The Factorial Domain of Interpersonal Skills

A total of 168 naturally occurring dyadic conversations in and around a large Midwest metropolitan city were interrupted and the interactants were surveyed on their impressions of their partners' communicative skills. Given several extant, competing models for the factorial structure of interpersonal behavior evaluation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied to ascertain the best fit of current theoretical models and the optimal model for social conversations among acquaintances. Results recommend either a four- or five-factor model, depending upon one's preference for factor definition.