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Interpersonal Complementarity and Individual Differences

American Psychological Association
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Authors:
Carey Bluhm
Carey Bluhm
Carey Bluhm
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Thomas A. Widiger
Thomas A. Widiger
Thomas A. Widiger
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Gloria M. Miele
Gloria M. Miele
Gloria M. Miele
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Abstract

Interpersonal circumplex theory has predicted complementarity in interpersonal interactions to be expressed in the form of correspondence along the affiliation dimension (e.g., friendly behavior evokes friendliness) and reciprocity along the control dimension (e.g., dominance evokes submission). Prior research has supported the first prediction but not the second. It was hypothesized in this study that the inconsistent findings were due in part to the neglect of the importance of individual differences (personality) variables. Interpersonal process and individual differences variables were assessed jointly in this study, and it was found that affiliative behavior was due largely to situational (complementarity) effects and control behavior was due largely to individual differences. The results are discussed with respect to an integration of group–interpersonal process and individual differences research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
1990,
Vol. 58, No. 3,464-471Copyright 1990 by the American Psychological Association, Inc.
0O22-35I4/9O/SOO.75
Interpersonal Complementarity and Individual Differences
Carey Bluhm and Thomas
A.
Widiger
University of Kentucky
Gloria M. Miele
New School for Social Research
New
York,
New \brk
Interpersonal circumplex theory has predicted complementarity in interpersonal interactions to be
expressed in the form of correspondence along the affiliation dimension (e.g., friendly behavior
evokes friendliness) and reciprocity along the control dimension (e.g., dominance evokes submis-
sion).
Prior research has supported the first prediction but not the second. It was hypothesized in this
study that the inconsistent findings were due in part to the neglect of the importance of individual
differences (personality) variables. Interpersonal process and individual differences variables were
assessed jointly in this study, and it was found that affiliative behavior was due largely to situational
(complementarity) effects and control behavior was due largely to individual differences. The results
are discussed with respect to an integration of group-interpersonal process and individual differ-
ences research.
Interpersonal complementarity is said to exist when the be-
havior of one individual
is a
function of the behavior of another
(Carson, 1969; Leary, 1957). Investigations of interpersonal
complementarity have, for the most part, attempted to offer
predictions with respect to the interpersonal circumplex
(Kiesler, 1983). The circumplex was initially used in the repre-
sentation of interpersonal variables by Leary (1957) and his as-
sociates (Freedman, Leary, Ossorio,
&
CofFey, 1951), but it has
been revised by a number of researchers over the past 30 years
(Benjamin,
1974;
Kiesler,
1983;
Wiggins, 1982). Most interper-
sonal circumplex models represent the variables as being lo-
cated in two-dimensional Euclidean space, organized around
two principal and orthogonal axes (Wiggins, 1982). Further-
more, most of these models follow Leary in designating
the
two
principal axes as being dimensions of control (power or status)
and affiliation, where the former represents a continuum from
dominance to submission and the latter a continuum from love
to hate. Segments at other points along the circumplex repre-
sent blends of these dimensions.
Generally speaking, complementarity occurs on the basis of
reci-
procity in respect to the dominance-submission axis (dominance
tends to induce submission and vice-versa) and on the basis of cor-
respondence in respect to the hate-love axis (hate induces hate and
love induces love). {Carson, 1969, p. 112)
A number of empirical studies have produced findings relevant
This article was based on Carey Bluhm's doctoral dissertation, sub-
mitted under the supervision of Thomas
A.
Widiger to the Department
of Psychology, University of Kentucky.
We thank Mike Nietzel, Jesse Harris, Juris Berzins, and John Haley
for their comments on an earlier version of this article, and the many
undergraduate students who assisted in the data collection.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Thomas A. Widiger, 115 Kastle Hall, Psychology Department, Univer-
sity of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0044.
to
an understanding of complementarity
(Kiesler,
1983;
Orford,
1986;
Strong
etal.,
1988;
Thome,
1987).
Research
has
generally
supported the hypothesis of correspondence with respect to
affiliation, but the findings with respect to reciprocity along
dominance-submission have been inconsistent (Orford, 1986).
Orford cited a number of methodological and theoretical issues
that have contributed to the contradictory findings, including
(a) the mixing of
the
effects of the dimensions by using combi-
nations of dimensions (e.g., "hostile-dominant" rather than
"hostile"), (b) situational context or role effects that structure
interpersonal interactions (e.g., complementarity might not be
optimally tested in psychotherapy relationships where the par-
ticipants have unequal power or status), and (c) individual
differences that mediate the influence of an interpersonal
"press."
