Global, behavioral and self ratings of interpersonal skills among adult children of alcoholic, divorced and control parents.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study is to evaluate interpersonal skills and the relationships among interpersonal skills in a nonclinical sample of adult children of alcoholic, divorced and control parents using a multimethod assessment strategy.


METHODS
Subjects were prescreened to rule out parental psychopathology and maternal alcoholism. Subjects (N = 238, 50% male, 86% white) interacted with a same- or opposite-sex confederate in a series of videotaped roleplays, which were either unstructured or structured via discussion topics and acquaintance instructions. The videotapes were coded for (1) global or general impression ratings of subject and (2) four behavioral components of interpersonal skill: talk, gaze, smile and self-manipulation. Subjects also rated their own skills and anxiety during the roleplays.


RESULTS
Male and female children of alcoholics were judged to be more anxious when interacting with an opposite-sex partner than with a same-sex partner. Children of divorce and controls were not influenced by the gender of their interaction partner. Children of alcoholics were also judged to be less socially skilled then children of divorce. There was some suggestion that children of alcoholics and divorce may not accurately perceive their own level of skill.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings provide some support for interpersonal skills deficits among adult children of alcoholics, although the deficits were not pervasive or consistent across methods. Limitations of the findings and the overall study were discussed.
Research Institute on Addictions, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Buffalo 14203, USA.
M
M
Senchak
B W
BW
Greene
A
A
Carroll
K
K
Leonard
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012381:Role Playing; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014705:Verbal Behavior