Collaborative Research Testing Affect Control Theory: Restoring the Challenged Identities of Others

研究人员将进行一系列实验，重点研究将社会互动建模为意义控制的控制论过程的关键实质性影响，在这个过程中，参与者通过行为来维持情景中的意义。情感控制理论描述了身份和行为之间的控制系统，以身份意义作为解释社会互动的参照层。具体地说，它表明人们不仅会努力保持自己的身份，而且还会努力恢复与他们互动的其他人的身份。该理论还将其他行为者的恢复性行动纳入到模型中。如果互动中的另一个人采取恢复性行动，它可能会恢复含义，因此不需要进一步的补偿。这里描述的研究建议测试这些关键预测，这些预测将影响控制理论与其他主要控制观点区分开来。研究一挑战(消极偏离)圣母的身份，并测试这种挑战是否会唤起自我的恢复性行为。研究二为Alter创造了一个非典型的积极互动，看看这是否会引起自我对Alter的负面行为(正如预测的那样，恢复了原来的意义)。研究3借鉴了预测结果，指出了恢复他人身份的两种替代方法。在这里，调查员使用计算机控制的交互来提供恢复他人身份的替代手段。该预测涉及不同行为对意义恢复的替代性。研究四阐述了恢复性行为假说的替代性。调查人员将测试一名演员的恢复性行为是否会影响另一名演员从事恢复性行为的可能性。研究五考察了行为者的身份是否影响恢复性行为的效果。总而言之，这五个实验探索了我们如何维护他人的身份，以及我们所处的社会环境如何影响这些恢复性努力。

The investigators will conduct a series of experiments that focus on crucial substantive implications of modeling social interaction as the result of a cybernetic process of meaning control whereby actors behave so as to maintain meanings in the situation. Affect Control Theory describes a control system between identities and actions, with identity meanings acting as a reference level for interpreting social interactions. Specifically, it suggests that people will not only try to maintain their own identities, but will also strive to restore the identities of others with whom they are interacting. The theory also incorporates the restorative actions of other actors into the model. If another person in the interaction takes a restorative action, it may restore the meanings so that no further reparation is necessary. The studies described here propose to test these key predictions that differentiate Affect Control Theory from the other major control perspective. Study one challenges (negatively deflects) the identity of an alter, and tests to see whether this challenge evokes restorative behavior from ego. Study two creates an atypically positive interaction for the alter, to see if this evokes negative behavior by ego toward the alter (as predicted to be restorative of original meanings). Study 3 draws on pre-test results that indicate two alternative means of restoring another's challenged identity. Here, the investigator use computer-regulated interaction to make available alternative means of restoring another's identity. The prediction involves the substitutability of different behaviors for meaning restoration. Study four elaborates the substitutability of restorative action hypothesis. The investigators will test whether or not a restorative act by one actor affects the probability of another actor's engaging in a restorative act. Study five examines whether or not the identity of the actors influences the effect of the restorative behavior. Taken together, the five experiments explore how we go about maintaining the identities of others, and how the social situation in which we are embedded affects those restorative efforts.