The third issue, and the one of particular interest in this
study, concerns individual differences in interpersonal style.
Style means the personality pattern of the subject, denned by
some as the central tendency of behavior exhibited in a wide
range of interactions and situations, distinguished from the be-
haviors or acts that are displayed in any particular situation
(Buss & Craik, 1983). It is logical to expect that individuals'
personality styles would influence their responsivity in interper-
sonal interactions (Kiesler,
1983).
For
example,
a dominant in-
dividual's behavior could reflect either the interpersonal press
of
a
submissive other or the individual's predisposition to be-
have in a dominant fashion (or both). Nevertheless, the influ-
ence of personality style has rarely been addressed.
It is somewhat ironic that individual differences in interper-
sonal style have been neglected in complementarity research,
because the interpersonal circumplex is a model of personality
as well as interpersonal interaction (Buss & Craik, 1983; Wig-
gins,
1980). However, for interpersonal theorists, "the most im-
portant class of situations for human behavior is that of other
persons" (Kiesler, 1982, p. 9). The self is defined with respect
464
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... Whereas the principle of interpersonal complementarity has been well corroborated with regard to the affiliation dimension (e.g., Markey, Funder, & Ozer, 2003;Markey, Lowmaster, & Eichler, 2010;Sadler, Ethier, Gunn, Duong, & Woody, 2009;Sadler & Woody, 2003), findings regarding status complementarity have been mixed. Status complementarity was found in several studies (Hopwood et al., 2018;Markey & Kurtz, 2006;Markey et al., 2010;Sadler & Woody, 2003;Tiedens & Fragale, 2003) but not in others (Becker-Beck, 1997;Bluhm, Widiger, & Miele, 1990;Jacobs, 2009;Strong et al., 1988;Wright & Ingraham, 1986). These inconsistencies might be due to (a) differences in research methods; and/or (b) failure to account for influences of personality and situation characteristics, which might influence the occurrence of interpersonal complementarity as well (e.g., if Laura was an extremely dominant person, she would be less likely to allow Shelly to be the first author on their second article, cf. ...
... These inconsistencies might be due to (a) differences in research methods; and/or (b) failure to account for influences of personality and situation characteristics, which might influence the occurrence of interpersonal complementarity as well (e.g., if Laura was an extremely dominant person, she would be less likely to allow Shelly to be the first author on their second article, cf. Bluhm et al., 1990). ...
... Complementarity of behaviors aggregated across whole interactions. At the next (lower) level of aggregation, when behaviors are aggregated across whole interactions, people's interpersonal behaviors were found to be affiliation complementary in all studies we are aware of (Bluhm et al., 1990;Jacobs, 2009;Locke & Sadler, 2007;Markey et al., 2003;Sadler & Woody, 2003;Tiedens & Fragale, 2003;Wright & Ingraham, 1986). These studies used judgments by external observers as well as mutual assessments by the interactants, and covered interactions among strangers and among persons within existing relationships. ...
Spontaneous Interpersonal Complementarity in the Lab: A Multilevel Approach to Modeling the Antecedents and Consequences of People’s Interpersonal Behaviors and Their Dynamic Interplay
Article
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  • Jan 2021
The principles of “interpersonal complementarity” posit that one person’s behavior tends to evoke reactions from others that are similar with regard to affiliation, but dissimilar with regard to status (Carson, 1969). Empirical support for these assumptions has been mixed, especially with regard to the status dimension. The present study investigated influences of level of observation (behaviors vs. traits), personality, and instructional set on complementarity. Previously unacquainted participants (N = 182) were randomly assigned to dyads who engaged in videotaped discussions with either a cooperative or a competitive framing. Their behaviors were rated every 10 s in terms of affiliation and status. We used a multilevel modeling approach that enables powerful omnibus tests of core tenets of interpersonal theory, including previously overlooked influences of person and situation, as well as time-lags. Interpersonal complementarity was found for both affiliation and status. It was highest for simultaneous behaviors, (i.e., occurring within the same 10-s interval), but for status we also found lagged effects being anticomplementary. Complementarity was also moderately predicted by some personality traits. The situational context predicted the mean levels of interpersonal behaviors but not complementarity. Concerning consequences of complementarity, the participants’ individual complementarity coefficients predicted their being liked by the interaction partner, observer judgments of their social competence, and their overall discussion performance. We clearly recommend this type of comprehensive multilevel modeling for future research into these and related issues.
