Who gets the final words? I came across this interesting title and decided that I should read the whole article – the analysis of young adults' recall of a major conflict with their parents. The study included 208 undergraduate participants, who were asked to recall and detail a major conflict they had experienced with their parents. The reported conflict episodes were coded as follows:
1. Topical content of a conflict
2. Conflict strategy used by parents
3. Conflict strategy used by the young adults
4. Outcome of the conflict
5. Reported consequences of the conflict to them or to their relationship
During data gathering there were identified four general categories for topical conflicts: life and educational decision, social and socializing behavior, moral or appropriate code of conduct and parent’s behavior.
There were three strategies used in dealing with conflict for parents and for young adults: avoidance – being passive and yielding, distribution – demanding and making threats, integration – listening and problem solving.
The authors of the study also coded the conflict outcome (if the conflict was solved or not): outcome preferred by parents, outcome preferred by young adults, compromise and integration. Plus the consequence of the conflict: was it positive, neutral or negative.
And here are the results
Major conflicts reported by our participants were classified in twelve categories as follows: the life decision category was the major conflict theme (14%), follows education (12%), car driving (11.4%), curefew (11%), dating (10.4%), money (8%), social conduct (6.5%), substance and alcohol usage (5%), friendship (3%), parent’s decision (2%), job (1%).
Then the authors found out that the parents were reported to use the distributive strategy most frequently, followed by integrative, avoidance was the less used strategy. Interestingly for young adults the most used strategy was the avoidance, followed by integrative and the less used was the distributive strategy.
For the conflict outcome, interestingly, young adults reported that they do perceive that parents are more likely to get their way in general. One quarter of participants reported also that the conflict was unresolved. From those who reported the conflict was solved, about a half of young adults reported that the outcome was the one preferred by parents, one third reported that the parents and young adults worked it out, only one fifth reported that they got the final words.
What about the consequences of a conflict? Nearly half reported that the conflict actually had some sort of positive consequences, 11% reported neutral consequences.
I kind of expected such an outcome of the analysis, maybe the only thing really surprising for me, was the fact that parents the most used the distributive strategy. The conflict reasons, outcome and positive consequences were pretty expected.
Shearman, Sachiyo and Rebecca Dumlao. 2007. Who Gets the Final Words?: An Analysis of Young Adults' Recall of a Major Conflict With Their Parents. Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCO). Conference Paper.
ponedeljek, 31. maj 2010
nedelja, 30. maj 2010
Role-playing activities and learning environments
When dealing with Second Life as a learning environment, this was mine and my partner's theme for 2nd research paper; I came across a study that compared student performances in role playing activities in face to face environment and Second Life. I found this very interesting, because I have never heard before that that role-playing could be and it is, a successful learning activity.
Study: “Comparing Student Interaction in Second Life and Face-to-Face Role-playing Activities”, from authors Fei Gao, Jeong Min Noh and Matthew J. Koehler, all from Michigan State University.
Authors define the role-playing as a “learning activity in which students assume the role of another person and improvise behaviors or consider a problem in a particular, pre-defined situation. Students are usually asked in role-playing to make a decision, resolve conflict or act out the conclusion to an unfinished story.” Several studies in text-based online role-playing activities suggest that this kind of activity may be an effective method for developing understanding and exploring complex concepts and ideas (Bell, Freman & Capper in Gao et al. 2009)
They mention Dickey who explored the role-playing in a three dimensional environment Active Worlds. He found that role-playing activities offer opportunities for experiential learning and situated learning within a collaboration learning environment. (Dickey in Gao et al. 2009)
The purpose of their study was to examine how students interact differently or similarly in a three dimensional online environment – Second Life and in a face to face environment.
Results:
The study showed no difference in the amount of communication between the role-playing activities in the two mentioned environments. In Second Life role-playing activities students tended to take more turns and have shorter exchanges in each turn. The students also generated more concept-related, though they may not be as elaborated as those in face-to-face environment. This comparison has following implications; role-playing activities work in both environments, second, for online educators who are interested in using role-playing activities the study bring good news – because of no difference between SL and FTF. Trhird, there are affordances of each environment – SL lends itself to a different conversational style, which is shorter exchanges but more turn-taking. On the other hand, FTF environment may not allow form more elaboration.
Gao, Fei, Jeong Min Noh and Natthew J. Koehler. 2009. Comparing Role-Playing Activities in Second Life and Face-to-Face Environments. Journal of Interactive Learning Research v20 n4 p423-443.
Study: “Comparing Student Interaction in Second Life and Face-to-Face Role-playing Activities”, from authors Fei Gao, Jeong Min Noh and Matthew J. Koehler, all from Michigan State University.
