Agreement and accuracy in children's interpersonal perception: A social relations analysis.

Agreement and accuracy in children's interpersonal perceptions during middle childhood were studied in the school environment. Sociocultural and ecological theories led to the prediction that, in middle childhood, peers' interpersonal perceptions would show high levels of agreement with those of teachers and would be accurate. A social relations analysis of data from a 3-year, cross-sequential study revealed that throughout middle childhood, peer perceptions of cognitive ability, observable behavior and characteristics, popularity, and affect correlated reliably with teacher perceptions. In addition, peer and teacher perceptions of targets' cognitive ability correlated with standardized test scores. Self-other agreement lagged behind teacher-peer agreement. The conceptual and statistical advantages of the social relations analysis of children's interpersonal perceptions were also considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meta-accuracy among acquainted individuals: A social relations analysis of interpersonal perception and metaperception.

Meta-accuracy, knowing how others view the self, was examined using the Social Relations Model. 15 groups of 4–6 acquainted individuals gave self-ratings, perceptions of other group members, and estimated others' perceptions of self (metaperceptions) on the Big Five and Interesting. Individuals also rated liking and metaperceptions of liking. Trait perceptions were consensual, and self–other agreement emerged for most traits. Affect judgments were entirely relational; individuals differentiated among targets. Trait metaperceptions were dominated by perceiver variance. Individuals differed in the impression they believed others generally held about them. Affect metaperceptions, however, were relational in nature. Correlations between perceptions and metaperceptions assessed 2 types of meta-accuracy. Generalized meta-accuracy was obtained for some trait ratings. Affect judgments revealed significant dyadic meta-accuracy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal perception in group therapy: A social relations analysis.

Although group therapists have emphasized the importance of interpersonal perception and feedback during therapy, there has been little systematic research on how group members form impressions of one another. D. J. Kiesler's (see record 1983-30243-001) interpersonal circle provided a framework for studying interpersonal perception and relations. 27 women and 18 men from 9 time-limited therapy groups reported their impressions of their fellow group members using the Impact Message Inventory, and they also completed 2 self-report scales. A social relations analysis of this data indicated that Ss' perceptions included both assimilation and consensus. There was also a relationship between how Ss saw themselves before therapy and how they were seen by other group members. The results demonstrated the utility of the social relations model for group therapy research and provided modest support for Kiesler's interpersonal circle. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enhanced co-orientation in the perception of friends: A social relations analysis.

Newcomb's (1953) idea of co-orientation (interdependence between two persons' attitudes or perceptions) is used as a framework within which interpersonal perception between friends and acquaintances is examined. The principal question is whether co-orientation effects are stronger for friendship dyads than for acquaintance dyads. More specifically, the study examines the degree to which consensus, assimilation, self–other agreement, and assumed similarity differ. The social relations model is used to analyze a data set that included 16 living groups with 119 friend dyads and 1,668 acquaintance dyads. Results indicate that co-orientation effects are more pronounced in friendship dyads. The increment in co-orientation effects is largely due to similarities in the unique or idiosyncratic perceptions that people have of friendship pairs as well as the unique agreement about others that friends have with one another. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's interpersonal perceptions: A social relations analysis of perceiver and target effects.

Children's interpersonal perceptions in an academic context were studied from the sociocultural perspective (L. S. Vygotsky, 1978). The authors predicted that with development, judgments of classmates would show increasing impact of the stimulus target (consensus) and decreasing impact of the perceiver's effect. A social relations analysis estimated perceiver and target effects. A 3-year cross-sequential design permitted study of age differences and longitudinal consistency of the effects. Children's interpersonal perceptions were consensual in middle childhood, and target effects increased with development, whereas perceiver effects declined. Target effects were more consistent than perceiver effects across a 3-year period. Target effects for behaviorally based and environmentally cued judgments, however, were more consistent than target effects on judgments of psychological characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accuracy of behavioral predictions at zero acquaintance: A social relations analysis.

