Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Jennifer Margrett.

Committee Co-Chair

Barry Edelstein

Committee Member

Julie Patrick

Committee Member

JoNell Strough

Abstract

The present study examined interactive behaviors in older adults (N = 80 individuals). The main goal of the current study was to examine the process of collaboration and how the interactive process related to the collaborative outcome. Three research questions were addressed. First, did partners exhibit similar levels of interactive behavior or did collaborative behaviors vary by partner familiarity, performance order, or sex? Second, to what extent did individual variables predict interactive behaviors? Finally, how were the dyadic interactive behaviors related to the outcome of the collaboration? The proportion of interactive behaviors varied based on performance order and partner familiarity. In addressing the second specific aim of this study, it was found that performance order, partner familiarity, and partner characteristics were predictive of select interactive behaviors. The third aim of the current study suggests that performance order, partner familiarity, and partner's interactive behaviors were significant predictors of the collaborative outcome.

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