Interpersonal Goals Research Articles

Interpersonal Goal Contagion Through Social Media Posts.

This research examined the contagion of interpersonal goals through mock social media posts among Facebook users recruited from Prolific. Two pilot studies were conducted to create Facebook posts that reflected different combinations of self-image and compassionate goals. Then, in the main experiment, 775 participants were randomly assigned to view one of four posts in a 2 (self-image content) × 2 (compassionate content) between-subjects design. After viewing one of the posts, participants completed measures of prosocial and self-promoting posting intentions and inferred goals. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that perceivers inferred the relevant goals (especially in the absence of a competing goal), which in turn, predicted greater adoption of those goals. Specifically, perceivers inferred compassionate goals from compassionate content (even more so when self-image content was low), and inferring stronger compassionate goals predicted greater prosocial sharing intentions. Similarly, perceivers inferred self-image goals from self-image content (even more so when compassionate content was low), and inferring stronger self-image goals predicted greater self-promoting sharing intentions. This research suggests that interpersonal goal contagion can occur while using social media, revealing new pathways through which social media content can affect users.

Exploring the Interpersonal Goals of Autistic and Neurotypical Adolescents Who Bully Others

AbstractThe current study examined the association between interpersonal social goals (i.e., agentic and communal goals) and bullying behaviour for autistic adolescents (n = 108, Mage = 15.25 years, SD = 1.65) and neurotypical adolescents (n = 592, Mage = 13 years, SD = 0.5). Bullying behaviour was assessed using both self- and peer-reported measures. Agentic and communal social goals were assessed using the child version of the Interpersonal Goal Index. Measurement properties of the Interpersonal Goal Index were first examined, and some features were found to differ across autistic and neurotypical adolescents. Bullying behaviour was associated with agentic goals for neurotypical adolescents whereas communal goals were associated with bullying for autistic adolescents, suggesting a mismatch between social goals and social behaviours for this group. This insight suggests that the dynamics of bullying behaviour differ between neurotypical and autistic adolescents, and highlight the need for the development of autistic-led assessment and support for bullying.

Interpersonal Goals and Language Use During the Disclosure of a Concealable Stigmatized Identity: A LIWC Analysis

Previous theorizing suggests that the first stage of self-disclosure is the pursuit of an interpersonal goal. However, among individuals disclosing a concealable stigmatized identity, little is known about how their goals impact downstream processes such as language use and post-disclosure affect. Using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), we examined the extent to which primed self-image or compassionate goals influence the linguistic content and style of disclosure, as well as dyad members’ affective states. Self-image disclosures were high in negative self-focused attention, whereas compassionate disclosures were more inclusive and positive in valence. Moreover, among disclosers, negative emotion words predicted their own negative affect. Among confidants, first-person singular and second-person pronouns predicted negative affect, however, this outcome was inversely related to disclosers’ use of social words. Compassionate goals that seek mutually beneficial outcomes may help disclosers communicate information about their stigma more effectively, and attenuate dyad members’ feelings of emotional distress.

Depressive symptoms and goal pursuit: Between-person and reciprocal within-person effects in a multi-wave longitudinal study.

Depressive symptoms, goal progress, and goal characteristics are interrelated, but the directionality of these relationships is unclear. In a 6-wave longitudinal study (N = 431; 2002 total surveys), we examine the bidirectionality of the relationships between depressive symptoms, goal characteristics (commitment, self-efficacy, and perception of other's support), and goal progress for academic and interpersonal goals at 2-week intervals. Separate random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were tested for each goal characteristic across both goals. At the within-person level, goal progress significantly positively predicted commitment, self-efficacy, and perception of others' support for the goal. Most of the other hypothesized paths were nonsignificant, including paths between depressive symptoms and progress. At the between-person level, all variables were significantly correlated, with some effects significantly larger for the interpersonal than the academic goal. The results suggest that when it comes to depressive symptoms and goal pursuit, general tendencies may be more important than variations over 2-week intervals.

