Thesis
The impact of emotional signals on perceived need and propensity to help
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2019
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101980
Abstract
Much of the research on major depression is focused on methods of treatment or causal explanations emphasizing the role of psychological malfunctions. Consequently, the responses of others to the depressed are largely overlooked. It has been proposed, however, that depression might be an honest signal of need, and might therefore elicit positive changes in social relationships. To examine if depression can elicit social benefits, we compared it to other proposed signals of need in a vignette study that also manipulated the amount and type of information about whether one's need was honest and the presence of conflict within an imagined relationship. In our sample of 1,447 participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, depression outperformed all the other proposed signals of need on our four outcome measures across social circumstances, and our predicted relationships for the signals as a whole were largely supported when looking solely at the verbal request, crying, and depression manipulations. We also found evidence for the predicted interaction between signal type and conflict on relationship outcomes. Contrary to our predictions, costlier signals, i.e., suicidality, did not result in more positive responses, and there was little evidence in favor of the predicted signal by information interaction. Our results suggest that depression is a relatively successful way of demonstrating honest need and eliciting support, consistent with signaling explanations.
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Details
- Title
- The impact of emotional signals on perceived need and propensity to help
- Creators
- Michael Gaffney
- Contributors
- Edward H. Hagen (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525278001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis