Abstract
Compromising is considered a useful strategy for solving interpersonal conflicts. However, compromising, which includes accommodating and sacrificing, may also lead to anxiety and depression. Therefore, the current study focused on a moderating mechanism between compromising and psychological health. Based on self-expansion theory, we hypothesized that the more individuals have a relational focus (i.e., a greater use of “we”) while narrating their compromising experiences, the better psychological health they will experience. Two hundred sixty-one participants from National Taiwan University (mean age = 20.40, 53.26 % male, 46.74 % female), wrote about an experience of conflict with their parents and completed a package of questionnaires to measure their conflict management style and psychological health. The frequency of the “we” pronoun was considered an index of relational focus. As predicted, the results from a hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that “we” moderated the effect of compromising style on well-being. Specifically, the relationship between compromising and psychological well-being were strengthened for individuals who had more relational focus. Thus, although a compromising style helps solve interpersonal conflicts, it does not necessarily increase individuals’ well-being. How individuals anchor their experiences are more important.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
The skewness of all variables was in the range of −1 to 1 except for “we,” which was 2.55. We have also used square root transformation to adjust the skewness of “we” and reanalysis regression models with adjusted “we.” All results maintained similar patterns. Despite the fact that skewness could be adjusted using statistical methods, it doesn’t completely answer why individuals used so differently frequency on “we” pronoun. Regarding the theoretical perspective, word use as a natural phenomenon to reflect one’s social and psychological worlds was rarely normally distributed (Tausczik and Pennebaker 2010). The skewness of “we” has its own meaning to demonstrate individual difference.
We have also run the regression models without controlling for RAS. All interaction effects remain significant. We suggested that including RAS as a control variable makes the regression models become more statistically powerful.
References
Agnew, C. R., Van Lange, P. A. M., Rusbult, C. E., & Langston, C. A. (1998). Cognitive interdependence: Commitment and the mental representation of close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(4), 939–954.
Aiken, L. S., West, S. G., & Reno, R. R. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Argyle, M., Martin, M., & Crossland, J. (1989). Happiness as a function of personality and social encounters. In J. P. Forgas & J. M. Innes (Eds.), Recent advances in social psychology: An international perspective (pp. 189–203). New York: Elsevier North-Holland.
Aron, A., & Aron, E. N. (1986). Love and the expansion of self: Understanding attraction and satisfaction. New York: Hemisphere.
Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Smollan, D. (1992). Inclusion of other in the self scale and the structure of interpersonal closeness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 596–612.
Aron, A., Aron, E. N., Tudor, M., & Nelson, G. (1991). Close relationships as including other in the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(2), 241–253.
Baker, L. R., McNulty, J. K., Overall, N. C., Lambert, N. M., & Fincham, F. D. (2013). How do relationship maintenance behaviors affect individual well-being? A contextual perspective. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4, 282–289.
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173–1182.
Baumeister, R. F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C., & Vohs, K. D. (2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of general psychology, 5(4), 323–370.
Bendig, A. W. (1956). The development of a short form of the Manifest Anxiety Scale. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 20(5), 384.
Blake, R. R. (1970). The fifth achievement. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 6(4), 413–426.
Buehlman, K. T., Gottman, J. M., & Katz, L. F. (1992). How a couple views their past predicts their future: Predicting divorce from an oral history interview. Journal of Family Psychology, 5, 295–318.
Canevello, A., & Crocker, J. (2010). Creating good relationships: Responsiveness, relationship quality, and interpersonal goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(1), 78–106.
Chang, S. (2001). A qualitative study of newlyweds’ marital adjustment processes. Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies, 16, 91–133.
Chang, J.-H., Huang, C.-L., & Lin, Y.-C. (2013). The psychological displacement paradigm in diary-writing (PDPD) and its psychological benefits. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14, 155–167.
Chaplin, W. F. (1991). The next generation of moderator research in personality psychology. Journal of Personality, 59(2), 143–178.
Chien, C. P., & Cheng, T. A. (1985). Depression in Taiwan: Epidemiological survey utilizing CES-D. Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi, 87(5), 335–338.