Authors define the role-playing as a “learning activity in which students assume the role of another person and improvise behaviors or consider a problem in a particular, pre-defined situation. Students are usually asked in role-playing to make a decision, resolve conflict or act out the conclusion to an unfinished story.” Several studies in text-based online role-playing activities suggest that this kind of activity may be an effective method for developing understanding and exploring complex concepts and ideas (Bell, Freman & Capper in Gao et al. 2009)
They mention Dickey who explored the role-playing in a three dimensional environment Active Worlds. He found that role-playing activities offer opportunities for experiential learning and situated learning within a collaboration learning environment. (Dickey in Gao et al. 2009)
The purpose of their study was to examine how students interact differently or similarly in a three dimensional online environment – Second Life and in a face to face environment.
Results:
The study showed no difference in the amount of communication between the role-playing activities in the two mentioned environments. In Second Life role-playing activities students tended to take more turns and have shorter exchanges in each turn. The students also generated more concept-related, though they may not be as elaborated as those in face-to-face environment. This comparison has following implications; role-playing activities work in both environments, second, for online educators who are interested in using role-playing activities the study bring good news – because of no difference between SL and FTF. Trhird, there are affordances of each environment – SL lends itself to a different conversational style, which is shorter exchanges but more turn-taking. On the other hand, FTF environment may not allow form more elaboration.
Gao, Fei, Jeong Min Noh and Natthew J. Koehler. 2009. Comparing Role-Playing Activities in Second Life and Face-to-Face Environments. Journal of Interactive Learning Research v20 n4 p423-443.
nedelja, 9. maj 2010
Dealing with conflicts in premarital relationships
My last blog post was all about relationships in this modern liquid and emotionally unstable world, but this time I want to say something about conflicts in intimate relationships; the perceptions of conflicts and their endings of males and females. Some time ago I came across a research that dealt with above mentioned subject – Sally A. Lloyd’s article “Conflict in Premarital Relationships: Differential Perceptions of Males and Females”. In her research she included 50 premarital partners (25 couples) which completed behavioral self-report assessments of the number and characteristics of conflicts over a 14-day period. Each couple completed a relationship questionnaire and was trained how to keep disagreement records. The questionnaire contained scales that measured relationship quality (love, satisfaction and commitment) and communication quality (hostility of partner’s communication, self-disclosure anxiety and use of negotiation versus manipulation).
The results of this research are presented in three categories; the conflict and relationship quality, conflict and communication quality and conflict endings.
“Males reported the negative relation of relationship quality to the stability of issues brought up by their partners, on the other side females’ reports that relationship qualities are positively related to the resolution of such conflicts. For females the lower the level of resolution of self initiated conflict, the greater the perceived stability of the conflict issue, but if a conflict is perceived to be unresolved, it may be brought up again. On the other hand males do not connect how often the issue has been brought up by the partner with the resolution of the issue.”
“At this point the author mentions the cycle – becomes one of the female partner initiating a conflict repeatedly in order to get the underlying issue resolved (and to increase her relationship quality), while at the same time the male partner’s perception that she has initiated a conflict on an issue that has come up over and over serves to decrease his perceived relationship quality. This proves, Lloyd claims that males appear to be conflict-avoidant and females to be conflict-confrontive. But how this cycle of conflict can be interrupted? The negotiation use is related in important ways to conflict processes. Both males and females who reported using negotiation reported fewer conflicts, in addition males’ perceived conflicts to be less stable and females to be more resolved. Here we have to mention that hostility also evidenced important relationships to conflict. Hostility and conflict intensity may form a reciprocal relationship – the greater hostility the conflict seems to be more intensive. Here we have to add that for men higher self-disclosure anxiety is associated with greater perceived resolution of conflicts, for females is vice versa.”
At the end I have to say, that even if this research is dated 1987 I think that there are several similarities in how males and females were dealing and perceiving relationship conflicts then, and how they do it now.
The results of this research are presented in three categories; the conflict and relationship quality, conflict and communication quality and conflict endings.
“Males reported the negative relation of relationship quality to the stability of issues brought up by their partners, on the other side females’ reports that relationship qualities are positively related to the resolution of such conflicts. For females the lower the level of resolution of self initiated conflict, the greater the perceived stability of the conflict issue, but if a conflict is perceived to be unresolved, it may be brought up again. On the other hand males do not connect how often the issue has been brought up by the partner with the resolution of the issue.”
“At this point the author mentions the cycle – becomes one of the female partner initiating a conflict repeatedly in order to get the underlying issue resolved (and to increase her relationship quality), while at the same time the male partner’s perception that she has initiated a conflict on an issue that has come up over and over serves to decrease his perceived relationship quality. This proves, Lloyd claims that males appear to be conflict-avoidant and females to be conflict-confrontive. But how this cycle of conflict can be interrupted? The negotiation use is related in important ways to conflict processes. Both males and females who reported using negotiation reported fewer conflicts, in addition males’ perceived conflicts to be less stable and females to be more resolved. Here we have to mention that hostility also evidenced important relationships to conflict. Hostility and conflict intensity may form a reciprocal relationship – the greater hostility the conflict seems to be more intensive. Here we have to add that for men higher self-disclosure anxiety is associated with greater perceived resolution of conflicts, for females is vice versa.”
