Satisfaction in interpersonal interactions as a function of similarity in level of dysphoria.

This study compared dysphoric and nondysphoric male and female undergraduates as they conversed with dysphoric or nondysphoric undergraduatesofthe same sex. Subjects rated their satisfaction with the conversation after each turn. The results showed that people in homogeneous dyads (i~., both partners were dysphoric or both partners were nondysphoric) were more satisfied with the interaction, and their satisfaction increased as the conversation proceeded. People in mixed dyads were less satisfied, perceived each other as colder, and spoke about increasingly negative topics. Thus, in accord with other research showing that similarity leads to liking, the crucial determinant of interactional satisfaction was neither the mood of the subject nor the mood of the partner, but their similarity in mood. Dysphoria is a state of mild depression that most people experience from time to time. Dysphoria and interpersonal interactions may have a reciprocal effect on each other, and both may be important for an individual's sense of well-being (Coates & Winston, 1983; Horowitz & Vitkus, 1986); it is therefore important to understand how dysphoria and interpersonal interactions affect each other. This article examines how the level of dysphoria of two interacting individuals influences their satisfaction with the interaction and their evaluations of one another. Previous research relating negative moods to interpersonal relations has focused on more severe depressions. Typically, in these studies subjects were exposed to persons who were or were not exhibiting signs of depression, and various reactions to the target person were assessed. These studies have indicated that people find interactions with depressed people to be aversive. This result has been observed in a variety of experimental contexts. In some studies, subjects conversed with outpatients over a telephone (Coyne, 1976a) or listened to audiotapes of inpatients (Boswell & Murray, 1981); in other studies, subjects watched videotapes of a dissimulator (Amstutz & Kaplan, 1987; Gurtman, 1987) or interacted with a dissimulator (Hammen & Peters, 1978; Howes & Hokanson, 1979; Marks & Hammen, 1982; Stephens, Hokanson, & Welker, 1987); in still others, subjects read transcripts describing hypothetical persons (Goflib & Beatty, 1985; Hammen & Peters, 1977; Winer, Bonnet, Blaney, & Murray, 1981).