Emotion as a Source of Information in Community-Dwelling Adults

• In Event: Personality, Communication, and Relationships

Abstract

Abstract

To analyze how prevalent and influential emotion-based decisions are in an average community and what impact they may have on relationships, this study utilized a large (n = 724), randomly-selected sample of adults living in two separate communities. Basic demographics and Affective Orientation (AO) were measured via telephone survey. Findings indicated that lower AO people had lived for a shorter time in the community, had higher levels of household income and educational attainment, and different occupations compared to people with higher AO. The lower AO respondents were also somewhat more likely to be male and these effects held independent of age.
A Brief 4-item version of the AO scale was tested to enhance practicality of delivery in applied settings. Results supported its use. The reduced scale performance was comparable to a wide variety of other administrations employing longer versions.

Authors

• Melanie Booth-Butterfield, West Virginia University

• Steve Booth-Butterfield, West Virginia University

• Bill Reger, West Virginia Univ