M4EEG: MATCHING NETWORK-BASED MENTAL HEALTH STATUS ASSESSMENT MODEL USING EEG SIGNALS

Mental health is critical to an individual’s life and social functioning and affects emotions, cognition and behavior. Mental health status assessments can help individuals understand their own psychological status, identify potential problems in real-time and implement effective interventions to promote favorable mental health. In this study, a deep learning approach was used to construct a simple-minded and flexible model for electroencephalogram (EEG)-based mental health status assessment to construct the corresponding M4EEG model. This model is suitable not only for supervised learning tasks containing a large amount of labeled data but also for few-shot classification tasks in special cases. During execution, certain components of a pretrained transformer model are utilized as the model’s foundation. After deriving feature values from different inputs, these features are decoupled by cross-connecting them into the relation module. Finally, the correlation between the outputs and the classification results are determined by a relation score. In experiments, the Database for Emotion Analysis using Physiological Signals (DEAP) and Affective Mood and Interpersonal Goals in the School Environment (AMIGOS) datasets were partitioned into K-Shot files as the input information, and the classification results were derived from the M4EEG model. These results showed that the M4EEG model is capable of assessing mental health status through EEG, and the model can obtain results that cannot be achieved by existing models that do not apply comparable data labeling.

Romantic relationship initiation and escalation through mobile dating apps: Affordances, modality weaving, and paradoxical beliefs

Like online dating sites, mobile dating applications are popular technologies for navigating the dating market, whether for seeking romantic relationships or sexual partners. The searching-matching-interacting (SMI) framework describes mate selection in the dating market and how mediated market intermediaries (e.g., dating apps) can aid these functions. We conducted in-depth interviews ( N = 37) to explore dating app use during relationship initiation and relationship escalation, examining the SMI framework. For searching and matching, perceptions of affordances such as visibility, searchability, and locatability governed participants’ selection and use of apps. Examining the interacting function, our findings provide some of the first empirical support for modality weaving during relationship development. Rather than a simple modality switch from app to face-to-face, participants reported integrating multiple interpersonal and masspersonal channels, including social media, texting, and video. Channel transitions were made based on goals (e.g., relationship escalation, verification, uncertainty reduction) and perceived affordances (e.g., synchronicity, editability, bandwidth, accessibility). Notably, participants’ evaluations of the advantages and disadvantages of dating apps revealed several tensions and paradoxes among beliefs and behaviors. These paradoxes indicate why many users may not satisfy interpersonal goals such as hookups or long-term romantic relationships through mobile dating apps. Our findings support the viability of the SMI framework, and we extend its theorizing for studying relationship initiation and relationship development.

Disgust in the mating context – choosing the best and the least bad self-presentation option in a date simulation game

In order to achieve interpersonal goals, people manipulate their self-image: they manifest their most favourable traits and avoid exhibiting the most aversive ones. Disgust is one of the most powerful turn-offs in a mating context. Here, we explored which disgust domain −pathogen, sexual, or moral − is considered the most damaging for self-image. We also revisited the importance of various positive traits in a potential partner. The participants (N = 1,017) played a date-simulation game. They chose which one of five positive characteristics, and which one of three disgust norm transgressions they want to manifest. We analysed the influence of one’s biological sex, sexual orientation, and culture on self-presentation during a date.Women more often manifested morally disgusting behaviours and artistic abilities than men, while men more often manifested pathogenically disgusting behaviours and kindness. Homosexual orientation predicted lower frequency of admitting to moral disgust transgressions, and higher frequency of exhibiting artistic abilities.

Strategic Authenticity: Signaling Authenticity Without Undermining Professional Image in Workplace Interactions

Increasing demands to be seen as authentic at work have created a paradox of self-presentation for employees: the desire to be seen as simultaneously true to self and professionally appropriate in workplace interactions. The present paper introduces one way in which individuals may navigate this tension: strategic authenticity, a self-presentational approach that involves enacting behaviors intended to increase colleagues’ perceptions of one’s authenticity while accounting for individual and contextual factors that influence one’s professional image. I propose that the behavioral signals of social deviations (nonconformity and spontaneity) and self-expressions (transparency and vulnerability) increase colleagues’ perceptions of a worker’s authenticity but pose a threat to their professional image. Next, I highlight how felt authenticity and the degree of perceived violation of social expectations (i.e., benign versus taboo signal content and aligning with communal versus agentic norms) moderate the impact of signals on perceptions of authenticity and professional image, suggesting that strategic authenticity can be achieved via a careful selection of behaviors based on individual and contextual factors. Last, I consider how the enactment of strategic authenticity leads to high-quality connections at work, which over time, may lead to the formation of positive relationships (enhanced by an actor’s felt authenticity). This paper extends prior scholarship on authenticity, professional image construction, and high-quality connections by highlighting how to balance interpersonal goals to appear authentic and at the same time, maintain a desirable professional image in workplace interactions.

