Social Interaction Experience Research Articles

Working models of romantic attachment and the subjective quality of social interactions across relational contexts

AbstractTwo diary studies examined the effects of domain‐specific representations of romantic relationships (assessed using the Relationship Questionnaire in Study 1 and the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire in Study 2) on the subjective quality of social interactions across four relational contexts: those with a romantic partner, family member, platonic friend, or acquaintance/other. In both studies, domain‐specific romantic attachment, particularly attachment avoidance, was more strongly related to subjective experiences of social interactions involving a romantic partner than those with family members, platonic friends, or acquaintances/others. These results complement previous diary research using earlier categorical measures of attachment and elaborate upon the contextual effects of the attachment behavioral system in naturally occurring social interactions with different relational partners. The conditions under which working models of different relationship domains should influence interpersonal functioning are discussed, and a context‐congruence hypothesis of attachment effects, which encompasses the current findings and generates further predictions, is detailed.

Identifying and Targeting Idiosyncratic Cognitive Processes in Group Therapy for Social Phobia: The Case of Vumile

"Vumile" was a patient in a cognitive therapy group that was designed for socially phobic African students and based on a therapy model developed by Clark and Wells. The case narrative shows how Vumile constructed a personal model of the factors maintaining his social phobia, and within the group and through homework challenged negative beliefs, reduced self-consciousness and engaged in a range of previously avoided behaviors. A significant maintaining factor, spontaneous images of women looking at him with pity or mockery, was only identified in the last session. However, Vumile was able to use the skills he had learned to investigate this further and to correct these processes, which were distorting his experience of social interactions with women. Significant gains were made after the end of the formal treatment program and these are reflected in scores at follow-up on several self-report scales measuring anxiety, depression and various aspects of social phobic behavior and cognition.

Reticent behavior and experiences in peer interactions in Chinese and Canadian children.

In this study, the authors examined relations between reticent behavior in unfamiliar peer situations and experiences in interactions in Chinese and Canadian children. Observational data were collected from samples of children at 4 years of age in the People's Republic of China and Canada. The results indicated that relations between reticent behavior and peer initiations were similar in the 2 samples. The differences between the samples were mainly in peer responses. Reticent behavior was associated with peer rejection such as overt refusal and disagreement in the Canadian sample but with positive responses such as approval in the Chinese sample, particularly when children made low-power initiations. The results suggest that reticent children in China and Canada may have similar as well as different experiences in social interactions.

“Sacred Moments”: Social anxiety in a larger perspective

A treatment protocol was developed and piloted to examine whether perception of the sacred dimensions of their lives can be enhanced for people with social anxiety, and if so, whether that has therapeutic benefit. A 10-session manualized group treatment was developed to increase perception of sacredness in various domains of daily life. The treatment is described, as are preliminary results from two pilot groups. The small sample size limits quantitative analysis, but qualitative follow-up interviews, single-case analysis, and case material indicate decreased anxiety over time. Enhanced sense of sacredness appeared useful in broadening attentional focus, interrupting dysfunctional thought patterns, and generating behaviors incompatible with social anxiety. Focusing on sacredness instead of symptoms allowed participants to form supportive interpersonal relationships within the group, providing a corrective experience of social interaction. Although health professionals rarely discuss religion and spirituality with their clients, participants in these pilot groups welcomed the opportunity to do so.

Nobody likes damaged goods: The experience of adult visible acne

While mild to severe acne is a common problem in the teenage years, many adults also suffer from the condition. Although there is an appreciable body of dermatological literature on this issue, the psychosocial concomitants of severe, visible adult acne are little elaborated. The aim of this research is to detail the salient experiences of adults with severe visible acne, and to set out the implications of these experiences. A phenomenological qualitative approach was adopted to elicit detailed accounts of the impact of visible acne upon the lives of a small sample of sufferers. 11 adults suffering from severe visible acne took part in semi-structured interviews via e-mail, over an extended period of time. Transcripts of these interviews served as the data for an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five themes emerged, detailing different aspects of respondents' personal and social lives in the context of their acne. These were: powerlessness and the variable nature of acne; comparisons, self-image and identity; the experience of general social interaction; relationships with family and friends; and gender, sexuality, and romantic relationships. These themes allowed a deeper understanding of issues reported in previous quantitative research in the area, as well as revealing findings that had not been previously reported in relation to the experience of adult acne and its impact upon personal and social relationships. With an acknowledgement of these experiences, personal and professional acquaintances have the potential to improve their interpersonal relationship with the person concerned, and encourage positive changes in their psychological health and social interaction.

