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/lp/american-psychological-association/a-new-outline-of-social-psychology-interpersonal-dynamics-BACgpKJWgJ
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association
- Copyright
- Copyright © 1997 American Psychological Association
- Pages
- 167 –184
- DOI
- 10.1037/10225-008
- Publisher site
- See Chapter on Publisher Site
Abstract
Interpersonal relations influence individuals because partners identify with each other. The motive for identification is the enhancement of the person's self-esteem; partners thereby internalize the other's affection for themselves that characterizes the relationship. Because identification tends to be diffuse, interpersonal partners exert broad influence on one another. This influence extends to the core of the individual's personality. Personality resists change, so individuals who are similar to one another in important ways are more likely to join in an interpersonal relation. They then become even more similar. The proposition that identification in the service of ego enhancement is the process by which interpersonal relations exerts influence over individuals provides explanations for otherwise seemingly diverse phenomena. For examples, it brings together under one rubric the therapeutic benefits of friendships and certain kinds of therapeutic interventions, the effects of the presence of friends on helping behavior and memory, the influence of cohesive groups, and the effects of different styles of parenting. The idea covers phenomena that theories based on contingent reinforcement do not cover. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
Published: Aug 31, 2004
Keywords: social psychology; interpersonal relations; interpersonal dynamics; identification; personality; ego enhancement; influence; social reinforcement; self perception