| dc.description | Few studies have examined how positive and negative interpersonal events activate depressive vulnerability factors, like dependency and self-criticism. The current studies examined how positive, negative, and neutral (bogus) personality feedback influenced both mood and communication patterns during a conflict resolution task between members of dating couples in two studies. The data from each study were first analyzed, using traditional macro-level analytic procedures examining the mean proportions of constructive and destructive communications adopted by members of couples. In order to understand the joint effects of the experimental manipulation (bogus personality feedback), personality, and influence of partner antecedent behaviours the data were re-analyzed using micro-level analyses, which examine the pattern of communication within individual dyads. Results, using traditional analytic procedures (i.e., multiple regression) and sequential analysis, revealed that positive feedback enhanced mood and facilitated communication, whereas negative feedback depressed mood and disrupted communication. Moreover, dependency and self-criticism moderated interpersonal behaviour. Specifically, dependent participants used positive communication strategies and were less likely to verbally attack their partner following positive personality feedback. Likewise, dependent participants appeased their partners following positive personality feedback. Conversely, self-critical participants used negative communication strategies including verbal attacks, and were less likely to appease their partners following negative personality feedback. Results from study two provided a partial replication of effects observed in study one. These results support interactional frameworks in which depressive personality styles, such as dependency and self-criticism, and interpersonal events interact to regulate interpersonal behaviour and depressed mood (Santor, Pringle, & Israeli, 2000; Zuroff, 1992). | en_US |