The accuracy of behavioral predictions based on minimal information was assessed using the Social Relations Model (D. A. Kenny and L. Albright; see record 1988-07424-001). 80 women in unacquainted groups of 4 completed round robin trait ratings and predictions about extraversion-related behaviors. Each S then had a 5-min videotaped 1-on-1 interaction with each of the other group members. Behaviors corresponding to those predicted were coded from the videotapes. Significant consensus was obtained for ratings of Extraversion and for behavioral predictions. Cross-partner consistency emerged for all coded behaviors. Although predictions of behavior were not accurate at the dyadic level, significant generalized accuracy did emerge. Thus, if a person was consensually predicted to be talkative, for example, that person tended to be talkative across partners. Results are discussed in relation to the accuracy of interpersonal perception and W. B. Swann's (see record 1985-04030-001) theory of pragmatic accuracy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A social relations model test of the interpersonal circle.

Argues that D. J. Kiesler's (see record 1983-30243-001) interpersonal circle theory of structure of relationships does not provide a method to distinguish between the influence of individual differences and relationship specific effects. It is suggested that D. A. Kenny and L. LaVoie's (1984) social relations model separates these effects but lacks a comprehensive guide for which domains of interpersonal behavior to study. The present authors use the social relations model to test Kiesler's proposition that complimentarity on the affiliation dimension results in correspondence, whereas complimentarity on the control dimension results in reciprocity. Round-robin analyses of variance (ANOVAs) of 16 graduate students' ratings of each other in experiential groups revealed clear support for correspondence on the affiliation dimension but inconclusive results for reciprocity on the control dimension. Making a bridge between the interpersonal circle and the social relations model highlights the potential importance of 3 perspectives toward relationships: 2 kinds of individual differences across relationships, 1-sided relationship specific effects, and mutual relationship specific effects. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negative affect and interpersonal rejection among prison inmates in a therapeutic community: A social relations analysis.

The authors used D. A. Kenny's (1994a) social relations model to examine J. C. Coyne's (1976b) interpersonal theory of depression among a clinical sample of well-acquainted prison inmates. Members of 12 therapy groups (N/&=/&142) diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder completed a self-report measure of depression and anxiety and indicated their desire to interact with other group members. There was both consensus about which group members were rejected and individual differences in the participants' reported desire for future interaction with other group members. Those reporting high levels of depressive negative affect were most likely to be rejected. Those lowest in positive affect indicated the least desire for future interaction with others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social perception and the motivational structure of interpersonal relations.

An extension of a previous research (see 28: 673). The introduction of another variable, viz., the knowledge of the result of cooperative or competitive ventures, affected the perception of the partner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intergroup perception in naturally occurring groups of differential status: A social relations perspective.

This study investigated intergroup perception in well-acquainted groups. Also of interest were the effects of a naturally occurring status differential on these perceptions. The study is framed within the social relations model, which provided a measure of in-group bias as well as 3 innovative measures of out-group homogeneity. Results indicated that low-status groups consistently displayed out-group favoritism. High-status groups displayed in-group bias, but only on ratings of leadership ability. The results also provided consistent evidence of out-group homogeneity. In instances when group status moderated out-group homogeneity effects, members of the high-status groups perceived their in-group as more variable than the out-group, whereas members of the low-status groups tended to see the in-group and out-group as equally variable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accuracy and consistency in the development of social perception.

Presented a set of simple drawings that represented personality information on the behavior of different target persons to evaluate a general paradigm for the study of developmental trends in social perception independent of language development. 50 Boy Scouts at 3 age levels (mean ages 6.5, 9.5, and 12.5 yrs) and 20 undergraduate males were asked to predict whether the target person would perform other behaviors, also represented by simple drawings. Results in each of 2 experimental conditions (red or orange booklet) show that inferential accuracy as measured by agreement with actual trait covariation increased as a function of age. Findings support the usefulness of a general paradigm for studying the development of social perception as distinguished from verbal processes. The method suggests an accuracy criterion for developmental studies of social perception. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The looking-glass self in family context: A social relations analysis.

Family relationships provide the most valid context for studying a key hypothesis of Symbolic Interaction Theory (SIT), that how one is perceived by significant others determines one's view of the self (C. H. Cooley, 1902). Implicit in this hypothesis is another hypothesis, that people are accurate in perceiving how they are perceived by others. This study investigated the accuracy of young people's perceptions of how they are viewed by their parents (i.e., metaperception accuracy). Social relations analysis (D. A. Kenny & L. La Voie, 1984) was applied to data from 51 2-parent, 2-child families. College students were accurate in their metaperceptions of father but only for perceived assertiveness. Adolescents demonstrated generalized accuracy in their metaperceptions of cooperation. The results partially support a modified version of SIT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A social relations analysis of agreement in liking judgments.

