When Friends Deflect Questions about Sensitive Information: Questioners’ Cognitive Complexity and Explanations for Friends’ Avoidance

Abstract

People dealing with stressful circumstances may deflect friends’ inquiries about the situation for a variety of reasons, which could have subsequent effects on relational dynamics. This study investigated the explanations that individuals formulated about hypothetical situations in which friends indicated a desire to avoid discussing a sensitive subject. A typology of explanations for avoidance messages was developed, which indicated that common attributions centered on beliefs that the friend was avoiding the conversation in order to support avoidant coping strategies. Cognitive complexity predicted certain explanations and also indirectly predicted subsequent intent to bring up the topic through explanation diversity.

Keywords:

• Avoidance
• Cognitive Complexity
• Coping
• Interpersonal Relationships

Notes

*p < .05. **p < .01.

Note. Explanations coded as 1 for yes/present and 0 for no/absent. Control variables are problem type and message type (omitted from table). e ^B  = exponentiated B odds ratio. χ² = Hosmer and Lemeshow chi-square goodness of fit statistic.

†p = .05. *p < .05. **p < .01.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erin Donovan-Kicken

Erin Donovan-Kicken (PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin

Joseph McGlynn

Joseph McGlynn (MA, University of North Texas) is a doctoral student.

Jane C. H. Damron

Jane Damron (MA, Baylor University) is a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin and a lecturer at Baylor University. The authors extend their appreciation to Alexandra Garza, Trey Guinn, Lynsey Kluever Romo, and Lindsey Tonore for their assistance with coding.