely to disclose the assault or to take any concrete (legal) steps against the perpetrator. Prior work reported 13 main factors that influence university students' choice of reaction post-assault: (a) Fear of personal consequences, (b) distrust in authorities, (c) downplay of assault severity, (d) psychological factors, (e) situational factors, (f) lack of evidence, (g) emotional factors, (h) fear of interpersonal consequences, (i) social factors, (j) giving a benefit of doubt, (k) seeking justice, (l) needing support, and (m) presence of witnesses. In this experimental study, we included a student sample pre-screened not to have a history of SA (N = 419), and we provided them with a vignette. Vignettes were either neutral (control condition, n = 32) or manipulated to present each of listed factors (13 conditions, 26 < ns > 33). Students were randomly assigned to 1 of 14 conditions in total and were asked to imagine being a protagonist who was assaulted and to rate the likelihood of 8 different post-SA reactions (tell friends, tell family, confront the person, report, police report, do nothing, try to forget, and [falsely] deny). We investigated to see which of the 13 factors had the most impact on each of the reactions. Overall, our results indicate that, when comparing the manipulation groups to the neutral condition, social factors (e.g., religious family, stigma) have the highest impact on students' decision-making post-assault. Social factors increase the likelihood of all passive reactions (e.g., false denial, contrast = 1.82, p < .001) and decrease the odds of taking pro-active actions (e.g., making the report, contrast = -0.96, p = .002). The implications and the limitations of this study are discussed.

Talker Differences in Perceived Emotion in Clear and Conversational Speech.

Previous work has shown that judgments of emotion differ between clear and conversational speech, particularly for perceived anger. The current study examines talker differences in perceived emotion for a database of talkers producing clear and conversational speech. A database of 41 talkers was used to assess talker differences in six emotion categories ("Anger," "Fear," "Disgust," "Happiness," "Sadness," and "Neutral"). Twenty-six healthy young adult listeners rated perceived emotion in 14 emotionally neutral sentences produced in clear and conversational styles by all talkers in the database. Generalized linear mixed-effects modeling was utilized to examine talker differences in all six emotion categories. There was a significant effect of speaking style for all emotion categories, and substantial talker differences existed after controlling for speaking style in all categories. Additionally, many emotion categories, including anger, had significant Talker × Style interactions. Perceived anger was significantly higher in clear speech compared to conversational speech for 85% of the talkers. While there is a large speaking style effect for perceived anger, the magnitude of the effect varies between talkers. The perception of negatively valenced emotions in clear speech, including anger, may result in unintended interpersonal consequences for those utilizing clear speech as a communication facilitator. Further research is needed to examine potential acoustic sources of perceived anger in clear speech. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28304384.

It is OK to Express Guilt: The Prosocial Interpersonal Effects of Leader Guilt Display

It is OK to Express Guilt: The Prosocial Interpersonal Effects of Leader Guilt Display

Gender’s Role in Shaping Empathy and Psychological Well-Being: Insights from Management Students

In the context of management education, empathy and psychological wellbeing are particularly crucial since they have a big impact on how individuals live their personal and professional lives. The purpose of this study is to examine the variables that influence management students' psychological wellbeing and capacity for empathy and the association between empathy and psychological wellbeing. This study involved 200 management students from Chennai, India and the management courses considered for study are Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration. The study uses a quantitative research methodology to get information from a sample of management students. Regression analysis , correlation, and structural equation modelling are used in data analysis to find the predictive characteristics and their connections to empathy and psychological wellbeing. The results of this study have consequences for management education institutions, counselling services, and policymakers. Educational institutions can create focused programs to promote empathy and psychological wellbeing in management students by identifying the variables that have a beneficial impact on these traits. Future managers may benefit in terms of their own wellbeing, interpersonal effectiveness, and leadership skills as a result. This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding empathy and psychological wellbeing in management students and offers helpful knowledge for professionals, educators, and scholars in the field.

Group-based emotional regulation training for adolescents in primary health care settings: a proof-of-concept study of its utility to improve mental health

Providing mental health care in high-demand but resource-limited settings requires creative approaches. Group-based emotional regulation training has shown promise in other contexts, but its usefulness among South African adolescents in primary health care settings has not been fully examined. Emotional regulation is crucial for long-term health, psychological wellbeing, and reducing common mental disorders. The study aimed to evaluate the potential utility of a 6-week group-based emotional regulation training programme designed for adolescents in South Africa and to provide recommendations for future application in related contexts. Participants aged 15 to 17 years attended the 6-week programme consisting of weekly 90-min sessions that focussed on self-care, emotional awareness, mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, interpersonal effectiveness, and goal setting. Measures of clinical depression and anxiety, and emotional regulation, were administered before, after, and at 3 months following the programme. Parental and participant feedback were subjected to thematic analysis. Significant improvements were observed in depression, anxiety, and emotional regulation among the participants, compared to controls. Depression and anxiety symptoms decreased from pre-programme to post-programme, with sustained improvements at the 3-month follow-up. In addition, parental feedback highlighted positive changes in children’s empathy and self-awareness. This proof-of-concept study demonstrated the potential utility of a structured, group-based programme to enhance emotional regulation and improve mental health among adolescents in South Africa. It also offered recommendations for refinement in primary health care settings, based on themes identified in the qualitative analysis.

