This study investigated the influences of three situational variables and interpersonal construct difierentiation on the use of face-saving strategies. Spenkers carried out role-play persuasive tasks that were varied on the dimensions of speaker power, request magnitude, and familiarity. The resulting messages were coded for the dominant lewls ofautonomy grantingandpositive facesupport provided to the target. Speakersprovided more face support when they had relatively little power. Furthermore, this effect was stronger for positive face support than for autonomy granting. Speakers also granted more autonomy when making large requests, especially when they had relatively little power. With respect tofamiliarity, speakers provided less face support to familiar targets when small requests were involved but provided more face support when making large requests. The study alsofound several interactions between construct dqferentiation and the situational factors. The theoretical implications of thesefindings are discussed.
This study examines three cognition-based theoretical explanations fir variations in verbal disagreement tactics. "he cognitive requirements ofcompetent message production in conflict situations are examined jrst. Then the relative success of (a) an individual difference explanation (based on constructivist logic), (b) a situated cognition explanation (based on planning theoy), and (c) a hybrid explanation in accounting for the use ofcompetent verbal disagreement tactics is assessed. Results based on analysis of 40 dyadic interactions indicated that planning measures are strongly correlated with use of integrative conflict tactics. In addition, the individual difference measure (i.e., the Role Categoy Questionnaire) was strongly associated with the quality of plans. Results are interpreted as evidence of the need for integrative models that link individual differences in social cognition, conversational plans, and message behavior.he study of cognitive processes and structures by interpersonal communication researchers has long been advocated as a way T to develop theories of message production (Berger, 1988b, in press;Hewes & Planalp, 1987). Cognition-based theories promise to account for variation in tactical message behavior rather than simply describe the tactical options available in communication situations (Berger, in press). However, despite much theoretical speculation about cognitive structures and processes, this potential has yet to be fully realizedperhaps because cognitive researchers have failed to ground their studies in a careful analysis of the cognitive requirements of communication tasks (O'Keefe, 1992) and have rarely studied cognition in the context of natural conversation . Accordingly, conceptual and Vincent R. Waldron is an associate professor of communication studies at Arizona State University West. lames L. Applegate is professor of communication at the University of Kentucky, The authors would like to thank Ed Woods for his assistance with data collection and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.
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