Experimental Studies of Interpersonal Interaction

Abstract

This paper reflects social psychology’s response to society’s need to “optimise interpersonal relations in academic and work collectives and in the family” (following). It provides an interesting analysis of the general concept of “adequacy of interpersonal perception”, a notion referred to elsewhere in this book, and to its components (cognitive identification, mutual influence, reciprocal action and opposition); it does likewise with the concepts of “interpersonal set” and interaction that are essential in achieving this general adequacy. Results of a number of studies employing a “cybernometer” are summarized in a table relating indexes of joint performance, joint affect, and mutual cognition to the different types (positive, negative, and indifferent) relations in dyads.