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How do people think about interdependence? A multidimensional model of subjective outcome interdependence
Fabiola H Gerpott1, Daniel Balliet1, Simon Columbus1
1Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|September 6, 2017
Summary
People perceive social situations using five key dimensions of interdependence, not six as previously theorized. This subjective interdependence impacts emotions and cooperation, offering a new framework for social interaction research.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Interdependence is central to social interactions, with Interdependence Theory proposing six descriptive dimensions for social situations.
- Understanding how individuals perceive their interdependence within social contexts is crucial for explaining social behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether people reliably differentiate social situations based on the six dimensions of interdependence.
- To develop and validate a measure of subjective interdependence and explore its implications for emotions and cooperation.
- To compare the proposed model of subjective interdependence with the DIAMONDS model of situation construal.
Main Methods:
- Empirical examination of how individuals (in situ and ex situ) perceive interdependence in various social situations.
- Development and validation of the Situational Interdependence Scale (SIS) to measure subjective outcome interdependence.
- Analysis of factors influencing interdependence perceptions (situational cues, personality) and their impact on emotions and cooperation.
Main Results:
- Individuals reliably differentiate situations along five dimensions of interdependence: mutual dependence, power, conflict, future interdependence, and information certainty.
- The developed model of subjective interdependence significantly explains variations in experienced emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, disgust).
- Subjective interdependence accounts for 24% of the variance in cooperation, exceeding the explanatory power of the DIAMONDS model.
Conclusions:
- A five-dimensional model of subjective interdependence provides a robust framework for understanding social situation construal.
- The Situational Interdependence Scale (SIS) is a validated tool for assessing subjective interdependence across diverse contexts.
- This model enhances understanding of social interactions in close relationships, organizations, and society by linking subjective interdependence to emotional and behavioral outcomes.