Exploring goal taxonomies using the goal‐based outcome tool in children and young people's mental health settings

AbstractFormulating goals in therapy may facilitate young people and parents/carers' engagement in mental health support settings. A number of goal taxonomies have been developed, which involve organising goals set at the outset of therapy into themes. Goal taxonomies are considered useful for service planning and outcome purposes. In order to build on the knowledge about what young people choose as goals, and to best support good practice, it is important to explore the links and differences between the existing goal taxonomies. A systematic review was conducted to identify goal taxonomies based on goals set using the goal‐based outcome (GBO) tool. Framework analysis was conducted to investigate the extracted goal taxonomies. Overall, four core concepts were identified: “Goals targeting specific issues, symptoms, emotions, and behaviours,” “Return and engage in activities,” “Personal growth goals” and “Interpersonal goals.” Goals regarding specific issues, personal growth and interpersonal relationships were present in most studies. Using these overarching core concepts could be useful for practitioner‐level, or service‐level organisation of goal data, for activities such as service planning and delivery.

“¿Cómo te sientes? – With my butt!”: code-choice-related humor in bilingual speakers living with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type

This study investigates data from three narrative interviews held with people living with early- and mid-stage dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT) and their primary care partners speaking English and Spanish in informal settings; the analysis focuses on the humorous moves which are employed by the participants living with dementia in both languages. Drawing on the General Theory of Verbal Humor and the Cooperative Principle, this study sheds light on the conversational humor on a semantic (i.e. language-dependent) as well as pragmatic level (i.e. contextually situated) initiated by the people living with dementia in this dataset while investigating the interpersonal goals behind such moves. By analyzing the (intentional) humorous practices and their respective code choices, our aim is to gain a better understanding of the pragmatic abilities of speakers which are retained while experiencing communication challenges in the face of DAT. This study thus contributes with increased knowledge about people living with dementia as active conversational partners.

Adult attachment and interpersonal emotion regulation motives in daily life.

Interpersonal goals and adult attachment have implications for how people interact with others as well as for emotion experience and regulation. Literature on intrapersonal emotional processes has typically not examined motivations underlying people's engagement with others' emotions and its connections to individual differences related to close relationships such as attachment. This study analyzed the relationships between interpersonal emotion regulation motives, perceived social interaction outcomes, and attachment. Undergraduates (N = 211) reported their trait attachment. Experience sampling was used to examine the reasons why they wanted to regulate others' emotions during daily interactions and perceived changes in their own well-being and relationship quality with the target of regulation. Attachment anxiety was associated with more self-focused prohedonic motives and impression management motives, while attachment avoidance predicted less perceived increases in emotional and relational well-being after interactions. People who tended to report more (self- and other-focused) prohedonic and less impression management motives in daily life perceived more positive changes in their emotional well-being and people who tended to report higher emotional similarity motives perceived more positive changes in their relational well-being after interactions People also perceived more positive emotional and relational interaction outcomes at times when they held more (self- and other-focused) prohedonic, impression management, or relationship maintenance motives and less self-focused performance and relationship distancing motives. Overall, these findings suggest that attachment anxiety may guide why people engage with other people's emotions and these extrinsic interpersonal emotion regulation motives may play a role in socioemotional outcomes of daily interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The invisible man: A replication study investigating whether interpersonal goals moderate White women’s inattentional blindness to African American men

Anti-Black racism in America renders Black people both invisible and hypervisible, at times. Here, we draw on previous research on inattentional blindness, a phenomenon whereby people fail to perceive something or someone (e.g., a person walking about) in their environment when attending to another feature of their environment (e.g., other people playing a ball game). We sought to replicate past work examining the conditions under which heterosexual White women fail to perceive a Black man walking through a complex scene. Specifically, we investigated whether selective inattention to a task-irrelevant person walking through a scene of two teams passing basketballs may depend on two factors: (a) the race of the person walking through the scene (Black vs. White), and (b) the interpersonal goal of the viewer (searching for a coworker, neighbor, friend, romantic partner, or a control condition)—hence the reason we recruited heterosexual White women participants. Consistent with the original work, across three studies, we found a main effect of target race such that heterosexual White women participants were more likely to notice the White (vs. Black) man walking through the ball-passing scene. Inconsistent with the original work, we did not find that this effect was moderated by the interpersonal goal condition. We discuss the implications of the current findings and future directions.