Chou, L.-F., Chu, C.-C., Yeh, H.-C., & Chen, J. (2014). Work stress and employee well-being: The critical role of Zhong-Yong. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 17, 115–127.
Chung-Yan, G. A., & Moeller, C. (2010). The psychosocial costs of conflict management styles. International Journal of Conflict Management, 21(4), 382–399.
Crocker, J. (2008). From egosystem to ecosystem: Implications for relationships, learning, and well-being. In H. A. Wayment & J. J. Bauer (Eds.), Transcending self-interest: Psychological explorations of the quiet ego (pp. 63–72). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Crocker, J., & Canevello, A. (2008). Creating and undermining social support in communal relationships: The role of compassionate and self-image goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(3), 555–575.
Dawson, J. F., & Richter, A. W. (2006). Probing three-way interactions in moderated multiple regression: Development and application of a slope difference test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 917–926.
De Dreu, C. K. W., & Beersma, B. (2005). Conflict in organizations: Beyond effectiveness and performance. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 14(2), 105–117.
De Dreu, C. K. W., & Weingart, L. R. (2003). Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 741–749.
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75.
Fitzsimons, G. M., & Kay, A. C. (2004). Language and interpersonal cognition: Causal effects of variations in pronoun usage on perceptions of closeness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(5), 547–557.
Greenberg, M. T., Siegel, J. M., & Leitch, C. J. (1983). The nature and importance of attachment relationships to parents and peers during adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 12(5), 373–386.
Gross, M. A., & Guerrero, L. K. (2000). Managing conflict appropriately and effectively: An application of the competence model to Rahim’s organizational conflict styles. International Journal of Conflict Management, 11, 200–226.
Hendrick, S. S. (1988). A generic measure of relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50(1), 93–98.
Hendrick, S. S., Dicke, A., & Hendrick, C. (1998). The relationship assessment scale. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15(1), 137–142.
Huang, C.-L., Chung, C. K., Hui, N., Lin, Y.-C., Seih, Y.-T., Lam, B., et al. (2012). Development of the Chinese linguistic inquiry and word count dictionary. Chinese Journal of Psychology, 54(2), 185–201.
Hwang, K. (1987). Face and favor: The Chinese power game. American Journal of Sociology, 92, 944–974.
Karney, B. R., Bradbury, T. N., Fincham, F. D., & Sullivan, K. T. (1994). The role of negative affectivity in the association between attributions and marital satisfaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(2), 413.
Kuiper, N. A. (1978). Depression and causal attributions for success and failure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(3), 236–246.
Leung, K. (1987). Some determinants of reactions to procedural models for conflict resolution: A cross-national study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(5), 898–908.
Leung, K., Brew, F. P., Zhang, Z. X., & Yan, Z. (2011). Harmony and conflict: A cross-cultural investigation in China and Australia. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42(5), 795–816.
Lin, W. F., Deng, C. Z., Lin, Y. C., & Huang, C. L. (2013). Stepping Backward or moving forward: The moderation effect of Zhong Yong on the relationship between Na-Nie and psychological adjustment. Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies, 40, 45–84.
Lu, L., & Shih, J. B. (1997). Sources of happiness: A qualitative approach. Journal of Social Psychology, 137, 181–188.
McNulty, J. K., & Russell, V. M. (2010). When “negative” behaviors are positive: A contextual analysis of the long-term effects of problem-solving behaviors on changes in relationship satisfaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(4), 587.
Pennebaker, J. W., Chung, C., Ireland, M., Gonzales, A., & Booth, R. (2007). The development and psychometric properties of LIWC2007. Austin, TX: LIWC. Net.
Pennebaker, J. W., Mehl, M. R., & Niederhoffer, K. G. (2003). Psychological aspects of natural language use: Our words, our selves. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 547–577.
Pistole, M. C. (1989). Attachment in adult romantic relationships: Style of conflict resolution and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6(4), 505–510.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385–401.
