![Sample our Communication Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, 2013 & 2014 volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5927/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Information-Science2.jpg"})
Abstract
Integrative interpersonal theory implies that relational uncertainty may play a role in the reassurance-seeking and negative feedback-seeking behavior of people with depressive symptoms. We sought to extend the theory by (a) documenting how individuals with depressive symptoms communicate under conditions of relational uncertainty, (b) evaluating actor and partner effects, and (c) utilizing observational measures of reassurance-seeking and negative feedback-seeking. Sixty-nine romantic couples engaged in 50 minutes of conversation rated by independent judges. Multilevel modeling results indicated that the depressive symptoms of actors and partners were the primary predictor of an actor's reassurance-seeking, but an actor's relational uncertainty was the primary predictor of an actor's negative feedback-seeking. The findings illuminate the interplay among depressive symptoms, relational uncertainty, and communication.
Acknowledgments
The project was funded in part by the Randy Gerson Memorial Research Award granted to the second author by the American Psychological Foundation. The authors are grateful to Emmelyn Joy, Christine Kim, Lindsay Kessler, Amy Lindgren, Morgan Pick, Amber Rudolphi, Jessica Victor, and Sarah Viktora for rating the conversations.
Notes
1. The enduring, repetitive, and relentless nature of reassurance-seeking behavior distinguishes it from people's functional attempts to gain social support (Joiner et al., 1999, p. 274; Katz & Joiner, 2001).
2. Couples who qualified for a second study of treatment outcomes for depression received 16 sessions of free conjoint psychotherapy for participating in both studies. Couples who did not qualify for the second study, or who declined to enroll in the second study, received $100 in exchange for their participation in this study.
3. Despite high positive correlations among the self, partner, and relationship sources of relational uncertainty, results of confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the 12 items did not form a unidimensional factor. These findings are consistent with both theoretical conceptualizations of the construct (Berger & Bradac, 1982; Knobloch & Solomon, 1999) and all previous tests of the factor structure of the items (for review, see Knobloch, 2007). Accordingly, we retained self, partner, and relationship uncertainty as unique variables but considered them in separate analyses to avoid multicollinearity (following Knobloch, 2006, 2008).
4. Marital status (married vs. dating or cohabitating) was not a statistically significant predictor in any of the multilevel models.
5. These analyses share some overlap with those reported by Knobloch and Knobloch-Fedders (2010).
6. Findings for all of the hypotheses and research questions were very similar for (a) the subsample of 55 couples in which one or both partners reported at least mild to moderate depressive symptoms, and (b) the subsample of 61 couples in which one or both partners reported at least mild to moderate depressive symptoms or substantial relationship distress.