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... The Interpersonal Circumplex (Estroff & Nowicki, 1992;Markey et al., 2010;Thomas et al., 2014). Notably, the degree of complementarity may be associated with situational factors, such as role discrepancy between the interactants (e.g., therapist/client; parent/child) and individual difference variables (Bluhm et al., 1990;Kiesler, 1983;Moskowitz, 1988). Despite some mixed findings (Orford, 1986), complementarity is useful such that it serves as a normative baseline for reciprocal interpersonal behavior associated with appropriate social development. ...
Video-Based Interpersonal Behavioral Evaluation (VIBE): A Novel Method for the Assessment of Interpersonal Judgment
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One barrier to fully understanding and treating the interpersonal difficulties associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders is a current lack of suitable methodology, which aligns with contemporary interpersonal theory and offers a comprehensive assessment of interpersonal judgment. Specifically, no standardized behavioral interpersonal assessment exists that assesses the accuracy and biases of both interpersonal perceptions and anticipated reactions in a dyadic interaction. The present study presents the development and initial validation of a novel methodology, the Video-based Interpersonal Behavioral Evaluation (VIBE), which (a) utilizes a dynamic (i.e., video-based) behavioral assessment method, (b) assesses the accuracy and biases of both interpersonal perceptions and anticipated reactions, and (c) aligns with interpersonal theory and the structure of the interpersonal circumplex. The VIBE is anticipated to better direct research efforts investigating the interpersonal judgments of individuals with a variety of clinical presentations and ultimately aid in the development of more specifically targeted treatment interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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... Unlike most studies in adult dyads, however, mothers and fathers both evidenced more control complementarity with their children than they did warmth complementarity (both p < .01). This finding is not consistent with past literature examining adults suggesting that control complementarity is less prevalent than warmth complementarity (Bluhm et al., 1990;Dermody, et al., 2017;Orford, 1986) nor with other research observing similar levels of complementarity across both dimensions (Markey et al., 2010;Sadler et al., 2009) but is consistent with prior work in the family context (Estlein & Theiss, 2020). Although future research should seek to confirm this interpretation, it could be attributable to familial role dynamics in parenting (i.e., parents acting as teachers and disciplinarians). ...
Interpersonal Complementarity as a Predictor of Parent–Child Relationship Quality
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2022
The parent-child relationship is critically important for children's functioning and long-term outcomes. Although typically measured by self-report or global codes in observed interactions, parent-child interactions actually occur on a moment-to-moment basis, with frequent shifts in behavior and affect happening in each member of the dyad. Even so, moment-to-moment interactions in these dyads are rarely studied. We sought to illuminate how complementarity, or the extent to which behavior in one member of the dyad shapes that of the other, impacts the quality of the parent-child relationship. Parent-child dyads in 1,030 families completed a cooperative video-recorded task, after which each member of the dyad was rated on warmth and control twice a second. Results illustrated high levels of warmth and control complementarity in parent-child relationships, with mothers showing more complementarity than fathers and greater control complementarity relative to warmth complementarity. Results showed mother-child and father-child warmth complementarity was associated with increased parent-child reciprocity, whereas mother-child and father-child control complementarity was associated with increased parent-child cooperation. In addition, father-child warmth complementarity was associated with a decrease in observed father-child conflict and an increase in father-child cooperation. Finally, father-child control complementarity was associated with a decrease in observed father-child reciprocity. However, no significant associations were found between complementarity and family reports of parental involvement or conflict with child. Results highlight complementarity as an important part of parent-child interactions but also indicate it is relationship- and domain specific. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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... incongruence/dissimilarity) argument might be justified for explicating the effect of dominant interpersonal style, supplementary (i.e. congruence/similarity) approach suggesting positive effect of similarity in dyadic characteristics proves more useful in theorizing the correspondence of other interpersonal characteristics (Bluhm et al., 1990;Kristof-Brown et al., 2005). Even though political skill acknowledges influencing others for achieving one's personal goals and interests, it also emphasizes adopting an interpersonal style which is fairly subtle, flexible and accommodating (Ferris et al., 2005), quite the opposite of being dominant, assertive, and controlling. ...
