The Relationship Between Perspective‐Taking and Nonaggressive Responding in the Face of an Attack

Abstract

Perspective-taking functions as an inhibitor of interpersonal aggression and as a facilitator of prosocial behavior. The present study examined the extent to which perspective-taking enhances nonaggressive responses in a situation in which people typically make aggressive responses. It also examined the relationship between perspective-taking and response to interpersonal context. Subjects participated in a reaction-time task in which they could respond either aggressively or nonaggressively in two different interpersonal contexts (i.e., the target either increased or decreased provocation during the interaction). As predicted, perspective-taking was related to the inhibition of aggressive responding and the facilitation of nonaggressive responding. In general, perspective-taking was associated with less aggression, including relatively more positive and fewer negative responses. This was especially the case in the interpersonal context in which the target had increased provocation across the trials of the task.

Clarifying the Relationship Between Ostracism and Relational Devaluation

“…Subsequent research suggests "declining evaluation, relational devaluation, is particularly distressing and seems to lead to the strongest subjective sense of rejection" (Leary et al, 2006, p. 12). It is under this meaning that relational devaluation theory incorporates gain-loss theory (Aronson & Linder, 1965), and suggests that increasingly negative evaluations are more damaging than increasingly positive evaluations (Buckley et al, 2004;Richardson, Green & Lago, 1998).…”

Perceived Dissimilarity and Perspective Taking Within Work Teams

“…Evidence also supports other ways in which perspective taking is important within groups. Perspective taking has been shown to lower interpersonal aggression (Richardson, Green, & Lago, 1998); promote "task-focused conflict" rather than the more damaging "person-focused conflict" (Sessa, 1996); promote collaborative conflict resolution styles, rather than dominating or self-focused styles (Corcoran-O'Connell & Mallinckrodt, 2000); and lead to better joint negotiation outcomes (Neale & Bazerman, 1983).…”

Empathy and conflict resolution in friendship relations among adolescents

“…However, few studies have directly addressed the role of empathic tendencies in conflict management. We found three questionnaire studies [Bjo¨rkqvist et al, 2000;Richardson et al, 1994;Rusbult et al, 1991] and two laboratory studies [Ebesu Hubbard, 2001;Richardson et al, 1998] that examined the relationship between empathic tendencies and conflict-related behaviors. All studies, except the one conducted by Bjo¨rkqvist et al, used Davis' [1983] Interpersonal Reactivity Index to assess dispositional PT and/or dispositional EC.…”