On what it means to know someone: a matter of pragmatics.
Two studies provide support for W. B. Swann's (1984) argument that perceivers achieve substantial pragmatic accuracy--accuracy that facilitates the achievement of relationship-specific interaction goals--in their social relationships. Study 1 assessed the extent to which group members reached consensus regarding the behavior of a member in familiar (as compared with unfamiliar) contexts and found that groups do indeed achieve this form of pragmatic accuracy. Study 2 assessed the degree of insight romantic partners had into the self-views of their partners on relationship-relevant (as compared with less relevant) traits and found that couples do indeed achieve this form of pragmatic accuracy. Furthermore, pragmatic accuracy was uniquely associated with relationship harmony. Implications for a functional approach to person perception are discussed.
Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, US. m.gill@lehigh.edu
Michael J
MJ
Gill
William B
WB
Swann
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires