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Interpersonal Expectations as a Function of Self-Esteem and Sex

McGill University, mbaldwin{at}ego.psych.mcgill.ca

John Patrick Richard Keelan

University of Winnipeg

Theoretical models of the interpersonal roots of self-esteem emphasize people's expectations about whether they can anticipate acceptance and affiliation in significant relationships. Men and women (n = 182), of high and low self-esteem, were compared in terms of their if-then expectations regarding interactions with significant others. Participants completed the Interpersonal Schema Questionnaire (Hill & Safran, 1994), which assesses the degree of affiliation and dominance that people expect from others. Overall, participants expected response complementarity, with their own friendliness leading to affiliation from others, and submission leading to dominance. Consistent with interpersonal models of self-esteem, high self-esteem individuals reported greater confidence that being friendly would draw affiliative responses from others. Compared with men, women expected more affiliative responses to their friendly overtures, and also expected affiliative responses to submissiveness.

Key Words: interpersonal expectations • self-esteem • sex

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