The Relationship between Self- and Other-Perceptions of Communication Competence and Friendship Quality

Abstract

This study explored dyadic effects of communication competence, assessed through self-perceptions and other-perceptions, on relationship quality in same-sex platonic friendships. Undergraduate students recruited a same-sex platonic friend to participate in this study along with them. Participants (N = 310; dyads = 155) completed an online questionnaire assessing their own and their partner's communication competence as well as their own relationship satisfaction and commitment. Results from actor-partner interdependence model analyses revealed both actor and partner effects for self-perceptions and other-perceptions of communication competence on relationship satisfaction and commitment. Additionally, partners’ other-perceptions of communication competence moderated the relationship between actors’ other-perceptions of communication competence and relationship commitment.

Keywords:

• Commitment
• Communication Competence
• Friends
• Perceptions
• Satisfaction

Notes

Note. CC = communication competence; ICC = intraclass correlation.

Note. CC = communication competence; correlations of Friend are below the diagonal and correlations above the diagonal are in reference to Student.

*p < .05. **p < .01.

Note. CC = communication competence; there are no differences in the correlations above and below the diagonal: They all indicate Friend by Student ratings of self, partner, and relationship.

^* p < .05. **p < .01..

Note. CC = communication competence; Table values (B) are unstandardized coefficients.

*p < .05. **p < .001. ^a p < .10.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Analisa Arroyo

Analisa Arroyo is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at University of Arizona.

Chris Segrin

Chris Segrin is a Professor in the Department of Communication at University of Arizona.