Few studies of interpersonal complementarity have examined individual differences that might moderate the relation between one person's behaviour and the other's response. The present research investigated the degree to which global perceptions of others (perceived interpersonal climates) moderated the relation between event-level perceptions of the other and behavioural response in social interactions. The influence of interpersonal perceptions on social behaviour was examined in two field studies; the first study was conducted with university undergraduates, and the second study was conducted with a community sample of working adults. Event-contingent recording procedures were used to collect information about participants' communal (agreeable---quarrelsome) and agentic (dominant---submissive) behaviours and perceptions of partner communion and partner agency. Based on hypotheses derived from interpersonal complementarity, it was expected that perceptions of communion would predict communal behaviour according to the principle of correspondence (agreeableness evokes agreeableness and hostility evokes hostility) and perceptions of agency would predict agentic behaviour according to the principle of reciprocity (dominance invites submissiveness and submissiveness invites dominance). As predicted, perceived interpersonal climates moderated the relation between perception of the other and behaviour in specific interactions. Perceived communion in an event predicted correspondence with regard to communal behaviour; this response was stronger for individuals who generally perceived others as cold-quarrelsome rather than warm-agreeable. Perceived agency in an event predicted reciprocity such that individuals responded to perceptions of dominance with more submissive behaviour and perceptions of submissiveness with more dominant behaviour; this response was stronger for individuals who generally perceived others as submissive, and this response was weak to non-existent for individuals who generally perceived others as dominant. The moderating effects of perceived interpersonal climates were independent of five-factor and interpersonal traits; global perceptions of others provided unique interpersonal information not captured by the five-factor model of personality. Both studies support the basic principles of complementarity while indicating that complementarity does not apply equally to all people. The present research shows that interpersonal perceptions are not only useful for studying behaviour within an event, but that global perceptions of others (perceived interpersonal climates) influence our reactions to the social environment.

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