Humour: A different kind of play

SUMMARY This study investigates young children's humourous activity as a form of play and considers the implications on their cognitive development and learning. The study was conducted in an infant room of a university based group child care center and multiple qualitative data collection methods were used. The findings of this study suggest that during humourous events children are involved in play activity such as: a) play with materials; b) play with language; c) pretend play; d) physical play, and these forms of play are then turned into humourous events due to the creativity that children exert during such activities. Also, children were involved in routines that they then turned into playful humourous events. This article asserts that there are different socio-cognitive attributes, such as social interaction, creative thinking and metacognitive experience to be considered when investigating the relationship of play, creativity and humour.

Race and the City: Neighborhood Context and the Development of Generalized Trust

Previous research has indicated that socio-economic and racial characteristics of an individual's environment influence not only group consciousness and solidarity, but also affect his or her views toward minority or majority groups. Missing from this research is a consideration of how context, social interaction, and interracial experiences combine to shape more general psychological orientations such as generalized trust. In this study we address this gap in the literature by conducting a neighborhood-level analysis that examines how race, racial attitudes, social interactions, and residential patterns affect generalized trust. Our findings suggest not only that the neighborhood context plays an important role in shaping civic orientations, but that the diversity of interaction settings is a key condition for the development of generalized trust.

The influence of interpersonal motivation and social interaction experiences on the reduction of negative interpersonal affect

The influence of interpersonal motivation and social interaction experiences on the reduction of negative interpersonal affect

Explorations of Lesbian-Queer Genders

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of gender expression on queer women's experiences of identity, social interaction and discrimination. This article presents the results of a questionnaire, completed by 149 queer women involved in a southeastern U.S. women's community in which interactions and norms are strongly influenced by butch-femme gendering. Questionnaires ascertained participants' age of first awareness of their queer orientation and their gender expression. In relation to their gender expressions, their experience of discrimination, from both the general population and the lesbian community, was assessed. Participants were asked to specify the degree to which their gender expression was important in their social interactions and to assess the impact of butch and femme identities upon the identifying women and the lesbian community. Results indicated that gender expression may relate to butch and femme women's age of first awareness of sexual orientation and gender expression; experience of discrimination and social interaction; and valuing of butch-femme identification within the queer community.

Two ways to achieve happiness: when the East meets the West

Abstract The independent/interdependent self-construals were proposed to be the culture-general determinants of happiness, acting through the mediating variables of control belief/harmony belief, and further through subjective experiences in social interactions. Data collected from 550 Taiwanese and 196 British community residents supported the above two ways of achieving happiness. The value of adding interdependent self-construal and harmony belief to the study of subjective well-being to reflect an alternative collectivistic cultural perspective was highlighted. In addition, the seemingly contrasting views of self and beliefs about social interaction were found to coexist among Taiwanese. This evidence offered valuable support for the coexistence modernity model.

Global and specific relational models in the experience of social interactions.

Global and specific relational models in the experience of social interactions.

Global and specific relational models in the experience of social interactions.

Two studies demonstrated that global and relationship-specific models of self and other are correlated but not redundant constructs. Relationship-specific models were operationalized in terms of significant role relationships (Study 1) and salient relationships (i.e., frequent interactions; Study 2). Longitudinal analyses (Study 1) suggested that specific models generalized to global ones over time and that global models had a small but significant effect in shaping specific models over time. Through an event-sampling method, Study 2 assessed the quality and intimacy of daily interactions over a 7-day period. In hierarchical linear modeling analyses, both global and specific relational models explained the experience of daily interactions within relationships. This research highlighted that relational or attachment models can be considered global and specific representational structures, reflecting relational and individual differences.

