Title

Which Comforting Messages Really Work Best? A Different Perspective on Lemieux and Tighe's "Reciever Perspective"

Authors

Brant R. Burleson, Purdue University
Wendy Samter, Bryant UniversityFollow
Susanne M. Jones, University of Minnesota
Adrianne Kunkel, University of Kansas Main Campus
Amanda J. Holmstrom, Purdue University
Steven T. Mortenson, University of Delaware
Erina L. MacGeorge, Purdue University

Document Type

Article

Comments

Published by Taylor and Francis in Communication Research Reports Volume 22, Issue 2, pages 87-100.

Bryant University users may access this article here.

Keywords

Sociology;Communication;Social Psychology

Publisher

Taylor and Francis

Publication Source

Communication Research Reports

Abstract

This article responds critically to a recent article by Lemieux and Tighe (Communication Research Reports, 21 , 144–153, 2004 ) in which the authors conclude that recipients of comforting efforts prefer messages that exhibit a moderate rather than high level of person centeredness. It is argued that an erroneous assumption made by Lemieux and Tighe about the status of “receiver perspective” research on the comforting process led to faulty interpretations of the data and unwarranted conclusions about recipient preferences regarding comforting messages. Alternative interpretations of Lemieux and Tighe's data are presented; these are guided by the extensive previous research that has assessed evaluations and outcomes of comforting messages.