Interpersonal Psychology Exam #2

*Can people accurately read the facial expression of someone from another culture? Are they easy to control as compared to body movement or verbal communication?

-Better at identifying emotions that are expressed by our own cultural groups than from other cultures -Easier to control compared to body movement and verbal communication because it's an automatic process

*With regard to self disclosure, what is breadth? Depth? How do these typically change as we get to know someone better? How does reciprocity of self disclosure change with intimacy? Be able to describe social penetration theory.

-Breadth = variety of topics they discuss -Depth = personal significance of the topics they discuss -People typically reveal more about themselves as a relationship progresses -Reciprocal self disclosure is important early in a relationship, once established though, we value responsiveness (support, acceptance) over reciprocity -Measured reciprocity to gradually increase the intimacy of your interactions

Are body movements easier to control, as compared to facial expression? Who touches more: high or lower status people?

-Harder to control than facial expressions -High status people touch MORE

Be aware of Noller's research on happy and unhappy couples (page 154-5; 2 studies, know both of them)

-Husbands in unhappy marriages sent more confusing messages, made more decoding errors than happy husbands did, but no difference among the wives. Husbands misinterpreted communications from their wives that were clear to strangers, and even thought they understood their wives, and thought their wives understood them. -When dissatisfied, both understood strangers better than with each other

What is an interpersonal gap? Are these more common among strangers or people in close relationships?

-John L. Wallen made the interpersonal gap as a model of communication -More common between people in close relationships

What is the correlation like with regards to touch (such as kissing) and cholesterol?

-Kissing your partner more often can reduce your cholesterol -Affectionate touch from your partner reduces production of stress hormones

Does being an abusive partner or mother have an impact on one's ability to figure out what one's child or partner is feeling?

-Men who beat their wives have more trouble figuring out what their wives are feeling -Abusive mothers have trouble identifying signs of distress in infants like if they are scared or unhappy

What are the two common trajectories described by Floyd and Bakeman, (2006) for coming out? How is attachment style associated with coming out? (Elizur & Minzer, 2001)

-Person knowing they are either LGB at 16, have their first experience at 17, and they come out to someone for the first time before they turn 18. First disclosure results in supportive, positive reactions because confidants are typically a trusted friend. Just before they are 19, they tell a parent. -Same sex attraction is noticed later at 16 and have heterosexual experiences at 19 before the same sex experience at 23 -Those with a secure attachment style to their parents are more likely to come out to them than insecure people.

How quickly can the average college student recognize an emotion on another's face?

American college students take three-quarters of a second or less to recognize emotion on a face

Microexpression

Authentic flashes of real emotion that can be visible during momentary lapses of control

What are display rules?

Cultural norms that dictate what emotions are appropriate in particular situations

How do dominant/less dominant people present their bodies?

Dominant People: -60% look when speaking, 40% when listening -Open, asymmetric posture in which takes up a lot of space Less Dominant People: -40% when speaking, 60% look when listening -Closed, symmetric posture that are compact

True or False: Women's voices are more attractive when they are ovulating, even if they are on the pill.

False, it doesn't work if they are on the pill. Nature has to run it's course for her voice to be attractive

Are we better at reading stranger's or our partner's chemosignals?

We are better reading our partner's chemosignals

Why is nonverbal communication important? Is it typically less accurate than verbal communication?

-Provide information Facial expression suggests you are upset, happy, sad, ect. -Regulate interactions Inhibits or encourages contact Helps verbal interaction run smoothly -Define relationships Different nonverbals for different relationships -Social control Act differently when we want something -Presentation function Use nonverbals to enhance our presentation It is usually more accurate than verbal, easily interpreted, and often more powerful than verbal.

What are taboo subjects? How are they related to satisfaction? How does commitment figure into taboo subjects?

-Taboo subjects are sensitive topics that may threaten the quality of the relationship -High number of taboo subjects is related to less satisfaction UNLESS the relationship is highly committed AND/OR we feel we are protecting the relationship by avoiding these topics -May indirectly determine commitment by doing secret tests

Paralanguage

-Variations in a person's voice other than the actual words the person uses, such as rhythm, pitch, loudness, and rate -How people say things

*Are facial expressions thought to be universal/hardwired or culturally determined? What evidence supports your conclusion?

-When our emotions are authentically conveyed, it is known to others universally -We know this because the congenitally blind make the same faces as those who aren't

Be familiar with the interpersonal process model of intimacy. What 3 things have to happen for a relationship to be close? What step is especially important for heterosexual men?

1. Engage in meaningful self-disclosure 2. Respond to each other's personal information with interest and empathy 3. (Especially important) Have to recognize that the other is being responsive

What is behavioral mimicry? Know the avatar study on page 152-3.

Matching nonverbal communication with people we are trying to connect with like similar postures, expressions, paralanguage, and mannerism

Is interpersonal distance consistent across cultures?

North America: -Intimate Distance = 0'-18' -Personal Distance = 1.5'-4' -Social Distance = 4'-12' -Public Distance = 12' and up ^No, the French, Latin, and Arabic cultures prefer shorter distances

Once you are in an established relationship, how important is reciprocal self disclosure?

Once established, we value responsiveness (support, acceptance) over reciprocity

What are secret tests? (pg. 159-60)

Tests that test lovers' fidelity and devotion

Describe the triangle test, the endurance test, and the separation test. (pg. 159-60)

The Triangle Test = Pretending there's another person that is romantically involved in relationship The Endurance Test = Act crazy and see how the person does The Separation Test = Say you're going away for 2 weeks but you're not really going away but observing what they do when you're away

In the Seder & Oishi (2012) study, how are pictures of students' smiles associated with students' lives 4 years later?

The bigger the smiles college students posted during their first semester at school, the more satisfied they were with their social lives and their college careers when they were seniors 4 years later.

Regarding nonverbal communication, who seems more talented, men or women? Who applies themselves more?

Women: -Better at reading and sending messages than men -Try harder -Still outperform men on average even when men's performance improves when their motivation is high -Appears to be a performance, not skills, deficit

Does sexual sweat smell different than non-sexual sweat?

Yes!

Do people generally prefer disclosure to be reciprocal?

Yes, we tend to match the level of self disclosure in new relationships