Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
951405 | Journal of Research in Personality | 2013 | 8 Pages |
The frequency with which a person refers to herself is an important marker of psychological functioning. The aim of the current study was to explore the associations between self-referencing verbal behavior and interpersonal problems. We assessed the frequency of first-person singular and plural pronouns from transcribed clinical interviews with 118 participants. First-person singular pronouns were associated with elevated interpersonal distress and an intrusive interpersonal style; first-person plural pronouns were associated with low interpersonal distress and a cold interpersonal style. When controlling for depressive symptoms, specific interpersonal styles were even more accentuated. Self-referencing verbal behavior appears to have specific interpersonal implications beyond general interpersonal distress and depressive symptoms.
► We explored relations between first-person pronoun use and interpersonal problems. ► First-person pronoun use was assessed from transcribed clinical interviews. ► Singular pronoun use was associated with maladaptive intrusiveness. ► Plural pronoun use was associated with adaptive coldness. ► Self-referencing behavior appears to have specific interpersonal implications.