CID: Controlled Interaction Diary for the assessment of social interactions, relationships, and personality traits

The diary procedure CID is described. All psychologically significant socia l interactions within a specified observation period are assessed. Social r elationships are assessed through aggregation over all interactions of a pa rticular dyad and personality traits through aggregation over all relations hips of an individual. To minimize retrospective bias, application of the p rocedure is more strictly controlled than usual. The procedure proved howev er, to be practicable. A total of 144 university students maintained the di ary for 3 weeks in their first term. and 113 also in their second term. The quality of specific close relationships and of important relationship type s (e.g., heterosexual peer relationships) was assessed with high reliabilit y Comparisons with relationship and personality questionnaires showed satis factory validity. The instrument, exemplary data, and programs for statisti cal analysis,re available through the internet.