Award Date

5-2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Urban Affairs in Communication Studies

Department

Communication

First Committee Member

Erin Sahlstein, Chair

Second Committee Member

David Henry

Third Committee Member

Tara McManus

Graduate Faculty Representative

David Copeland

Number of Pages

96

Abstract

According to the imagined interaction theory (IIT), IIs are the cognitive processes where individuals indirectly experience past or future interactions through the process of imagination (Honeycutt, 2003). Retroactive IIs occur after a conversation takes place, whereas proactive IIs occur when individuals imagine a conversation before the interaction (Honeycutt, 2010). The current study examined individuals‟ imagined interactions (IIs) regarding conversations about politics with family members. Participants completed an online survey where they recorded retroactive and proactive IIs, and completed a set of measures regarding their family and political affiliation. Both proactive and retroactive IIs fell into eleven categories for content. Proactive and retroactive IIs fell into nine categories for form. Results indicate that IIs helped participants relieve tension and anxiety about political conversations. This study suggests that individual‟s II consists of many diverse emotions, regardless of family type when imagining a political conversation with a family member. Also, individuals in consensual families found relational maintenance, conflict management, rehearsal, self-understanding, and compensation the most useful II functions during IIs of political conversations with a family member.

Keywords

Families; Imagination; Imaginary conversations; Interpersonal relationships; Politics; Practical

Disciplines

Communication | Interpersonal and Small Group Communication

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Comments

Related poster presentation:

http://digitalcommons.library.unlv.edu/grad_symposium/2011/april20/8/

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS