Amy Janan Johnson

Examining the maintenance of friendships: Are there differences between geographically close and long‐distance friends?

This study seeks to examine a relationship ignored by most communication researchers: the long‐distance friendship. In this study, geographically close friends reported more maintenance behaviors than long‐distance friends. However, no significant differences were found concerning how satisfied or close they perceive their friendship to be or whether they expected their friendship to continue. Differences in the maintenance behaviors reported for each type of friend suggest that some maintenance behaviors may be more important than others for maintaining a close, satisfactory friendship. Implications for current conceptualizations of relational maintenance are discussed.

Relational progression as a dialectic: Examining turning points in communication among friends

This study claims that relationship development can be viewed as a dialectic. Evidence for this hypothesis is obtained by examining friendships of three different intimacy levels: casual, close, and best friends. Over one-half of the friendships examined exhibited patterns of recalled relational development predicted by viewing development as a dialectic. Five trajectories for friendships were found. The most commonly reported turning points consisted of activities that the friends shared. Few differences were found between casual, close, and best friends; however, number of turning points was negatively related to satisfaction for casual friends. Implications for the conceptualization of relational development and interpersonal communication research are discussed.

The process of relationship development and deterioration: Turning points in friendships that have terminated

This study examines friendships that have ended. Five recalled trajectories for dissolved friendships were found. Certain turning points were generally associated with increases in friendship closeness, while others were associated with decreases in closeness. In addition, gender differences were found for several of the turning points reported. Implications are discussed for interpersonal communication research based on a traditional linear conceptualization of relational development and deterioration.

Beliefs about Arguing: A Comparison of Public Issue and Personal Issue Arguments

Arguments occurring in interpersonal relationships can be divided into two types: public issue arguments and personal issue arguments. This study utilizes five beliefs about arguing delineated by Rancer, Kosberg, and Baukus (1992) to examine the different beliefs individuals hold about each type of argument. Public issue arguments, which focus on issues outside of the interpersonal relationship, were reported to have higher enjoyment and a more positive effect on the self‐concept. Personal issue arguments, which relate more closely to the interpersonal relationship, were perceived as resulting in more pragmatic outcomes and higher ego‐involvement. These differences illustrate the need to examine both types of arguments to comprehensively understand arguing in interpersonal relationships.

Reported Argumentativeness and Verbal Aggressiveness Levels: The Influence of Type of Argument

Arguments in interpersonal relationships can be divided into two types: public issue arguments and personal issue arguments. This study examines the ability of type of argument, trait argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness, and gender to predict reported argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness levels related to a particular argument episode. Reported argumentativeness levels were higher in the public argument condition, and reported verbal aggressiveness levels were higher in the personal argument condition. Trait argumentativeness predicted reported argumentativeness levels better in the public argument condition than the personal argument condition, suggesting that type of argument may serve as a moderator for the relationship between trait argumentativeness levels and argument-specific argumentativeness levels. Implications for using these two scales to examine interpersonal argument are discussed.

Friendships are flexible, not fragile: Turning points in geographically-close and long-distance friendships

Prior research has characterized friendships, particularly long-distance friendships, as fragile. A turning point analysis compared changes in friendship levels for 100 college students in geographically-close (GC) and long-distance (LD) same-sex friendships. Results indicated that friendship level and commitment level are strongly and positively associated. Moreover, friendship level and proximity are interdependent with several categories of turning points. Finally, a linear sequence of shifts in friendship level is associated with both GC and LD friends, but a nonlinear sequence that includes a shift back to the casual friendship level with recovery is more typical for LD friends. Findings highlight transformation within friendships and suggest that it may be more accurate to conceptualize friendships as flexible rather than fragile.

A model for predicting stress levels and marital satisfaction for stepmothers utilizing a stress and coping approach

Drawing from a stress and coping framework and previous research regarding stepfamilies, the researchers develop and test a theoretical model predicting stepmother stress and marital satisfaction. Factors in the model include residency of the stepmothers stepchildren, whether the stepmother has biological children, social support resources, role clarity, and responsibility for household chores and stepchild care. The results indicate that the data fit the model well. By examining all of these variables in a model several advantages are achieved, including integrating and extending prior research findings on stepfamilies, comparing the relative strengths of these variables in their relationship with stress and satisfaction, and illustrating factors that can be targeted to encourage the viability of the various types of stepmother—father couples.

Promoting gun trigger-lock use: insights and implications from a radio-based health communication intervention

A radio public service announcement (PSA) focusing on the danger to children from an unlocked and loaded gun was designed and aired 340 times on three radio stations in one Michigan county. At the end of the message, individuals were given a toll-free number to call to receive a free gun trigger-lock. Three surveys were used to assess the effectiveness of this intervention: a general population telephone survey, an automated telephone survey, and a follow-up mail survey. Approximately 20 percent of individuals in the general population heard the PSA. There was a significant increase in uncued knowledge of the locking-related gun-safety practices in the treatment county between time one and time two. Further, individuals in both counties had very high levels of self-efficacy and response efficacy, moderate levels of perceived severity, and very low levels of perceived susceptibility at both points in time. Seven-hundred and ninety-nine individuals called the toll-free number to receive a free gun trigger-lock; or approximately 17 percent of gun-owning households exposed to the message. The majority of callers were males who owned guns primarily for hunting purposes and who planned to use the lock themselves. Follow-up survey results indicated that individuals were using the gun trigger-locks, and that they believed using gun trigger-locks was an easy and effective way to prevent gun injuries. Insights and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Role strain and online social support for childless stepmothers

Using Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Theory of Stress, a content analysis of 62 message sets identified role strain and social supportive behaviors utilized within an online support group for childless stepmothers. The stepmothers focused on issues related to stepchild living arrangements and interference of the biological mother. Results revealed positive correlations between stepchild investment and biological mother interference, stepchild investment, informational support, stepmother frustration and esteem support. Study implications include understanding issues and relationships that impact stepmother role strain, identifying the stress reappraisal process within actual messages written online, and focusing on the use of online social support for relationship based issues.

When Serial Arguments Predict Harm: Examining the Influences of Argument Function, Topic of the Argument, Perceived Resolvability, and Argumentativeness

This study examines features of serial arguments that predict whether these arguments lead to perceived relational harm and perceived harm to the arguing individual. Similar variables predicted perceived personal and relational harm from a serial argument. Personal-issue arguments with low levels of perceived resolvability had higher levels of perceived harm than public-issue arguments. The two types of arguments did not differ in perceived harm at levels of high perceived resolvability. Whether the argument functioned to resolve behavioral incompatibility was positively related to both relational and personal harm. The function of gaining and giving knowledge was negatively related to relational harm, and the function of portraying oneself in a positive light was positively related to personal harm. Low and conflicted-feeling moderate argumentatives had higher levels of perceived personal harm from the serial argument than high and apathetic moderate argumentatives. High argumentatives perceived less relational harm from the serial argument than low or moderate argumentatives.