SOME PILOT STUDIES OF COMMUNICATION AND CONSENSUS IN THE FAMILY

In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 32, Heft 1, S. 113-121

Abstract

Several methods (ie, personal interviews with 2 interviewers, with 1 interviewer, & an interviewer-admin'ed J) were tried for eliciting information separately from 54 husbands & wives in Detroit, Jun 1963. The information included each spouse's perceptions of the desires, plans & personality of the other, as well as his own desires & personality. Followup data were collected, in person 6 months later & by telephone 1 yr later, as to which plans were actually carried out. Paper & pencil forms can be admin'ed simultaneously to both spouses, but are quite restricted as to the amount & depth of information. Double personal interviews, however, are quite costly & even threatening. In general, spouses seemed more accurate in their perceptions of the other's general personality & wishes than of more detailed plans & practical information. Studies now need to be carried out with representative samples to examine & explain diff's between fam's of diff types as to their actual consensus, belief in consensus, & accuracy of perception of the spouse's att's, desires, & plans. Modified AA.