Time for you and for me: compassionate goals predict greater psychological well-being via the perception of time as nonzero-sum resources

ABSTRACT An experience sampling survey showed that when people seek to support others’ well-being in a given interaction, they experience greater life satisfaction, fulfillment of psychological needs, and lower time pressure through the perception that time spent on others is also time spent on themselves (i.e., nonzero-sum perception of time). In contrast, interpersonal goals to appear competent showed weaker positive indirect effects on psychological well-being, while goals to appear likable showed no significant indirect effects, and goals to avoid an undesirable self-image showed negative indirect effects. Spending time on others feels fulfilling rather than depleting when people have compassionate goals.

Relationships between Interpersonal Goals and Loneliness in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Loneliness is linked to many physiological and psychological issues and disproportionately affects older adults. Interpersonal goals (compassion and self-image) are essential to interpersonal relationships; however, how they relate to loneliness in older adults is unknown. We investigated the impact of interpersonal goals on loneliness using the Ecosystem-Egosystem Theory of Social Motivation. This study, adopting a descriptive cross-sectional correlational design, used data from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study. Participants (n = 3212) included people aged >65 years (mean age: 75; female: 60.1%). We performed exploratory factor analysis with principal axis factoring and varimax rotation to examine the suitability of compassionate and self-image goals as separate factors. The complex samples general linear model was used to assess the relationship between loneliness and interpersonal goals. Interpersonal goals were significantly negatively associated with loneliness. Respondents with higher compassion and self-image goals reported lower loneliness levels. Our results contribute to understanding how interpersonal goals relate to loneliness in older adults. These initial findings warrant further investigation.

Interpersonal goals and their relationships to relational interdependent self- construal and communal orientation among volunteer community service students

هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى فحص العلاقة بين الأهداف البينشخصية واستمرارية الذات العلاقاتية والتوجه المجتمعي لدى طلبة خدمة المجتمع المتطوعين في الجامعة الأردنية. تألفت عينة الدراسة من 320 طالبًا من طلبة تخصص خدمة المجتمع المشاركين في أعمال تطوعية، منهم 83.1% إناث و 16.9% ذكور. تراوحت أعمارهم بين (18-24) سنة. استجاب المشاركون على ثلاثة مقاييس بطريقة إلكترونية، وهي مقياس الأهداف البينشخصية المعد من قبل كروكر وكنافيلو، ومقياس استمرارية الذات العلاقاتية المعد من قبل كروس و باكون وموريس، ومقياس التوجه المجتمعي المعد من قبل كلارك ورفاقه، والتي جميعها تم تعديلها على البيئة الأردنية. أشارت نتائج الدراسة إلى عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة احصائية في استمرارية الذات العلاقاتية تعزى للتفاعل بين أهداف الرحمة والنوع الاجتماعي ونوع الكلية. كما بينت النتائج ارتفاعًا في مستوى الأهداف البينشخصية والتوجه المجتمعي لدى الطلبة، في حين وجد مستوى متوسط من استمرارية الذات العلاقاتية لدى الفئة المستهدفة. الكلمات المفتاحية: الأهداف العلاقاتية، استمرارية الذات العلاقاتية، التوجه المجتمعي، طلبة خدمة المجتمع المتطوعين

On cooperative libertines and wicked puritans.

We agree with Fitouchi et al. that self-denial is sometimes moralized to signal capacity for cooperation, but propose that a person's cooperative character is more precisely judged by willingness to follow cultural, group, and interpersonal goals, for which many rules can serve as proxies, including rules about abstention. But asceticism is not a moral signal if its aims are destructive, while indulging impulses in a culturally approved way can also signal cooperation.