Rahim, M. A. (1983). A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflict. The Academy of Management Journal, 26(2), 368–376.
Rahim, M. A. (1986). Referent role and styles of handling interpersonal conflict. The Journal of social psychology, 126(1), 79–86.
Rahim, M. A. (2002). Toward a theory of managing organizational conflict. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 13(3), 206–235.
Renshaw, K. D., McKnight, P., Caska, C. M., & Blais, R. K. (2011). The utility of the relationship assessment scale in multiple types of relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 28, 435–447.
Rohrbaugh, M. J., Mehl, M. R., Shoham, V., Reilly, E. S., & Ewy, G. A. (2008). Prognostic significance of spouse we talk in couples coping with heart failure. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 781–789.
Ryff, C. D., & Keyes, C. L. M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 719–727.
Simmons, R. A., Gordon, P. C., & Chambless, D. L. (2005). Pronouns in marital interaction: What do “you” and “I” say about marital health? Psychological Science, 16(12), 932–936.
Tausczik, Y. R., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2010). The psychological meaning of words: LIWC and computerized text analysis methods. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 29(1), 24–54.
Taylor, J. A. (1953). A personality scale of manifest anxiety. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 48(2), 285–290.
Thomas, A. W. (1976). Conflict and conflict management. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (pp. 889–935). Chicago: Rand McNally.
Van De Vliert, E., & Hordijk, J. W. (1989). A theoretical position of compromising among other styles of conflict management. The Journal of social psychology, 129(5), 681–690.
Van de Vliert, E., & Kabanoff, B. (1990). Toward theory-based measures of conflict management. Academy of Management Journal, 33(1), 199–209.
Van Lange, P. A. M., Agnew, C. R., Harinck, F., & Steemers, G. E. M. (1997). From game theory to real life: How social value orientation affects willingness to sacrifice in ongoing close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(6), 1330–1344.
Vaughn, M. J., & Baier, M. E. M. (1999). Reliability and validity of the Relationship Assessment Scale. American Journal of Family Therapy, 27(2), 137–147.
Wang, C. L., Lin, X., Chan, A. K. K., & Shi, Y. (2005). Conflict handling styles in international joint ventures: A cross-cultural and cross-national comparison. Management International Review, 45, 3–21.
Whisman, M. A., & Bruce, M. L. (1999). Marital dissatisfaction and incidence of major depressive episode in a community sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108(4), 674.
Whitton, S. W., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2007). If I help my partner, will it hurt me? Perceptions of sacrifice in romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26(1), 64–91.
Williams-Baucom, K. J., Atkins, D. C., Sevier, M., Eldridge, K. A., & Christensen, A. (2010). “You” and “I” need to talk about “us”: Linguistic patterns in marital interactions. Personal Relationships, 17, 41–56.
Wu, C., & Yao, G. (2006). Analysis of factorial invariance across gender in the Taiwan version of the satisfaction with Life Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(6), 1259–1268.
Yang, C. F. (2010). Multiplicity of Zhong Yong Studies. Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies, 34, 3–165.
Yeh, K. H. (1995). Solution types in filial dilemmas and their various correlates. Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnology Academia Sinica, 79, 87–118.
Yeh, M. H., & Yang, K. S. (1997). Chinese familism: Conceptual analysis and empirical assessment. Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnology Academia Sinica, 83, 169–225.
Zhang, Q. (2007). Family communication patterns and conflict styles in Chinese parent-child relationships. Communication Quarterly, 55(1), 113–128.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported in part by National Science Council, Taiwan, NSC 99-2410-H-002-082 to Yi-Cheng Lin and NSC 100-2410-H-011-012 to Chin-Lan Huang. In addition, Lung Hung Chen was supported by Ministry of Education, Taiwan (2012 project of elastic salary for outstanding scholar).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, WF., Lin, YC., Huang, CL. et al. We Can Make It Better: “We” Moderates the Relationship Between a Compromising Style in Interpersonal Conflict and Well-Being. J Happiness Stud 17, 41–57 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9582-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9582-8