Still Waters Run Deep: How Employee Silence Affects Instigated Workplace Incivility Over Time

Abstract Research has shown that employees who remain silent about important issues at work are likely to experience negative personal consequences (e.g., burnout, reduced job satisfaction). Less clear is whether silence, over time, could also lead to negative interpersonal consequences. Drawing on social identity theory, we propose that involuntary forms of silence (acquiescent and quiescent silence) lead to decreased organizational identification, which, in turn, leads to increased instigated incivility over time. We tested our model at the within-person level using five waves of longitudinal data across four months from N = 1156 employees working in different industries. In line with predictions, results of random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM) showed that higher acquiescent silence at the within-person level predicted subsequent decreases in organizational identification, which, in turn, predicted subsequent increases in instigated incivility. Contrary to expectations, there was no significant effect of quiescent silence on organizational identification. Supplemental analyses also revealed non-significant indirect effects for voluntary forms of silence (prosocial and opportunistic silence). Overall, these findings suggest that acquiescent silence may not only impair employees’ own well-being, but can also result in interpersonal harm.

What About Our Rural Communities? A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Couple-Level Minority Stressors and Relationship Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Rural Community Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual + Couples

Couple-level minority stress theory extends minority stress theory, highlighting the interpersonal consequences of heterosexism, yet does not encompass the distinct experiences of LGB+ couples from underserved backgrounds (i.e., couples within rural communities facing additional stressors and barriers). This study qualitatively examined couple-level minority stressors and relationship help-seeking behaviors among LGB+ couples from rural communities. Seventeen couples in committed relationships participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants identified as gay (23.5%, n = 8), lesbian (35.3%, n = 12), bisexual, and otherwise non-heterosexual (41.2%, n = 14). An inductive approach was used for thematic analysis. Seven central themes emerged, including considerations of public systems, invalidation of the relationship, relationship concealment, shared couple experience, influence of socialization and heteronormatives, navigating other interpersonal relationships, and relationship help-seeking behaviors. Couples identified how sources of stress infiltrated their relationship negatively and how their relationship served as a source of support to counteract chronic stressors. Limited access to affirming LGB+ couples providers was a notable barrier, raising the question of how geography impacts queer couples. Couples acknowledged navigating an environment where there are heteronormative beliefs, consequently influencing feelings of safety and desire to disclose one’s sexual identity, as pronounced barriers. Findings suggest considerations of rural couples are unaccounted for in the minority stress framework.

How mothers with severe emotion dysregulation use DBT skills in parenting contexts: observational coding of skills use in a DBT skills training group

BackgroundDialectical Behavior Therapy’s (DBT) well established effectiveness in reducing emotion dysregulation, and the growing recognition that parental emotion regulation is critical to effective parenting has led to increasing interest in the applicability of DBT skills to parenting. Efforts to integrate DBT and parenting interventions would benefit from an empirical examination of which DBT skills are most useful to parents with emotion dysregulation.MethodsThis study used clinician-rated observational coding of skill use examples that were provided by mothers with severe emotion dysregulation (n = 16) who participated in a standard 48-week DBT Skills Training (DBT-ST) program in the context of a larger randomized controlled trial (NCT03060902). Mothers described their use of DBT skills during the homework review portion of DBT-ST sessions and video-recordings were then examined and coded to identify which DBT skills mothers most frequently described using in parenting situations (vs. non-parenting situations) and which skills were used to either increase positive parenting behaviors or to decrease negative parenting behaviors.ResultsA total of 220 skill use examples were coded and approximately one-quarter described skill use in parenting situations. Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, and Emotion Regulation skills were the most frequently described skills used in parenting situations, while Interpersonal Effectiveness skills were rarely coded. Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation skills were most often coded when mothers’ parenting goal was to increase positive parenting, while Distress Tolerance skills were most often coded when mothers’ parenting goal was to decrease negative parenting behaviors.ConclusionsResults provide an empirical basis which clinicians and treatment developers can use when selecting DBT skills to apply towards parenting challenges.