The content of informal conversations as a function of interactants' interpersonal cognitive complexity

Abstract

Subjects varying in level of interpersonal cognitive complexity engaged in ten minutes of unstructured informal conversation. These conversations were analyzed for the extent to which the talk concerned the participants themselves, the immediate context of interaction, or topics external to the immediate setting. Presumably because of their spontaneous cognitive organization of the encounter more in terms of person‐relevant dimensions, a higher proportion of the talk of high complexity subjects concerned the participants themselves; low complexity subjects’ conversations included a higher proportion of talk about external topics.