Test of personality and complementarity in dyadic interactions using sequential analyses

Abstract

Can patterns or redundancies be identified in the sequences of behaviors that are exchanged between individuals in social interactions? The present study directly examined the most controversial form of complementarity: whether dominant behaviors are followed by submissive behaviors, and whether submissive behaviors are followed by dominant behaviors. We were specifically concerned with recent claims that complementarity on the dominant - submissive axis does not exist, and that dominant - submissive behavior is instead the result of personality tendencies. Clear evidence was found for complementarity in relational control behaviors utilizing appropriate aggregated and sequential analyses. However, there was also an unexpected tendency for dominance to evoke further dominant behaviors. Individual difference tendencies were correlated with relational control behaviors, but not as strongly or consistently as predicted.