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Awareness of interpersonal style and self-evaluation
1Department of Psychology, Emory University, USA.
The Journal of Social Psychology
|August 1, 1997
Summary
Self-perception mismatches in interpersonal style correlate with psychological distress. Discrepancies, particularly underestimating one's dominance compared to others' perceptions, significantly relate to increased anxiety and depression symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Interpersonal theories posit a link between self-other discrepancies in interpersonal style and psychological distress.
- Previous research suggests that incongruence between self-assessment and external perceptions may lead to negative psychological outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between self-other discrepancies in interpersonal style and psychological distress.
- To examine whether specific types of discrepancies, such as perceived dominance, are more strongly associated with distress.
Main Methods:
- 32 female undergraduate students completed the Interpersonal Checklist (ICL) and Symptom Distress Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R).
- Participants interacted, and their communication was recorded via videotape and transcripts.
- Independent raters assessed participants' interpersonal styles from transcripts/videos, creating a self-other discrepancy score.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were found between self-other discrepancies and SCL-90-R scores for Positive Symptom Total, Global Severity Index, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Anxiety, and Depression.
- The association between discrepancy and distress was particularly pronounced when participants perceived themselves as less dominant than raters perceived them.
Conclusions:
- The study supports the hypothesis that discrepancies between self-perception and others' perceptions of interpersonal style are linked to psychological difficulties.
- The findings highlight the specific role of perceived dominance discrepancies in exacerbating psychological distress, particularly when individuals underestimate their own dominance.