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“We never talk about that”: A comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Tatianna Smith and Ashley Allen.
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“We never talk about that”:Acomparison of cross-sex friendshipsand dating relationships on uncertaintyand topic avoidance Tatianna Smith and Ashley Allen Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Video Clip http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-be-just-friends Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Introduction Study of cross-sex friendships and their elevated levels of uncertainty and topic avoidance. Relationship between uncertainty and topic avoidance. Comparison of cross-sex friendships with dating relationships. Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Hypotheses • H1: There is a positive linear relationship between degree of uncertainty and amount of topic avoidance. • H2: Members of cross-sex friendships experience higher uncertainty regarding relational state than do members of dating relationships. • H3: Members of cross-sex friendships avoid discussion of relational state to a greater extent than do members of dating relationships. Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Method Sample • 72 Cross-Sex Friendship Pairs & 39 Dating Pairs • Had to know friend and/or partner for 2 months • Undergrad College Students 18-42 years old. • 86% were Caucasian & 9% were Hispanic • Satisfaction levels were measured for both friends and daters *On a 1 and 7 point scale, average satisfaction was 5 Procedure • Participants completed two surveys independently • 1st survey: taken at home and mailed in to the experimenters • 2nd survey: taken in laboratory with experimenter present • Participants were interviewed together for 20 minutes about issues of topic avoidance. Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Measures • 1st survey measured: general uncertainty, relational state uncertainty, relational satisfaction, jealousy experience, and social desirability. • 2nd survey measured: jealousy expression, topic avoidance, romantic interest, and relational closeness. • All scales were measured using 7-point Likert-type scales. • One dyad was removed from sample due to an event that occurred after 1st survey that would alter response on 2nd survey. Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Results Means for topic avoidance by relationship type Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Critical Review Strengths • Controlled for satisfaction in both relationships. (in relationships where people weren’t satisfied they would have uncertainty and topic avoidance due to lack of communication, not other factors) • Multiple measures (two separate surveys and an interview with experimenter) • Large sample size of over 100 participants Weaknesses • Methods section was unclear on how experimenters distributed the surveys • Primarily used Caucasian and Hispanic participants in the study • Used other study’s measures and did not operationally define the measures Afifi, W.A., & Burgoon, J.K. (1998). “We never talk about that”: A Comparison of cross-sex friendships and dating relationships on uncertainty and topic avoidance. Personal Relationships, 5, 255-272.
Test Questions 1. Which issue was not measured in the study: a) topic avoidance b) general uncertainty c) sexual fidelity d) romantic interest 2. How long did the participants have to know their friend or partner for in order to participate in the study? a) 2 months b) 8 months c) 1 year d) 5 years 3. Dating relationships, in comparison to cross-sex friendships, avoided discussion more on the topic of a) Relational state b) Opposite Sex Friendships c) Same Sex Friendships d) Relational Norms 4. (T/F) The study focused on same-sex friendships and their elevated levels of uncertainty and topic avoidance. 5. (T/F) Members of cross-sex friendships avoid discussion of relational state to a greater extent than do members of dating relationships. 6. (T/F) The procedure in the study consisted of distributing two surveys and giving one interview.