Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to register today!

Click here for more information

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tesser, A.
Right arrow Articles by Pennebaker, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Tesser, A.
Right arrow Articles by Pennebaker, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 24, No. 11, 1190-1204 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/01461672982411006
© 1998 Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Similarity and Uniqueness Focus: A Paper Tiger and a Surprise

Abraham Tesser

University of Georgia

Steven R. H. Beach

University of Georgia

Marilyn Mendolia

University of Georgia

Nicole Crepaz

University of Georgia

Blossom Davies

University of Georgia

James Pennebaker

University of Texas

Two studies examined self-defensiveness as a result of thinking about one's intimate relationship in terms of self-partner similarity or uniqueness. Fifty married couples (Study 1) and 106 single women who were involved in romantic relationships (Study 2) wrote essays on self-partner similarities or uniqueness or on movies (control). All participants were then given threatening information-spouse outperformed self on a novel task (Study 1)-or negative feedback on desirable attributes (Study 2). Defensiveness was measured. Content analysis revealed that relationship-similarity essays were associated with good feelings, a "we" focus, and limited cognitive processing. Relationship-uniqueness essays were associated with a self-focus, negative feelings, and substantial cognitive processing in terms of understanding and assimilation. In neither study did relationship-similarity essays reduce defensiveness; in both studies, relationship-uniqueness reduced defensiveness. Results are discussed in terms of the syndromes produced by the similarity and uniqueness essays.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?