Perceptions of interpersonal complementarity in late-middle-aged and older adults: The role of interpersonal traits and social context within an intensive ecological momentary assessment framework

Objectives: Guided by interpersonal theory, this study examined the links between everyday perceptions of interpersonal dynamics, trait-level interpersonal styles, and time-varying social contexts (i.e., with spouses, family, non-family) as they unfold in older people’s everyday life. Method: A sample of 78 late-middle-aged and older adults completed 2,739 reports of their social interactions over a one-week period (average 5.02 per day, SD = 2.95). For each report, participants recorded their perceptions of their own agentic and communal behavior, as well as that of their partner. Results: Results from multilevel modeling revealed that the complementarity in agentic behaviors was stronger when people were interacting with spouses and family members, whereas such contextual differences were not found to influence the degree of communal complementarity. Individuals with higher level trait agency tended to view their partner as more agentic across interactions with different social partners. Individuals with higher level trait communion tended to view their partner as more communal during interactions; this tendency was more pronounced when interacting with non-family members. Conclusions: The differing degrees of perceived complementarity along the dimensions of agency and communion should be understood through varying social contexts. Participants’ trait interpersonal styles tended to affect how they viewed the agentic and communal behaviors of others.

An examination of the joint effects of adolescent interpersonal styles and parenting styles on substance use

The current study examined how parenting and adolescent interpersonal styles jointly influence youths’ abilities to form close relationships – a central developmental milestone – yet avoid substance use, which predominantly occurs in the presence of peers. Nine annual waves from an adolescent sample (N = 387) were used to assess (a) combinations of interpersonal and parenting styles from early to middle adolescence using longitudinal latent profile analysis, (b) the validity of these profiles on indicators of adjustment, and (c) the relationships between the profiles and growth in substance use across adolescence as well as substance-related consequences in late adolescence. The results supported five distinct combinations of interpersonal and parenting styles, and validity analyses identified both risk and protective profiles. The protective profile submissive–communal interpersonal style + high-warmth–authoritative parenting style was associated with indicators of positive social adjustment (e.g., friendship quality, resistance to peer influence) as well as lower levels of substance use. Significant differences also emerged with respect to substance-related consequences. The findings of this study highlight how combinations of adolescent interpersonal style and parenting render adolescents more or less successful at navigating peer relationships while avoiding substance use behaviors.

Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Styles Questionnaire for Physical Education in a Mexican Sample

During physical education classes, one of the contextual factors that can influence motivation is the teacher’s interpersonal style. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties, structure, and factorial invariance across gender of the physical education teachers’ Interpersonal Styles Questionnaire of Sonora, Mexico. The participants were 500 students (50.8% boys, 49.2% girls) aged between 9 and 13 years old (mean age (Mage) = 10.72; standard deviation (SD) = 0.74) from different elementary schools of Sonora, Mexico. In terms of measuring the teacher’s interpersonal styles, the short version of the Learning Climate Questionnaire was used to measure autonomy support, whereas the Teacher Controllingness Scale was used to measure controlling style. The results support the structure and factorial invariance across gender groups of the Mexican version of the Interpersonal Styles Questionnaire for Physical Education (Cuestionario de Estilos Interpersonales en la Educación Física (CEI-EF, by its initials in Spanish)). In conclusion, the CEI-EF is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to assess the teachers’ interpersonal styles and draw comparisons between groups of boys and girls.

Factor Structure and Convergent Validity of the Portuguese version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems – 32

The identification of dysfunctional patterns in individuals’ interpersonal interactions is a cornerstone of psychotherapy. The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32) is one of the most used measures to explore individuals’ interpersonal styles. However, an IIP-32 Portuguese version is missing. Therefore, this study describes a preliminary psychometric study of an IIP-32 Portuguese version in a nonclinical sample. In a cross-sectional correlational design, 250 participants (M age = 20.67, SD = 4.88, males = 33, females = 217) were assessed with self-report questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), convergent, and divergent validities of the IIP-32 were tested with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Relationships with symptomatology were also tested with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-53). The EFA showed a theoretically coherent eight-factor structure. Almost all of the IIP-32 subscales were positively correlated with personal discomfort and with BSI-53 subscales. Vindictive/self-centred, socially inhibited, domineering/controlling and self-sacrificing subscales predicted symptomatology. Promising preliminary psychometric properties were found that may support the IIP-32 as a reliable instrument to assess interpersonal styles. However, more research is required to deepen the analysis of the IIP-32 in the Portuguese population.