Trait and state curiosity in the genesis of intimacy: Differentiation from related constructs

We examined the roles of curiosity, social anxiety, and positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) in the development of interpersonal closeness. A reciprocal self-disclosure task was used wherein participants and trained confederates asked and answered questions escalating in personal and emotio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of social and clinical psychology Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 792 - 816
Main Authors KASHDAN, Todd B, ROBERTS, John E
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, NY Guilford 01.12.2004
Guilford Press
Subjects
Affect
Anxiety
Biological and medical sciences
Closeness
Curiosity
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Interpersonal relations
Interpersonal relationships
Intimacy
Personal relationships
Personality
Personality traits
Personality. Affectivity
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Regression analysis
Social anxiety
Social psychology
Social relations
Facilitation
Human
Affect affectivity
Social behavior
Social interaction
Curiosity
Prediction
Self disclosure
Anxiety
Personality
Interpersonal relation
Psychological well being
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Summary:We examined the roles of curiosity, social anxiety, and positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) in the development of interpersonal closeness. A reciprocal self-disclosure task was used wherein participants and trained confederates asked and answered questions escalating in personal and emotional depth (mimicking closeness-development). Relationships between curiosity and relationship outcomes were examined using regression analyses. Controlling for trait measures of social anxiety, PA, and NA, trait curiosity predicted greater partner ratings of attraction and closeness. Social anxiety moderated the relationship between trait curiosity and self-ratings of attraction such that curiosity was associated with greater attraction among those low in social anxiety compared to those high in social anxiety. In contrast, trait PA was related to greater self-ratings of attraction but had no relationship with partners' ratings. Trait curiosity predicted positive relationship outcomes as a function of state curiosity generated during the interaction, even after controlling for state PA. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
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ISSN:0736-7236
1943-2771
DOI:10.1521/jscp.23.6.792.54800