Effect of Flumazenil and Diazepam on Transient Actions in Defensive Burying Elicited by the Social Interaction Experience in Rats

SALDIVAR-GONZALEZ, A., C., GOMEZ, I. MARTINEZ-LOMELI AND C. ARIAS. Effect of flumazenil and diazepam on transient actions in defensive burying elicited by the social interaction experience in rats. PHARMACOL BIOCHEM BEHAV 66(2) 265–273, 2000.—In the present work, we studied the effects of benzodiazepine (BZ) receptor antagonist, flumazenil, and of the agonist, diazepam, on social interaction-induced transient changes in defensive burying (DB). Enhanced defensive burying was observed after 1.5 min of social interaction experience, while a longer social interaction experience, 15 min, inhibited the expression of burying behavior. Defensive burying and social interaction paradigms have been used for the screening of compounds with anxiolytic potential and, more extensively, to study the neurobiology of anxiety. To elucidate the participation of the BZ receptor on transient changes induced by intervals of social interaction experience, its receptor antagonist, flumazenil (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected (IP). Flumzenil enhanced in a dose-dependent manner, the blocking effect of the saline IP injection on facilitated DB in 1.5-min social interaction-experienced subjects. In addition, flumazenil enlarged in a dose-dependent manner the blocking effect of saline IP on defensive burying levels in animals exposed to social interaction experience for 15 min. To analyze the presumed participation of the BZ receptor mediating enhanced burying behavior levels in subjects exposed to 1.5 min of social interaction, a suboptimal dose of diazepam (0.25 mg/kg) was administered. Diazepam enhanced the saline IP elicited defensive burying reduction. Results are discussed in terms of the suggested BZ receptor mediation on transient changes in defensive burying elicited by social interaction experience.

Program evaluation of a sex education curriculum for women with mental retardation

The effectiveness of a sexual education and health promotion program for 252 women with mental retardation was analyzed using an evaluation model. We used confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL) to explain the pathways of learning and related the number of instructional contacts with the outcomes. Three factors (hygiene, social interaction, and sexual experience) affected sexual knowledge directly. An increase in sexual knowledge was directly associated with a greater number of instructional contacts. The analysis indicates that our program is effective and adds to our understanding of factors contributing to sexual knowledge for adults with mental retardation.

Reframing Sociological Concepts for a Brave New (Virtual?) World*

The articles that make up this Sociological Inquiry feature emerged from the 1995 meetings of the American Sociological Association. The authors included in this issue were expressly solicited for a special session on “Technologically Generated Communities.” The authors were asked to individually provide their own perspectives on the intersection of technology, community, and social action. My essay attempts to crystallize several key changes that the new communication technologies demand of conceptual frames long embraced by sociologists. In particular, the pages that follow propose some necessary adjustments to the ways in which sociologists formulate and apply three key analytic concepts: social interaction, social bonding, and empirical experience.

A Year at North Hill: Four Seasons in a Vermont Garden

A Year at North Hill: Four Seasons in a Vermont Garden

Fingerprinting time series: Dynamic patterns in self‐report and performance measures uncovered by a graphical non‐linear method

Two simple non‐linear techniques are shown to be useful for understanding the dynamics of affect, symptoms, social interaction experience and cognitive performance. The techniques are justified by arguments derived from chaos theory, and demonstrated using data from an intensive time sampling study in which 30 subjects completed a set of self‐ratings and a memory task on a hand‐held computer every two hours during waking hours for 14 days. The data were pooled and two types of Poincaré plot were constructed for each variable. The first was a plot of each value against its predecessor, and the second was a plot of each change in value from one interval to the next against the previous change. These plots are particularly suitable for uncovering asymmetric state‐dependent changes in control between time points. The plots showed a number of distinctive ‘fingerprints’ for the different variables. Altogether, the results suggest that the plots are a novel and useful method for understanding psychological variables in terms of their dynamic control.