Employee‐Supervisor Political Skill Congruence and Work Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Leader‐Member Exchange Quality
Article
  • Jun 2021
This study aims to investigate the effect of employee‐supervisor political skill congruence on the quality of leader‐member exchange (LMX), which in turn influences employees’ job satisfaction and turnover intention. For this purpose, two survey studies were conducted. The first study examined the relationship between employee‐supervisor political skill congruence and LMX using multi‐source data collected from 287 employee‐supervisor dyads. The second study examined the indirect effect of congruence in political skill on work outcomes through LMX by using time‐lagged multi‐source data collected from 142 employee‐supervisor dyads. The findings indicate that compared to incongruence, congruence in political skill is associated with higher employee‐rated LMX. Moreover, among dyads with congruent political skills, congruence at high levels of political skill is associated with higher employee‐rated LMX compared to congruence at low levels of political skill. Moreover, in case of incongruency, low employee‐high supervisor political skill combination was related to higher supervisor‐rated LMX compared to high employee‐low supervisor political skill combination. Lastly, employee‐supervisor political skill congruency indirectly influences job satisfaction and turnover intention through its direct effect on employee‐rated LMX. This research significantly contributes to the political skill literature by examining potential consequences of employee‐supervisor congruence in political skill in the workplace.
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... Still other studies have suggested that complementarity can be associated with negative interactions (Orford, 1986). Individual (e.g., personality traits; Bluhm, Widiger, & Miele, 1990), dyadic (e.g., relationship quality; Dryer & Horowitz, 1997), and situational (e.g., work vs. home; Moskowitz, Ho, Turcotte-Tremblay, 2007) attributes have been shown to moderate complementarity. ...
Properties of the Continuous Assessment of Interpersonal Dynamics Across Sex, Level of Familiarity, and Interpersonal Conflict
Article
Full-text available
The Continuous Assessment of Interpersonal Dynamics (CAID) is a method in which trained observers continuously code the dominance and warmth of individuals who interact with one another in dyads. This method has significant promise for assessing dynamic interpersonal processes. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of individual sex, dyadic familiarity, and situational conflict on patterns of interpersonal warmth, dominance, and complementarity as assessed via CAID. We used six samples with 603 dyads, including two samples of unacquainted mixed-sex undergraduates interacting in a collaborative task, two samples of couples interacting in both collaborative and conflict tasks, and two samples of mothers and children interacting in both collaborative and conflict tasks. Complementarity effects were robust across all samples, and individuals tended to be relatively warm and dominant. Results from multilevel models indicated that women were slightly warmer than men, whereas there were no sex differences in dominance. Unfamiliar dyads and dyads interacting in more collaborative tasks were relatively warmer, more submissive, and more complementary on warmth but less complementary on dominance. These findings speak to the utility of the CAID method for assessing interpersonal dynamics and provide norms for researchers who use the method for different types of samples and applications.
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... Still other studies have suggested that complementarity can be associated with negative interactions (Orford, 1986). Individual (e.g., personality traits; Bluhm, Widiger, & Miele, 1990), dyadic (e.g., relationship quality; Dryer & Horowitz, 1997), and situational (e.g., work vs. home; Moskowitz, Ho, Turcotte-Tremblay, 2007) attributes have been shown to moderate complementarity. ...
Impacts of familiarity, conflict, and sex on continuous interpersonal behavior
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  • May 2018
Examines impacts of familiarity, conflict, and sex on continuously assessed behavior in dyadic interactions using the Continuous Assessment of Interpersonal Dynamics across several samples. Establishes norms and basic psychometrics for CAID while also informing factors that influence interpersonal behavior.
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... According to dominance complementarity theory, the success of interpersonal complementarity is realized through both task completion and social integration (Tidens et al., 2007). Dominance complementarity has been positively associated with task-related outcomes (Bluhm et al., 1990;Estroff & Nowicki, 1992;Markey et al., 2003;Nowicki & Manheim, 1991;Tiedens et al., 2007) and affect-based outcomes (LaPrelle, Hoyle, Insko, & Bernthal, 1990;Murray & Holmes, 1997;Nowicki & Manheim, 1991;O'Connor & Dyce, 1997;Thomas et al., 1997;Tiedens & Jimenez, 2003). Team effectiveness theory (Hackman, 1987) also stipulates that both task accomplishment and affective team experiences determine long-term work team Leader-Team Complementarity 11 effectiveness. ...
Leader-Team Complementarity: Exploring the Interactive Effects of Leader Personality Traits and Team Power Distance Values on Team Processes and Performance
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Integrating the leader trait perspective with dominance complementarity theory, we propose team power distance as an important boundary condition for the indirect impact of leader extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness on team performance through a team’s potency beliefs and through relational identification with the leader. Using time-lagged, three-source data from 71 teams, we found that leader extraversion had a positive indirect impact on team in-role and extra-role performance through relational identification, but only for high power distance teams; leader conscientiousness had a positive influence on team in-role performance through team potency, but only for high power distance teams; and leader agreeableness had a positive effect on team in-role and extra-role performance via relational identification and on team in-role performance via team potency, but only for low power distance teams. The findings address prior inconsistencies regarding the relationships between leader traits and team effectiveness, identify an important boundary condition and key team processes that bridge the links, and provide a deeper understanding of the role of leader traits in teams.
