Judging Dependency in Close Relationships: A Normative Approach Rita D'Amico, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy Recently, interest in dependency in close relationships has increased. However, little attention has been devoted to the ways in which individuals evaluate another person's dependency. The present study was aimed to test the hypothesis that perception of dependency, as many other social judgments, is inherently relative; that is, is often made in comparison with salient norms and standards of specific cultures. Accordingly, judgments of amount of dependence and its negativity were expected to vary according to kinds of relationships, spheres of dependency and gender of the target person. The hypothesis was tested on a sample of 360 young adults and was supported by the results. Dependency on partners was less perceived and less negative than upon friends; dependency in a man was more perceived and more negative than dependency in a woman; dependency in the emotional sphere was less negative than in the instrumental sphere; women perceived less dependence than men.
Judging dependency in close relationships: a normative approach
D'Amico R
2009
Abstract
Judging Dependency in Close Relationships: A Normative Approach Rita D'Amico, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy Recently, interest in dependency in close relationships has increased. However, little attention has been devoted to the ways in which individuals evaluate another person's dependency. The present study was aimed to test the hypothesis that perception of dependency, as many other social judgments, is inherently relative; that is, is often made in comparison with salient norms and standards of specific cultures. Accordingly, judgments of amount of dependence and its negativity were expected to vary according to kinds of relationships, spheres of dependency and gender of the target person. The hypothesis was tested on a sample of 360 young adults and was supported by the results. Dependency on partners was less perceived and less negative than upon friends; dependency in a man was more perceived and more negative than dependency in a woman; dependency in the emotional sphere was less negative than in the instrumental sphere; women perceived less dependence than men.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
