Jk. Burgoon et Ne. Dunbar, An interactionist perspective on dominance-submission: Interpersonal dominance as a dynamic, situationally contingent social skill, COMM MONOGR, 67(1), 2000, pp. 96-121
Dominance-submission in interpersonal interaction typically has been concep
tualized as largely a function of either highly stable characteristics of i
ndividual actors (e.g., basic temperament, genetic heritage, fixed social r
oles) or highly dynamic properties of situations (e.g., relational control
sequences). Too, the dominance end of the continuum frequently has been inf
used with negative connotations. Here it is argued that a more balanced and
comprehensive perspective is achieved by conceptualizing interpersonal dom
inance as influenced by a combination of person, situation, and relationshi
p factors and as including positive qualities that also underwrite social c
ompetence. Experimental data relevant to this interactionist perspective we
re examined far the impacts of one traitlike actor variable (self-reported
social skills), two situational factors (communication format and message g
oal), and one relationship factor (acquaintanceship) on dominance displays
during dyadic interactions. Sender and receiver perceptions were also trian
gulated with observational data from trained coders. Results support an int
eractionist conceptualization of dominance.