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Gross, T. (2023). Handbook for Higher Education. Vol. 1, Sociodynamics and the Theory of Mind: Scientific Foundations and Principles in Language Proficiency and Communication. Gesis. urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-91247-8.
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This handbook serves as a supportive resource for higher education courses in communication sciences and language proficiency. While it is not intended to be exhaustive, it focuses on theories and concepts, that I, through my own experience in higher education, find especially valuable. The understanding and application of the knowledge in this book have repeatedly shown to contribute to the aforementioned fields. The domain of communication is fast-paced and ever- evolving, as well as it plays a significant role in a myriad of scientific fields, such as psychology, general language education or management.
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The effects of another person's response style on interpersonal behavior in depression
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30 depressed and 30 nondepressed undergraduate women, assigned to categories on the basis of their scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and a short form of the MMPI, interacted with experimental accomplices who played various interpersonal roles during a laboratory procedure involving "cooperative problem-solving." The roles enacted were critical–competitive, supportive–cooperative, and helpless–dependent. Ss' conversational behaviors, written communications, and postencounter evaluations were analyzed as a function of the personal style portrayed by the accomplice. Results indicate that depressed Ss communicated relatively high levels of self-devaluation, sadness, helplessness, and general negative content to all accomplice roles. The critical–competitive role elicited greater extrapunitiveness among depressives than normal Ss and the helpless–dependent role elicited a greater number of negative self-statements among depressives than normal Ss. Findings are discussed in relation to interactional concepts of depressives' social functioning. (26 ref)
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A Social Relations Model Test of the Interpersonal Circle
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Argues that D. J. Kiesler's (see record 1983-30243-001) interpersonal circle theory of structure of relationships does not provide a method to distinguish between the influence of individual differences and relationship specific effects. It is suggested that D. A. Kenny and L. LaVoie's (1984) social relations model separates these effects but lacks a comprehensive guide for which domains of interpersonal behavior to study. The present authors use the social relations model to test Kiesler's proposition that complimentarity on the affiliation dimension results in correspondence, whereas complimentarity on the control dimension results in reciprocity. Round-robin analyses of variance (ANOVAs) of 16 graduate students' ratings of each other in experiential groups revealed clear support for correspondence on the affiliation dimension but inconclusive results for reciprocity on the control dimension. Making a bridge between the interpersonal circle and the social relations model highlights the potential importance of 3 perspectives toward relationships: 2 kinds of individual differences across relationships, 1-sided relationship specific effects, and mutual relationship specific effects. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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A social relations model test of the interpersonal circle.
Article
  • Jun 1986
Argues that D. J. Kiesler's (see record 1983-30243-001) interpersonal circle theory of structure of relationships does not provide a method to distinguish between the influence of individual differences and relationship specific effects. It is suggested that D. A. Kenny and L. LaVoie's (1984) social relations model separates these effects but lacks a comprehensive guide for which domains of interpersonal behavior to study. The present authors use the social relations model to test Kiesler's proposition that complimentarity on the affiliation dimension results in correspondence, whereas complimentarity on the control dimension results in reciprocity. Round-robin analyses of variance (ANOVAs) of 16 graduate students' ratings of each other in experiential groups revealed clear support for correspondence on the affiliation dimension but inconclusive results for reciprocity on the control dimension. Making a bridge between the interpersonal circle and the social relations model highlights the potential importance of 3 perspectives toward relationships: 2 kinds of individual differences across relationships, 1-sided relationship specific effects, and mutual relationship specific effects. (17 ref)
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Characteristic response modes to interpersonal situations
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Attempts to identify: (a) the main interpersonal situation-dimensions that evoke interpersonal responses, and (b) the main manifest reaction modes. An inventory consisting of 4 blocks of stimuli and 4 of responses was developed. Responses were obtained to each set of stimuli from 258 women and 253 men. The correlations among stimuli and among responses to the stimuli were factored separately by block for each sex. 3 factors were isolated within each simulus sector of control, hostility, support, and help-seeking. 3 or 4 factors were isolated within each response block. Since the findings were consistent across sex, they provide a useful scheme for conceptualizing interpersonal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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