Mapping the terrain of person-centered supportive conversations

ABSTRACT

This study explores the conversational terrain of supportive conversations that vary in person centeredness (PC). Our team transcribed and unitized 223 conversations in which a discloser talked about an upsetting event to a listener trained to exhibit either low (LPC), moderate (MPC), or highly person-centered (HPC) comfort. Each utterance was coded for PC with a modified version of the traditional nine-level hierarchy. HPC-coded turns comprised 24% of HPC conversations, while LPC-coded turns comprised almost half of LPC conversations. Over 95% of turns in MPC conversations were classified as MPC. Additionally, turn-level coding and global ratings of PC differentially predicted outcomes. We discuss the implications of these conversational profiles in the context of how the PC content of conversations might aid in cognitive reappraisal.

KEYWORDS:

• Emotional support
• enacted support
• person centeredness
• supportive conversations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Susanne M. Jones (Ph.D., Arizona State University) is an associate professor of communication studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN. Her research focuses on the influence of verbal and nonverbal supportive communication on emotion regulation. Her research has appeared in Communication Monographs, Communication Research, and Human Communication Research, as well as in interdisciplinary journals, such as Mindfulness.

Graham D. Bodie (Ph.D., Purdue University) is an internationally recognized expert on listening whose work has been funded by, among others, the National Science Foundation. He is currently Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi.

Lucas Youngvorst (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN) is an instructor at Normandale Community College, MN. His research focuses on the intersection of supportive communication and computer-mediated communication, examining the influence of various factors (e.g., technology, cognitive processes, and prosocial orientations) on supportive interactions. His research has been presented at various regional, national, and international conferences, and has appeared in Communication Quarterly.

Michael Navarro (M.A., Louisiana State University A&M) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication Studies at LSU A&M. His research centers on team communication and leadership roles in competitive video games, as well as the philosophical foundations for the study of computer-mediated communication.

Carly Danielson (M.A., University of Nevada, Las Vegas) is a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN.