The impact of social style upon person perception in primary relationships

Abstract

The concept of social style, or the observable style of communication behavior exhibited by each individual, was introduced. Two primary dimensions of communication behavior were identified: assertiveness and responsiveness. Combinations of high and low levels of each dimension yield four styles: expressive, driving, amiable, and analytical. Hypotheses were presented which suggest that the consequences of social style include varying person perceptions. These perceptions included versatility, trust, credibility, power, attraction, and similarity. Finally, it was suggested that style is stable for an individual across situations and contexts. Two hypotheses were derived in order to test the relationships between social style and person perception and a research question was posed in regard to the assumption of stability. One hundred sixty‐two people had acquaintances, friends, and co‐workers fill out the research instrument. The total N for the study was approximately 375. Results indicated that in those cases where measurement met a priori standards, hypotheses were supported. The only exception was that style did not result in differences in perceptions of the composure dimension of credibility. The notion of stability was also supported by the data.