This Examined Life: The Upside of Self-Knowledge for Interpersonal Relationships

Tenney, Elizabeth R.; Vazire, Simine; Mehl, Matthias R.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069605

Cited by 30 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Intraclass correlations (ICCs) based on a two-way random effects model were calculated for each coded behavior. Prior EAR studies have reported ICCs utilizing the 2, k method with values ranging from .12 for behaviors like reading to 1.0 for talking, reflecting two way random average ICCs across all raters, to which our values are comparable or better (e.g., 37, 38, 39). These reliabilities are typically high due to estimating the reliability for an average measure consisting of k codings—analogous to a questionnaire with x items.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 61%

Asthma-Related Immune Responses in Youth With Asthma

Tobin

Kane

Saleh

et al. 2015

Psychosomatic Medicine

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Objective Stressful family environments early in life have negative effects on physical health. However, less is known about the health effects of positive aspects of families. We examined the associations between maternal responsiveness and immune markers among youth with asthma and identified youth expressions of positive affect as a potential mechanism of these associations. Methods Forty-three youths with asthma (26 males; aged 10-17) wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) for four days to assess maternal responsiveness and youth expressions of affect from audio-recordings of daily life. Trained coders rated EAR sound files for expressions of maternal responsiveness and affect displayed by the youth. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, cultured, and assayed to determine stimulated levels of interleukin(IL)-5, IL-13, and interferon(IFN)- γ. Results Greater maternal responsiveness was associated with decreased stimulated production of IL-5 (r = −.38, p = .012) and IL-13 (r = −.33, p = .031). Greater total positive affect in youth was linked with decreased stimulated production of IL-5 (r = −.46, p = .002) and IL-13 (r = −.37, p = .014). Total negative affect among youth was unrelated to immune responses. There was a significant indirect effect of maternal responsiveness via positive affect in youth on lower levels of IL-5 (95% CI = −3.41, −.03) and IL-13 (95% CI = −2.34, −.01) when adjusting for caregiver-youth conflict and negative affect among youth. Conclusions These results indicate the importance of positive family interactions for youth and provide preliminary evidence for a mechanism through which parenting can influence immune responses in youths with asthma.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 61%

Asthma-Related Immune Responses in Youth With Asthma

Tobin

Kane

Saleh

et al. 2015

Psychosomatic Medicine

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“…As such, evidence for meta-accuracy, distinctive meta-accuracy and meta-insight across contexts and levels of acquaintanceship provides more evidence that people have an impressive level of social acuity. Evidence for the Accuracy Hypothesis also adds to the growing body of work suggesting that self-knowledge is a virtue in the eyes of others (Colvin et al, 1995; Tenney, Spellman, & MacCoun, 2008; Tenney et al, 2013; Ward & Brenner, 2006). Given that meta-accuracy requires insight into one’s own behavior as well as how other people might interpret that behavior differently (Carlson & Kenny, 2012; Kenny & DePaulo, 1993), meta-accuracy might explain why people with more self-knowledge tend to be liked more.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Meta-accuracy requires knowledge of one’s own behavior (Carlson & Kenny, 2012; Kenny & DePaulo, 1993), and as such, meta-accuracy might have similar interpersonal consequences as self-knowledge of behavior. People tend to like individuals more who know how they behave in everyday life, a finding that remains when controlling for the positivity of that individual’s personality (Tenney, Vazire, & Mehl, 2013). Likewise, compared to people who do not, people who do make explicit disclaimers about their flaws are liked more, suggesting that self-knowledge can attenuate the negative effects of a bad impression (Ward & Brenner, 2006).…”

Section: The Accuracy Hypothesis: Judges Enjoy Accurate Metaperceiversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meta-accuracy and relationship quality: Weighing the costs and benefits of knowing what people really think about you.

Carlson

2016

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

131

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People use metaperceptions, or their beliefs about how other people perceive them, to initiate and maintain social bonds. Are accurate metaperceptions associated with higher quality relationships? In four studies, the current research answers this question but considers the possibility that the self might not experience the same relational benefits of accurate metaperceptions, or meta-accuracy, as the people who form judgments about the self. For example, people tend to like individuals who have accurate self-perceptions, yet individuals tend to enjoy their own relationships more with people they believe see them in desirable ways. To test whether meta-accuracy is linked to relationship quality and whether this link differs for the self and others, meta-accuracy for personality traits as well as metaperceiver- and judge-reported relationship quality were assessed among new acquaintances (N = 184), peers (N = 228), friends (N = 273), and romantic partners (N = 401). Results suggested that judges enjoyed relationships more with metaperceivers who knew the impression they made, regardless of whether judges’ impressions were desirable (i.e., positive or self-verifying). Initial meta-accuracy also predicted greater relationship quality over time, suggesting that accurate metaperceptions have positive effects on relationships. In contrast, rather than enjoying relationships more when they were accurate, metaperceivers enjoyed relationships more when they believed judges perceived them in positive or self-verifying ways. Thus, meta-accuracy seems to be a virtue in the eyes of judges, but metaperceivers do not seem to reap the same benefits of knowing what others really think. Implications for improving meta-accuracy are discussed.

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“…Intraclass correlations (ICCs) based on a two-way random effects model were calculated for each coded behavior. Note that prior EAR studies (Mehl, Gosling, & Pennebaker, 2006; Mehl, Vazire, Holleran, & Clark, 2010; Tenney, Vazire, & Mehl, 2013) have reported ICCs using the 2, k method, reflecting two-way random average ICCs across raters. These reliabilities tend to be high because one is estimating the reliability for an average measure consisting of k codings, akin to a questionnaire with × items.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Naturalistically observed conflict and youth asthma symptoms.

et al. 2015

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Objective To investigate the links between naturalistically-observed conflict, self-reported caregiver-youth conflict, and youth asthma symptoms. Method Fifty-four youth with asthma (aged 10-17) wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) for a 4-day period to assess interpersonal conflict and caregiver-youth conflict as they occur in daily life. Conflict also was assessed with baseline self-report questionnaires and daily diaries completed by the youth participants and their caregiver. Asthma symptoms were assessed via daily diaries and baseline self-reports and wheezing as coded from the EAR. Results EAR-observed measures of conflict were strongly associated with self-reported asthma symptoms (both baseline and daily diaries) and wheezing coded from the EAR. Further, when entered together in regression analyses, youth daily reports of negative caregiver-youth interactions and EAR-observed conflict uniquely predicted asthma symptoms; only EAR-observed conflict was associated with EAR-observed wheezing. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the potential impact of daily conflict on youth asthma symptoms and the importance of assessing conflict as it occurs in everyday life. More broadly, they point to the importance of formulating a clear picture of family interactions outside of the lab, which is essential for understanding how family relationships “get under the skin” to affect youth health.

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This Examined Life: The Upside of Self-Knowledge for Interpersonal Relationships

Cited by 30 publications

References 48 publications

Asthma-Related Immune Responses in Youth With Asthma

Asthma-Related Immune Responses in Youth With Asthma

Meta-accuracy and relationship quality: Weighing the costs and benefits of knowing what people really think about you.

Naturalistically observed conflict and youth asthma symptoms.

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