DYNAMICS OF IDENTITY NEGOTIATION: A CASE STUDY ON A FACEBOOK POST PERTAINING TO ABORTION RIGHTS

Dynamics of Identity Negotiation: A Case Study on a Facebook Post Pertaining to Abortion Rights. With the advent of computer mediated communication, Internet users have formed routines and rituals that mirror the articulation, the negotiation and the formation of online identities. This extremely subtle yet complex process has stimulated researchers’ interest in the particularities of the socio-cultural acts performed in the on-line environment. The present study focuses on the negotiation of self- and group identity and on techniques of self-definition and self-representation, through an analysis of the reactions to a Facebook post regarding abortion rights. Article history: Received 31 July 2022; Revised 16 October 2022; Accepted 14 November 2022; Available online 20 December 2022; Available print 30 December 2022. REZUMAT. Dinamica negocierii identităţii: studiu de caz asupra unei postări Facebook privind dreptul la avort. Comunicarea asistată de computer a permis internauţilor să dezvolte ritualuri care reflectă tehnicile de exprimare, negociere şi formare a identităţii online. Acest proces subtil dar complex a stimulat interesul cercetătorilor pentru studiul manifestării actelor socio-culturale în spaţiul virtual. Acest articol examinează comentariile utilizatorilor Facebook la o postare referitoare la avort pentru a evidenţia tehnicile de auto-definire şi auto-prezentare aferente negocierii identităţilor individuale şi de grup în mediul online. Cuvinte-cheie: Facebook, avort, auto-prezentare, scopuri interpersonale, negocierea identităţii

The What, Why, and How of Adolescent Interpersonal Goal Setting Following a Growth Mindset Intervention

Interpersonal relationships are central to adolescent well-being. The current research investigates interpersonal goal setting among a general sample of adolescents following a growth mindset intervention. This study qualitatively explores what interpersonal goals adolescents set, outcomes they aim to achieve, obstacles they perceive, and actions to overcome the obstacles during the mental contrasting and the implementation intentions goal setting task (MCII). Participants included 217 grade 9 and 12 students (63.13% White/European). One content and three thematic analyses were conducted on adolescent responses to the MCII. Participants largely set goals related to improving the quantity and quality of their friendships. The ultimate ideal outcome of goal achievement was an improved emotional state. Obstacles were both internal (e.g., characteristics) or external (e.g., others) in nature. Actions identified to overcome the obstacle were either active or passive with passive approaches exhibiting lack of congruence with intervention content. Findings contribute to the empirical understanding of adolescent interpersonal goal setting and provide researchers/practitioners a rich resource of youth experiences to draw on when considering goal setting interventions. A better understanding of adolescents’ lived experiences setting goals also stands to benefit those who seek to aid youth in improving well-being.

Asymmetric Cooperation Control of Dual-Arm Exoskeletons Using Human Collaborative Manipulation Models.

The exoskeleton is mainly used by subjects who suffer muscle injury to enhance motor ability in the daily life environment. Previous research seldom considers extending human collaboration skills to human-robot collaborations. In this article, two models, that is: 1) the following the better model and 2) the interpersonal goal integration model, are designed to facilitate the human-human collaborative manipulation in tracking a moving target. Integrated with dual-arm exoskeletons, these two models can enable the robot to successfully perform target tracking with two human partners. Specifically, the manipulation workspace of the human-exoskeleton system is divided into a human region and a robot region. In the human region, the human acts as the leader during cooperation, while, in the robot region, the robot takes the leading role. A novel region-based Barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is then designed to handle the change of leader roles between the human and the robot and ensures the operation within the constrained human and robot regions when driving the dual-arm exoskeleton to track the moving target. The designed adaptive controller ensures the convergence of tracking errors in the presence of region switches. Experiments are performed on the dual-arm robotic exoskeleton for the subject with muscle damage or some degree of motor dysfunctions to evaluate the proposed controller in tracking a moving target, and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed control.

Is that Insta worthy? Predicting content sharing behavior on social media through interpersonal goals

What motivates people to share contents that promote the image of the self versus the well-being of others on social media? Two studies examined how interpersonal goals, namely self-image goals and compassionate goals, influence intentions of sharing different contents on Instagram. According to research on interpersonal goals, self-image goals motivate people to maintain and demonstrate their desirable qualities to others; compassionate goals energize people to promote the well-being of others. Based on this research, we hypothesized that self-image goals (vs. compassionate goals) would propel people to have higher intentions to share contents that are self-promoting relatively more than contents that are prosocial. A correlational study that measured participants’ chronic (i.e., stable) interpersonal goals (Study 1; n = 126) and an experiment that manipulated participants’ incidental (i.e., momentary) interpersonal goals (Study 2; n = 201) confirmed these hypotheses. These results highlight the role of motivation in content sharing on social media and shed light on psychological mechanisms that help shape the social environment on Instagram.