Men’s and women’s evaluations of communication skills in personal relationships: When sex differences make a difference—and when they don’t

Abstract OnlyMuch recent research on gender and communication has emphasized differences in men's and women's communicative conduct, with some theorists going so far as to claim that men and women constitute different cultures. However, comparatively little research has assessed both similarities and differences in men and women's communication to determine whether the sexes are more alike or different. The present paper provides such assessments with respect to men's and women's evaluations of the importance of diverse communication skills in two relationships, friendship and romance. Two studies are reported. In Study 1, participants (N = 382) evaluated the importance of eight communication skills in same-sex friendships. Results indicated that although females rated affectively oriented communication skills as somewhat more important than males and males rated instrumentally oriented skills as somewhat more important than females, both males and females overwhelmingly viewed affectively oriented skills as more important than instrumental skills. Study 2 sought to replicate and extend the findings of Study 1 by having participants (N = 685) evaluate the importance of eight communication skills for either same-sex friendship or opposite-sex romances. Results virtually identical to those of Study 1 were obtained in Study 2 for both friendship and romance. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of communication in personal relationships and the different cultures perspective

Which comforting messages really work best? A different perspective on Lemieux and Tighe’s “receiver perspective”

Abstract OnlyThis article responds critically to a recent article by Lemieux and Tighe (Communication Research Reports, 21, 144–153, 2004) in which the authors conclude that recipients of comforting efforts prefer messages that exhibit a moderate rather than high level of person centeredness. It is argued that an erroneous assumption made by Lemieux and Tighe about the status of “receiver perspective” research on the comforting process led to faulty interpretations of the data and unwarranted conclusions about recipient preferences regarding comforting messages. Alternative interpretations of Lemieux and Tighe's data are presented; these are guided by the extensive previous research that has assessed evaluations and outcomes of comforting messages

How Gender and Cognitive Complexity Influence the Provision of Emotional Support: A Study of Indirect Effects

The current study examined the extent to which cognitive complexity—a well known predictor of message behavior—mediated sex differences in the production of person-centered comforting messages. Two hundred and eight students (102 men and 106 women) representing a variety of majors at a large midwestern university participated in the study. They responded to Crockett\u27s (1965) Role Category Questionnaire (a measure of cognitive complexity) and three hypothetical situations designed to elicit their levels of comforting ability. Responses to the comforting scenarios were coded for their degree of person-centeredness (Burleson, 1984). Results demonstrated the partial mediating effects of cognitive complexity. However, the effects of sex were large and remained significant even when controlling for complexity

Toward a Broader Conceptualization of Jealousy in Close Relationships: Two Exploratory Studies

The study of jealousy is typically restricted to the examination of a third-party threat to one\u27s romantic relationship. In contrast to this rather narrow view, two studies were undertaken to examine the possibility (a) that individuals experience jealousy over a variety of issues, and (b) that jealousy-of any type-occurs and is expressed in non-romantic relationships such as cross-sex friendship. The goal of Study I was to assess the realism of hypothetical situations representing six different types of jealousy suggested within the literature. These included: friend jealousy, arising from an individual\u27s relationships with friends; family jealousy, arising from a partner\u27s relationships with family members; activity jealousy, occurring when a partner is involved in activities such as school, work, or hobbies; power jealousy, arising from influence over a partner being lost to others; intimacy jealousy, arising when one feels that more advice is sought from or disclosed to others; and romantic jealousy, involving a (perceived) third-party threat to a relationship\u27s exclusive nature. In Study II, participants were presented with the finalized versions of these jealousy-evoking scenarios and asked to imagine their cross-sex friends engaging in such behavior. Respondents then rated the degree of jealousy-related emotions they would experience in response to each situation and reported how they would express such jealousy. Results indicated that individuals\u27 emotional reactions and response modes differed according to the type of jealousy encountered. In particular, participants reported the most intense reactions to intimacy jealousy and felt that it was best dealt with by direct modes of communication. Implications of these findings for the study of jealousy in close relationships are discussed