| The purpose of the current set of studies was to examine the effects of causal uncertainty during on-going social interactions and to identify behaviors that could account for these interpersonal difficulties.; In two studies, participants completed three conversational tasks with an unacquainted partner. In Study 1 (N = 120), participants interacted with their partner in a typical face-to-face setting, whereas in Study 2 (N = 126), they interacted via computer-mediated communication (CMC). The first conversation task was unstructured to allow participants to get to know one another, but during the subsequent tasks, each participant discussed a moderately distressing personal problem with their partner. Following each conversation, participants rated how appropriate and effective the interaction was, and following the final conversation, they also rated their partner's conversational skills.; In Study 1, participants with more causally uncertain partners were less likely to ask their partner questions or offer help, seemed less comfortable throughout the interaction, and were more rejecting of their partners. In turn, their partners rated them as less conversationally skilled and the interactions as less appropriate and effective.; In contrast, these effects disappeared in Study 2 when participants interacted via text-based CMC. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
