The present study explored the effects of positive and negative affectivity on five different kinds of interpersonal interaction: recreation, instrumental and emotional help-seeking, and instrumental and emotional help-giving, Four hundred and eight college students completed Multiple Mood Scale-Trait, and rated frequency and outcome and efficacy expectations for each of the five kinds of interpersonal interaction. Results of path analysis showed that trait positive affect raised outcome and efficacy expectations in all interaction, which in turn raised frequency of interpersonal interaction. On the other hand, trait negative affect lowered efficacy expectation for instrumental help-seeking, which in turn decreased' frequency of this kind of interaction. In emotional help-seeking, however, trait negative affect raised outcome expectancy, which in turn raised its interaction frequency. In instrumental and emotional help-giving, trait negative affect lowered efficacy expectation, which in turn lowered frequency of the kind of interaction. These results suggest that the relations of trait negative affect to outcome and efficacy expectations depend on the kind of interpersonal interaction.
Key words: affectivity, interpersonal interaction, outcome expectation, efficacy expectation