Using a round-robin design in which every subject served both as judge and target, subjects made liking judgments, trait ratings, and physical attractiveness ratings of each other on each of 4 days. Although there was some agreement in the liking judgments, most of the variance was due to idiosyncratic preferences for different targets. Differences in evaluations were due to at least 2 factors: disagreements in how targets were perceived (is this person honest?) and disagreements in how to weight the trait attributes that predicted liking (is honesty more important than friendliness?) When evaluating the targets in specific roles (as a study partner), judgments showed much greater agreement, as did the weights of the trait attributes. A 2nd study confirmed the differential weighting of trait attributes when rating liking in general and the increased agreement when rating specific roles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Authoritarianism and interpersonal perception.

This study is a replication of research concerning the relationship between authoritarianism, as measured by the California F scale and accuracy of interpersonal perception. Ss were students at Kansas State College, and the method was similar to that used previously by Scodel and Mussen and by Scodel and Freedman. Pairs of Ss discussed for 20 minutes an assigned topic after taking the F scale. After the discussion they were asked to fill out the F scale as they felt their partners in the discussion would respond to it. The previous findings were duplicated by this study. The mean estimate by high F Ss was very similar to the mean of the high F Ss' own scores, regardless of the partners' actual positions on the F scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Central relationship themes in group psychotherapy: A social relations model analysis of transference.

Group members (N = 55) in 11 therapy groups reported central relationship themes (CRTs) (wishes, responses of others, and responses of self) with other group members and with a romantic partner. Social relations model analyses were used to partition the variance in group member CRT ratings with other members into perceiver, target, and relationship plus error variance components. Significant perceiver variance in member CRT ratings was proposed to serve as a proxy for transference. Overall, significant perceiver variance and mostly insignificant target variance was found, and the perceiver effect accounted for substantially more variance than the target effect. As an exploratory question, the authors wondered to what extent relationship variance accounted for the total variance in member ratings of their CRT. Unfortunately, relationship variance could not be separated from error in this study. Relationship plus error variance accounted for, on average, 42% of the variance in scores. In addition, as a test of the social microcosm of the group theory, it was hypothesized that group member CRTs within the group would relate to member CRTs with a romantic partner outside of the group. Contrary to expectation, this hypothesis was not supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Height perception: A function of social distance.

Investigated the effects of (a) status-related ethnic membership, and (b) the prejudice of the O on height perception. Ss were 126 undergraduates who were shown slides of various objects and people in a counter-balanced fashion. It was found that height-equated individuals rated high on the Bogardus Social Distance Scale were perceived as taller than height-equated individuals rated low on the Bogardus Social Distance Scale. The implications of these findings are discussed. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consensus in interpersonal perception: Acquaintance and the big five.

Consensus refers to the extent to which judges agree in their ratings of a common target. Consensus has been an important area of research in social and personality psychology. In this article, generalizability theory is used to develop a percentage of total variance measure of consensus. This measure is used to review the level of consensus across 32 studies by considering the role of acquaintance level and trait dimension. The review indicates that consensus correlations ranged from zero to about .3, with higher levels of consensus for ratings of Extraversion. The studies do not provide evidence that consensus increases with increasing acquaintance, a counterintuitive result that can be accounted for by a theoretical model presented by D. A. Kenny (see PA, Vol 78:24173; in press). Problems in the interpretation of longitudinal research are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in interpersonal problems: A circumplex analysis.

The structure and magnitude of sex differences in interpersonal problems across several data sets were examined, guided by the interpersonal circumplex model and the structural summary method. Data were self-reported interpersonal difficulties, assessed with the 64-item version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP; L. M. Horowitz, S. E. Rosenberg, B. A. Baer, G. Ure?o, & V. S. Villase?or, 1988). In Study 1, the authors focused on sex differences at the level of specific interpersonal complaints (item level). In Study 2, the authors examined sex differences in octant scores of the IIP circumplex (scale level), in a reanalysis of archival data. The structural summary method was used to identify points of maximum difference between men and women in the interpersonal continuum and to estimate effect sizes. Results from the 2 studies converged in suggesting a dimension of difference involving problems in Hostile-Dominance vs. Friendly-Submission. The magnitude of effect size was consistent with previous reports in the personality literature. These sex differences appeared to be best explained by a one-dimensional model. Findings were generally consistent across 3 different types of samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)