Relational characteristics of language: Elaboration and differentiation in marital conversations

Sillars, Alan L.; Shellen, Wesley N.; McIntosh, Anne; Pomegranate, Maryann

doi:10.1080/10570319709374587

Cited by 86 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

104

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Finally, Simmons et al (2005) found a positive relationship between first person singular use in marital interactions and relationship satisfaction. In contrast, Sillars, Shellen, McIntosh and Pomegranate (1997) reported a negative correlation based on a slightly different design.…”

mentioning

confidence: 78%

How Taking a Word for a Word Can Be Problematic: Context-Dependent Linguistic Markers of Extraversion and Neuroticism

Mehl

Robbins

Holleran

2013

JMMSS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study conceptually extends recent research on linguistic markers of psychological processes by demonstrating that psychological correlates of word use can vary with the context in which the words are used. The word use of 90 participants was analyzed across two theoretically defined communication contexts. Information about participants' public language use was derived from recorded snippets of their daily conversations with others. Information about their private language use was derived from stream-of-consciousness essays. Personality trait-word use associations emerged as highly context dependent. Extraversion as a public trait was related to verbal productivity in public but not private language. Neuroticism as a private trait was related to the verbal expression of emotions in private but not public language. Verbal immediacy was indicative of Extraversion in public and Neuroticism in private language use. The findings illustrate the importance of considering communication contexts in research on psychological implications of natural language use.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 78%

How Taking a Word for a Word Can Be Problematic: Context-Dependent Linguistic Markers of Extraversion and Neuroticism

Mehl

Robbins

Holleran

2013

JMMSS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Proportionately greater use of 'I' has been found to be associated with poorer relationship quality within couples in some research, such as lower marital satisfaction [35] and low involvement in dyadic communicative interaction [36]. These researchers, along with Williams-Baucom, Atkins, Sevier, Eldridge, and Christesen [37], concluded that proportionately greater use of 'We' and lesser use of 'I' seem to be linguistic indicators of higher quality and stability of a couple's relationship.…”

Section: Narratives -The Language Of Memoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Language of Memory: Narrating Memories of Parents and Friends

Smorti¹,

Peterson²,

Tani³

2016

TOPSYJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The purpose of this study was to compare narrated memories of parents and friends, recounted by both males and females. A total of 177 Italian undergraduates were asked to recall and to write in detail one relevant memory regarding their relationship with either parents or friends during adolescence. Half of the participants wrote a narrative about parents and half about friends. Narratives were examined using both a content and a lexical linguistic method of analysis.The results showed that the language of memories was substantially influenced by the identity of the social partners that were part of the remembered events. In particular the ratio of negative emotion words to all words and the use of 'I' personal pronouns were higher when participants recounted memory narratives about parents rather than friends, and 'We' was used more in narratives about friends. Gender differences were found as well. The authors interpret the results as suggesting that the language of memory is affected by the type of interpersonal relationship that exists between the narrator and the other participants in the remembered events as well as by the gender of the narrator. In other words, memory narratives both reflect and are influenced by the relationships within which an individual is embedded.

show abstract

“…"We"-talk in couples was related to higher commitment (Agnew, Van Lange, Rusbult, & Langston, 1998), positive changes of symptoms in patients with heart failure (Rohrbaugh, Mehl, Shoham, Reilly, & Ewy, 2008), better health related behavior in patients with problematic alcohol use (Rentscher et al, 2015) and in smokers with lung problems (Rohrbaugh, Shoham, Skoyen, Jensen, & Mehl, 2012), better dyadic adjustment in couples (Robbins, Mehl, Smith, & Weihs 2013), and more positive solutions when discussing the top issue facing their relationship (Simmons et al, 2005). "We"-talk has been studied in conflict situations and found to be related to less negative emotion in middle-aged and old couples (Seider, Hirschberger, Nelson, & Levenson, 2009) and it was related to high relationship satisfaction in couples (Sillars et al, 1997). However, in the study of Seider et al, (2009) "we"-talk of the spouses was not related to the relationship satisfaction of couples.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of "You"-words such as "you" and "yours" in couple and family conversations has been linked with the notion of separateness, distancing, arguing, and blaming (Georgiou, Black, & Narayanan, 2011), and was related to less family adjustment (Robbins, Mehl, Smith, & Weihs, 2013), less marital satisfaction in middleaged/old couples and in young couples (Sillars et al, 1997;Slatcher, Vazire, & Pennebaker, 2008), and more negative behaviors in marital interactions (Simmons, Gordon, & Chambless, 2005). Thus, "you"-talk in conflict situations seems to be an indicator of confrontational communication behaviors.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Monitoring Pronouns in Conflicts

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Conflict communication represents a basic process for the quality of intimate relationships, which is fundamental to well-being over the lifespan. This study investigates the temporal unfolding of different relational perspectives during a conflict situation by monitoring pronoun use in young, middleaged, and old couples within the theoretical framework of Gottman's phases of conflict. Our results reveal different trajectories of "I"-, "you"-, and "we"-talk over a conflict conversation in both partners. These trajectories differ between females and males. Furthermore, "you"-talk and "we"-talk differed among the age groups over time. Understanding the temporal dynamics of marital communi-cation as reflected by pronoun use seems promising for a better understanding of conflict related processes in couples over the lifespan. MONITORING PRONOUNS IN CONFLICTS 2 AbstractConflict communication represents a basic process for the quality of intimate relationships, which is fundamental for well-being over the lifespan. In this study the temporal unfolding of different relational perspectives during a conflict situation is investigated by monitoring pronoun use in young, middle-aged and old couples within the theoretical framework of Gottman's phases of conflict. Our results reveal different trajectories of "I"-, "you"-, and "we"-talk over a conflict conversation in both partners. These trajectories differ between females and males. Furthermore, "you"-talk and "we"-talk differed between age groups over time. Understanding the temporal dynamics of marital communication as reflected by pronoun use seems promising for a better understanding of conflict related processes in couples over the lifespan.

show abstract

Relational characteristics of language: Elaboration and differentiation in marital conversations

Cited by 86 publications

References 35 publications

How Taking a Word for a Word Can Be Problematic: Context-Dependent Linguistic Markers of Extraversion and Neuroticism

How Taking a Word for a Word Can Be Problematic: Context-Dependent Linguistic Markers of Extraversion and Neuroticism

The Language of Memory: Narrating Memories of Parents and Friends

Monitoring Pronouns in Conflicts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About