Role-Taking and Interaction

Abstract

This research utilizes longitudinal data from newly married couples to investigate change in perceptions of role-taking accuracy over time. It is suggested that when individuals feel they can understand their spouse's perspective, they will be more likely to be aware of how their behavior will affect the spouse; as a result, they will be more likely to behave supportively with the spouse and less likely to behave disruptively. Individuals' sense that they can understand their spouse's perspective is likely to change over time, however, in response to interaction with the spouse. Supportive behaviors encourage disclosure; disruptive behaviors disrupt communication. Therefore individuals with a spouse who behaves more positively and less negatively over time should be better able to role-take with the spouse. Results support these ideas, but suggest the existence of an important temporal dimension to the relationship between role-taking and interaction.