Michael E. Roloff

The chilling effect of aggressive potential on the expression of complaints in intimate relationships

This study examined relationships between a partners aggressive potential and the expression of complaints about that partners controlling behaviors. A two‐part survey of 160 college students involved in dating relationships solicited information about relational dependence, unexpressed complaints, and a partners potential for aggression. As expected, anticipating aggressive repercussions was associated with withholding complaints about controlling behaviors (p < .01), but was not correlated with other types of unexpressed grievances. This chilling effect was greater when individuals who generally feared conflict anticipated aggressive repercussions (p < .001), and when people anticipated symbolic aggression from relationally independent partners (p < .05). An individuals own relational dependence also influenced the magnitude of this chilling effect (p < .05). The implications of these findings for the management of relational difficulties and interpersonal aggression are discussed.

Why Teleworkers are More Satisfied with Their Jobs than are Office-Based Workers: When Less Contact is Beneficial

This study challenges assumptions regarding the value and necessity of frequent face-to-face workplace interaction by building upon a theoretical framework for the consequences of telecommuting. Using a multiple mediation approach and path analysis, the study examines the extent to which telework affects job satisfaction through the experiences of work–life conflict, stress due to meetings and interruptions, perceived organizational politics, and information exchange. Results reveal that high-intensity teleworkers (n=89) are more satisfied than office-based employees (n=103) and achieve significant benefits from their work arrangement, with work–life conflict most influential toward job satisfaction. The path model reveals more complex indirect paths linking telework and job satisfaction.

Communication Processes Leading to Integrative Agreements Three Paths to Joint Benefits

Increasingly, conflict researchers are turning their attention to strategies that promote mutually satisfying solutions to problems. They have postulated a variety of communication models to explain the emergence of integrative agreements, but thus far the precise nature of these processes has not been directly verified. After identifying three such models and subjecting them to empirical verification, we found that communication processes both predicted integrative outcomes and mediated the influence of aspirations on integrative outcomes. However, contrary to earlier suppositions, joint concern for ones own and ones partners needs did not play an instrumental role in any of the communication sequences examined.

Sense-making activities and interpersonal conflict: Communicative cures for the mulling blues

Cognitive and communicative activities directed toward understanding disputes in ongoing relationships are argued to influence perceptions of problem seriousness and partner responsibility. In the present study, results associated with major conflicts suggest mulling about disputes increases perceived severity of conflicts and the likelihood partners are blamed. Frequent communication activity and integrative interactions attenuated the negative effects of prolonged thought, whereas discussions characterized by distributiveness magnified the repercussions associated with conflict related thought. These relationships were not apparent in minor problem contexts, and avoidant behaviors during conflict interactions had no effect on the impact of mulling. Discussion of implications focuses on the impact of sense‐making activities on defining conflicts, conflict resolution strategies, and directions for future research.

The Role of Efficacy and Outcome Expectations in the Decision to Withhold Relational Complaints

A growing body of research demonstrates that intimates do not always confront their partners with grievances. Although useful, the extant research has not looked to the fundamental, goal-oriented nature of confrontation for factors that explain why intimates are unwilling to confront their partners. This study examines the extent to which an individuals outcome expectations (i.e., confidence that a given behavior will yield a particular outcome) and efficacy expectations (i.e., confidence that he or she can enact the relevant behavior) predict the likelihood that a confrontation will take place.

Tops, bottoms and versatiles

Amongst gay men, the self-label – top, bottom or versatile – reflects the sexual role preference during anal intercourse. This study explored whether this label could predict preferences for other sexual behaviors and the roles within those behaviors. First, the accuracy of the sexual self-label was tested. We confirmed that tops strongly preferred insertive anal intercourse; bottoms, receptive anal intercourse; and versatiles, both behaviors. Further tests showed that sexual self-label was indeed correlated with corresponding roles within sexual behaviors aside from intercourse, e.g. insertive urination or receptive fisting. About 75% of these sexual behaviors followed posited trends: tops being insertive; bottoms, receptive; and versatiles, between the two. Finally, within groups, tops were found to strongly prefer playing insertive rather than receptive roles; bottoms strongly prefer playing receptive to insertive roles; and versatiles were found to have an equal preference for playing both.

Reasons for Remaining in a Relationship and Responses to Relational Transgressions

Although relational transgressions constitute a potential relational threat, research suggests that some relationships survive them. However, few studies inform as to why individuals try to maintain these relationships, and the impact of their reasons on how they react to transgressions. We report the results of a study among undergraduates in dating relationships that examines staying in a relationship with a transgressor due either to fear of losing a partner or to emotional involvement, and cognitive and communication responses to a transgression. As predicted, staying in such a relationship due to fear of losing ones partner was associated with a variety of negative responses, whereas staying because of emotional involvement was related to positive reactions. Implications of these findings for future research and conflict management are discussed.

Correlates of the Perceived Resolvability and Relational Consequences of Serial Arguing in Dating Relationships: Argumentative Features and the Use of Coping Strategies

Sometimes partners do not resolve an argument in a single episode and engage each other in serial arguing as they repeatedly confront one another over the problem. This study concerns how features of argumentative episodes and coping strategies enacted between episodes are related to perceived resolvability and relational quality. A survey of undergraduates in dating relationships indicated that engaging in relationally confirming behavior during argumentative episodes and making optimistic relational comparisons between episodes were positively related to perceived resolvability and negatively related to relational harm arising from arguing. Although other argumentative features and coping strategies were sometimes related to resolvability and relational harm, relational confirmation and optimistic comparisons were more strongly associated with both.

Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage

Negative attitudes of heterosexual people toward same-sex marriage relate to the degree to which they are homophobic. However, it has been understudied whether there exists a gender difference in this association. Our results indicated that homophobia was the best predictor of attitudes toward gay male and lesbian marriage, and this was equally true for both heterosexual men and women. However, the attitudinal difference between gay male and lesbian marriage was related to homophobia in men but not in women. That is, for men only, being less homophobic toward lesbians than toward gay men was associated with favoring lesbian over gay men marriage. Considering these results, the role of gender in attitudes toward same-sex marriage seems to be as an important moderator of homophobia.

The influence of dogmatism on the situational use of pro‐ and anti‐social compliance‐gaining strategies

This study examined the influence of dogmatism on a persons decision to employ compliance‐gaining strategies. Subjects indicated the likelihood they would use sixteen techniques for long‐ and short‐term consequence rewards in interpersonal and non‐interpersonal relationships. The sixteen techniques were placed into two categories: pro‐social strategies and anti‐social strategies. Dogmatism was correlated with the general use of all strategies. A significant main effect was observed for dogmatism. High dogmatics were significantly more active in compliance‐gaining activity than low dogmatics. The interaction among dogmatism, relationships and compliance‐gaining strategies approached significance. Differences were observed in the use of specific compliance‐gaining strategies within and between relationships by dogmatics. When examining long‐and short‐term consequence rewards, high dogmatics were found to be more active in compliance‐gaining activity than low dogmatics.