Bringing Learning to Life: The Use of Poetry in the Integrated Curriculum

There is much support nationwide for reforming the middle school curriculum by making it more thematic, integrated, and relevant to real life needs. The assembly of discrete, sequential content offerings has given way to an emphasis on demonstrating how knowledge from different fields is related and how this knowledge can be translated to the world outside the classroom (Curriculum Task Force, 1993). At last, the notion of bringing learning to life is an accepted and a preferred mode of instructional design. As a result, this column will show how curricular integra tion, with its focus on lifelong learning, can be accom plished through the use of poetry. To paraphrase Ellenwood and McLaren (1994), good [poetry] litera ture, like life is not only complex, it is thoroughly inter disciplinary (p. 46). In the integrated curriculum, poetry can be used to introduce themes, bring attention to critical issues relat ed to the theme or the novel used, or to offer alternative perspectives. Students can also be encouraged to write poetry in response to novels, themes, and issues within an integrated unit. poetry becomes a natural part of the integrated unit, students will be more apt to understand poetry as a natural part of their lives. The significance of an integrated curriculum is that it allows teachers to organize curriculum around themes, problems, or essential questions that students find more engaging than traditional, discipline bound instruction. Critical to an integrated curriculum is finding ways to make learning relevant to students' lives. As human beings, we do not live or experience life according to fragmented subject areas. Life itself is integrated. Brain research supports this notion of integration in revealing that one key function of the brain is to search for com mon patterns and relationships (Caine & Caine, 1994). the curriculum is divided artificially into disci plines, making those connections that lead to meaning ful learning is more difficult. New information becomes meaningful when it is packaged in relevant, complex, and highly social interactive experiences (p. 43). Emotion is also an essential in learning. Concepts and memories are tied to emotion, giving a sense of real ity to what we do and think (Caine & Caine, 1994). Connections can be made when the subject is personal ly meaningful. When we ignore the emotional compo nents of any subject we teach, we actually deprive stu dents of meaningfulness (p. 58). Often, examples of integrated units include, or are based on, novels. Using literature as a vehicle of integra tion is supported by research. Studies have revealed that students who read more become better readers and that teachers need to place a high value on reading by pro viding opportunities for students to engage in reading for information and pleasure (Templeton, 1991). Thus, the result of using literature as a starting point to cut across curricular lines is a natural one. Using poetiy to introduce and support exploration in integrated units provides a connecting thread from issues, information, and emotions to the lives of our students.

Associations of Sleep With Everyday Mood, Minor Symptoms and Social Interaction Experience

Although there are strong popular beliefs about the value of a good night's sleep, there is very little documented evidence of day-to-day relations between sleep and well-being. In this study, covariations between sleep and both prior and subsequent daily states of well-being were studied in a healthy, employed sample. Thirty volunteers used pocket computers to complete a daily sleep diary and self-rating scales of mood, minor symptoms and social interaction experience. These were recorded every 2 hours for 14 days except during sleep periods. A pooled regression analysis showed small but significant relationships between many of the sleep and well-being measures. Sleep appeared to be more strongly related to subsequent well-being than prior well-being. An earlier onset of sleep was associated with better mood and social interaction experience the following day and was a better predictor than sleep duration. This result was interpreted to be consistent with the phase angle model of chronobiologic mood disorders. In general, the results suggest that the sleep disturbances found in affective disorders may not be pathological but instead represent the extremes of normal relationships between sleep and well-being.

Vocal Learning in Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus): Effects of Social Interaction, Reference, and Context

in the code, and the interactive aspect provides explicit training that is constantly adjusted to the level of the learner. To obtain information on the relative importance of these three aspects of input on learning in a mimetic species, I used three different conditions to train two juvenile Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) to produce English labels to identify various common objects. Each bird experienced: (1) audiotaped tutoring, which was nonreferential, noninteractive, and did not demonstrate contextual applicability; (2) videotapes, which provided reference and limited information about context, but which were noninteractive; and (3) live human tutors, who interactively modeled the meaning and use of the labels to be learned. The birds learned only from the live tutors. A third parrot, trained on a separate set of labels by tutors who provided only limited reference and context for those vocalizations, learned to produce that set of labels without comprehension. The data suggest that, even for birds known for their mimetic abilities, social interaction, reference, and full contextual experience are important factors in learning to produce and comprehend an allospecific code. Received 22 April 1993, accepted 10 October 1993. IN THE LAST DECADE, studies have shown how