Adversity Makes Strange Bedfellows: How to Infer Positive Relationships in Social Networks from Negative Relationships
Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Social relationships are a complex web of intertwined interests and emotions that predispose individuals to the inevitability of encountering negative interactions. This reality compels us to seek opportunities for transforming negative relationships into positive ones. Specifically, do individuals draw inferences about relationships by concentrating on shared negative relationships? Does cognition shaped by negative relationships affect human representations and behaviors? We propose that individuals can infer relationships based on incomplete knowledge of social networks. A total of 1,085 Chinese participants (54% female) took part in five studies that employed hypothetical scenarios and a social network approach and manipulated interpersonal and intergroup relationships. Consistent with social cognition and evolutionary theory, our findings support our hypothesis by demonstrating that human perceptions of shared negative relationships: (a) serve as a valuable predictive tool for inferring positive relationships; (b) the effectiveness of relationship inference is influenced by the number of relationships and group size; (c) shape social network representations; (d) reveal individual differences in the flexible use of cognitive mechanisms. Thus, while the presence of negative relationships detracts from the human social experience, this hostility is mitigated by the inclusiveness of the social network. This suggests that negative relationships can possess beneficial—arguably pro-social—aspects that contribute to the development and enhancement of positive relationships.