At the end I have to say, that even if this research is dated 1987 I think that there are several similarities in how males and females were dealing and perceiving relationship conflicts then, and how they do it now.
Lloyd A., Sally. 1987. Conflict in Premarital Relationships: Differential Perceptions of Males and Females. Family Relations, vol. 36, no. 3, 290-294. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/583542 (19th November 2009).
torek, 4. maj 2010
"You can always press delete"
We live in a world where relationships are different, in a world where “till death do us apart” type of romantic relationship is being replaced by more shallow, fast and replaceable type of relationship between men and women. Some time ago I read Zygmunt Bauman book Liquid Love where he explained that once known stable old-fashioned romantic relationships are through and that younger generation are looking for relationships that are stable and durable as long as they give both partners their benefit; as soon as the benefit is over for at least one side, the relationship has no future.
“In our world of rampant individualization relationships are mixed blessings. They vacillate between dream and nightmare, and there is no telling when one turns in the other,” Bauman explains. He goes further and writes that one expert counselor said that when committing yourself, however halfheartedly, remember that you are likely to be closing the door to other romantic possibilities which may be more satisfying and fulfilling. As he continues the promises of commitment are meaningless in the long term ... Like other investments they way and wane. So if you wish to relate, keep your distance; if you want fulfillment from your togetherness, do not make or demand commitments. Keep all your doors open at any time.
In addition he asks himself are the resident of the modern liquid world really after relationships that hold, as they say they are, or do they, more than anything else, desire those relationships to be light and loose and could be thrown aside at any moment.
He also highlights the fact that people are rather than talking about “relating” and “relationships” speak ever more often of connections, of “connecting” and “being connected”. Instead talking about partners they prefer to speak about “networks”. Connections are virtual relations, he explains and unlike old-fashioned relationships, they seem to be made to the measure of a liquid modern life setting where “romantic possibilities” are supposed and hoped to come and go with ever greater speed and in never thinning crowds, “stampeding each other off the stage and out-shouting each other with promises to be more satisfying and fulfilling”. Virtual relationships are, unlike real ones, easy to enter and exit, plus they look clean and smart, feel easy to use and user-friendly, when compared with the heavy, slow-moving, inert messy “real stuff”.
These are only few inserts of a really complex book of modern liquid world and modern liquid love relationships that I wanted to share with you – I think relationships are frequent talk theme nowadays and interesting for man and women.
I want to conclude with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s claim: “When skating on a thin ice your salvation is in speed. When quality lets you down, you tend to seek redemption in quantity.” I just want to add here that not everything is that pessimistic. As Metka Kuhar, PhD, once wrote, it is true that relationships are likely to end sooner nowadays (because every partner in that relationships is aware of its rights and needs), but those same relationships are more fulfilling, quality and intensive.
“In our world of rampant individualization relationships are mixed blessings. They vacillate between dream and nightmare, and there is no telling when one turns in the other,” Bauman explains. He goes further and writes that one expert counselor said that when committing yourself, however halfheartedly, remember that you are likely to be closing the door to other romantic possibilities which may be more satisfying and fulfilling. As he continues the promises of commitment are meaningless in the long term ... Like other investments they way and wane. So if you wish to relate, keep your distance; if you want fulfillment from your togetherness, do not make or demand commitments. Keep all your doors open at any time.
In addition he asks himself are the resident of the modern liquid world really after relationships that hold, as they say they are, or do they, more than anything else, desire those relationships to be light and loose and could be thrown aside at any moment.
He also highlights the fact that people are rather than talking about “relating” and “relationships” speak ever more often of connections, of “connecting” and “being connected”. Instead talking about partners they prefer to speak about “networks”. Connections are virtual relations, he explains and unlike old-fashioned relationships, they seem to be made to the measure of a liquid modern life setting where “romantic possibilities” are supposed and hoped to come and go with ever greater speed and in never thinning crowds, “stampeding each other off the stage and out-shouting each other with promises to be more satisfying and fulfilling”. Virtual relationships are, unlike real ones, easy to enter and exit, plus they look clean and smart, feel easy to use and user-friendly, when compared with the heavy, slow-moving, inert messy “real stuff”.
These are only few inserts of a really complex book of modern liquid world and modern liquid love relationships that I wanted to share with you – I think relationships are frequent talk theme nowadays and interesting for man and women.
I want to conclude with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s claim: “When skating on a thin ice your salvation is in speed. When quality lets you down, you tend to seek redemption in quantity.” I just want to add here that not everything is that pessimistic. As Metka Kuhar, PhD, once wrote, it is true that relationships are likely to end sooner nowadays (because every partner in that relationships is aware of its rights and needs), but those same relationships are more fulfilling, quality and intensive.
Naročite se na:
Objave (Atom)
