Readings

• What role does interpersonal similarity play in romantic relationships?

  It predicts mate selection and relationship success
• How does similarity in nonverbal cues affect attraction?

  It increases the likelihood of attraction
• What happens when two people automatically coordinate gestures and posture?

  They are more likely to like and understand each other
• What is language style matching (LSM)?

  A measure of verbal coordination in conversations
• What does LSM reflect in romantic relationships?

  Implicit interpersonal processes central to relationships
• What type of words does LSM focus on?

  Function words
• Why are function words processed rapidly and nonconsciously?

  They have little meaning outside context
• How does LSM differ from content words in assessing relationships?

  LSM assesses psychological matching irrespective of context
• What is the significance of personal pronouns in relationships?

  They indicate relationship satisfaction and stability
• What was the sample size in Study 1 of the research?

  40 men and 40 women
• What was the main finding of Study 1 regarding LSM?

  Greater LSM predicted mutual romantic interest
• What was the odds ratio for LSM predicting relationship initiation in Study 1?

  1. 05
• How did perceived similarity relate to LSM in Study 1?

  They were uncorrelated
• What does LSM reflect in terms of conversational dynamics?

  Interpersonal alignment across psychological states
• What was the sample size in Study 2?

  86 couples
• What did Study 2 aim to investigate regarding LSM?

  Its effect on relationship stability
• What are the key findings from the studies on LSM and romantic relationships?

  • Study 1: Greater LSM predicts mutual romantic interest.
  • Study 2: LSM predicts relationship stability at 3-month follow-up.
• What are the implications of LSM in romantic relationships?

  • Reflects implicit interpersonal processes.
  • Indicates psychological matching between partners.
  • Predicts relationship outcomes like initiation and stability.
• What are the categories of function words used in LSM analysis?

  • Personal pronouns
  • Impersonal pronouns
  • Articles
  • Conjunctions
  • Prepositions
  • Auxiliary verbs
  • High-frequency adverbs
  • Negations
  • Quantifiers
• What is the formula used to calculate LSM for prepositions?

  $LSM_{preps} =$ 1 - \left(\frac{|\text{preps1} - \text{preps2}|}{\text{preps1} +$\text{preps2} +$ 0.0001}\right)
• What is the significance of the odds ratio in the context of LSM?

  • Indicates the strength of the relationship.
  • Higher odds ratio means stronger predictive power.
• What did Study 2 investigate regarding LSM?

  Whether LSM predicts relationship stability
• What was hypothesized about LSM in long-term relationships?

  It would predict relationship stability at follow-up
• How many couples participated in the study?

  86 couples
• What was the mean age of participants in the study?

  19.0 years