Thanks For Asking, But Let’s Talk About Something Else: Reactions to Topic Avoidance Messages that Feature Different Interaction Goals

• In Event: Top Four Papers in Interpersonal Communication

Abstract

When people engage in explicit topic avoidance, they risk offending or hurting others. Using a goals framework, we examined how message features influenced reactions to messages that friends might use to deflect a question about a sensitive subject. Participants (N = 536) responded to five types of messages that reflected conventionally relevant interaction goals. Results confirmed the hypothesis that message features influence reactions (e.g., judgments of competence, emotional and verbal responses) to topic avoidance messages.

Authors

• Erin Donovan-Kicken, Univ of Texas, Austin

• Trey Guinn, Univ of Texas, Austin

• Lynsey Kluever Romo, Univ of Texas, Austin

• Lea Ciceraro, Univ of Texas, Austin