Three variables, derived from Blau's (1955) analysis of consultation networks among federal agents and Homans' (1961) social exchange analysis, were manipulated to observe their effects on help seeking. Subjects were presented with a hypothetical situation where help was needed. Subjects indicated that they would be more likely to seek help from a…

In association with an extensive examination of the disclosure literature, this paper describes two laboratory studies designed to yield information regarding the effects of reinforcement on self-disclosing behaviors in an exchange process. In one series, the experimenters manipulated the patterns of personal reward/cost experiences, hypothesizing…

The evaluation of rewards and costs incurred in the context of interaction is central to equity and exchange theories of interpersonal behavior; however, the question of how this assessment is affected by the anticipation of future interaction has not been directly investigated. If the maintenance of equity in relationships is important, then the…

This paper tries to demonstrate the existence of social norms against self-evaluations that are more favorable than people deserve (over-evaluation of self) and evaluations of others that are less favorable than others deserve (under-evaluation of others). The norms are derived from a resource theory in which these norms are needed to protect…

Describes a group exercise based on the idea that people implicitly attempt to elicit (or pull) certain reactions from people in their everyday lives. Emphasizes the potential for adapting such an exercise to a variety of purposes. (Author)

Social exchange theory was employed to predict instigative helping behavior as a function of two types of resources available to the recipient for reciprocation (social and non-social). The possibility of influencing reciprocation of both types of resources produced significant increases in subjects' helping. (Author)

A study was conducted to examine self-disclosure as a relational control strategy in speech communication. Conversations of seven married couples were coded using L. E. Rogers-Millar's Relational Communication Control Coding Scheme and a self-disclosure coding system developed for the study. A message-by-message comparison of the codes from the…

A major problem in the study of marital interaction has been the lack of attention to contextual determinants of differences within couples' behavioral exchanges. To compare spouses' control behaviors in overt and ongoing communication as a function of both conflict and intimacy situational contexts, and to analyze the influence of spouse's role,…

This paper discusses the conceptualization of interpersonal power and offers a relational definition and measure of power. A distinction is made between "power attempts" (domineering message behavior) and "power" (transactional patterns of dominance). To test this distinction, 45 husband/wife dyads were randomly sampled from a…

Differences in responsiveness to social reinforcement associated with the race and socioeconomic status of a person are interpreted in terms of his expected outcomes and his scale of evaluation of outcomes. (JM)

The interactional aspects of support within social networks of the elderly were investigated with a particular focus on the role which reciprocal exchanges play in defining the nature of the support channeled along the links in the network. The sample consisted of 50 adults, 55-83 years of age, living in an urbanized region of North Carolina.…

The construct Interpersonal Orientation (IO) refers to the degree to which a person is responsive to the interpersonal aspects of his relationships with other people. A self-report measure of IO was devised whose construct validity was supported by correlational data. Two experiments were conducted to assess the potential usefulness of IO in…

Recent studies have investigated the transition of relationships from a more intimate to a less intimate state--the depenetration process. Various phases of interpersonal conflict in the dissolution of marital dyads have been described, and factors indicating that a marriage might be "in trouble" have been identified. Processes that are…