Emotional responses during communicational comfort: the effect of personality through the prism of process communication model

Abstract

The present study investigated the link between personality and emotional response modulation during an interview. Ninety participants were filmed responding to different processes of communication: they were asked to respond to questions that required them to answer with either facts or opinions. Emotionally-tinged and complicit exchanges were proposed and directive ways of communicating were offered so as to get them into action or to appeal to their imagination. Their skin conductance responses were recorded at the same time. Personality traits were assessed through process communication model (PCM) questionnaire. The results suggested that everybody could receive each process, nevertheless, emotional responses varied according to PCM Base Type. Although only Persister Base participants showed significant differences from all other Base Types, we observed that participants’ emotional responses were modulated according to the different processes sent: offering a connection through opinions generated a high emotional response, as did create intimacy, while participants had a low emotional response when asked to visualise a situation by projecting themselves. These results reinforce the idea that adapting one's communication to one's interlocutor personality enables easier exchanges in dual communication situations. What's more, respecting inter-individual differences fosters greater tolerance, while increasing everyone's relational agility.