Maintaining nonvoluntary relationships with disliked partners: an investigation into the use of distancing behaviors

Abstract

Theory in interpersonal communication usually assumes that people maintain their relationships voluntarily and that they like their relational partners. Neither assumption is necessarily correct. This research examines nonvoluntary relationship with disliked partners (NR/Ds). Heider's balance theory predicts that when people dislike their relational partners they will feel discomfort. It was hypothesized that people would try to attenuate this discomfort by increasing psychological distance between themselves and their disliked partners. Participants (n = 185 in Study 1, n = 158 in Study 2) responded to questionnaires about their maintenance of voluntary and nonvoluntary relationships with liked and disliked partners. The results showed that people use distance to attenuate the discomfort created by an NR/D. Thirty-six distancing behaviors were found through content analysis. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, these behaviors were grouped into clusters that suggested 3 basic profiles of regulating distance in NR/Ds - expressing detachment, avoiding involvement, and showing antagonism.