Role of Communication 1.2 Personal relationships

Role of communication

Plays a key role in maintenance and end of a relationship

Social penetration theory

Argues that close relationships are formed by a process of gradual self-disclosure. Self-disclosure leads to self-validation.

Orientation stage (SPT)

Low risk. It involves sharing simple information about oneself without revealing anything vulnerable.

Exploratory stage (SPT)

Reveal more about one's feelings and opinions but still be relatively safe. This is the stage at which many friendships stay.

Affective stage (SPT)

Beginning to share information of a private/personal nature. Often also involves intimate physical relations.

Stable stage (SPT)

One feels that they can be honest and open with a partner. Trust is strongly developed. One can predict the other person's emotional reactions.

Collins and Miller (1994) Aim

To investigate a possible link between self-disclosure and liking in the maintenance of relationships

Collins and Miller (1994) Research method

Meta-analysis

Collins and Miller (1994) Procedure

Researchers used a range of journal articles, isolating key terms linked to self-disclosure and liking. They also used studies from various academic textbooks to supply the sample.

A statistical programme was used to look for effect size in studies, and these studies varied from lab experiments through to self-reports.

Collins and Miller (1994) Findings

Liking appeared to be associated with self-disclosure, with positive correlations and effect sizes from these two variables. Particularly true for questionnaires, but also even laboratory experiments. Supports the idea that higher levels of self-disclosure lead to increased liking. Intimacy is also linked to liking, as people will disclose more to those whom they already feel close to.

Collins and Miller (1994) Conclusion

Self-disclosure plays an important role in the maintenance of relationships

Collins and Miller (1994) Strengths

- Triangulation

- Less prone to bias (secondary data)

- Variety of statistical measures, increasing reliability

Collins and Miller (1994) Limitations

- Secondary data is less secure

- Lack of ecological validity

Bradbury and Fincham (1992) Aim

To investigate the role of communication in relationships

Bradbury and Fincham (1992) Research Method

Observational study

Bradbury and Fincham (1992) Participants

47 western couples with an average marriage length of 8.5 years. Participants were recruited through advertisements in the local media.

Bradbury and Fincham (1992) Procedure

Couples individually filled in a questionnaire to determine the greatest problems in their marriage. Researchers chose a common problem and asked each participant about the cause and who was responsible. They were also asked about a problem identified in their questionnaire, which their spouse did not identify as a problem.

Couples were then brought together and instructed to discuss a possible solution. It was discontinued after 15 minutes had elapsed. The observation was video recorded.

Three trained researchers independently coded the videotape to identify relationship-enhancing and distress-maintaining communication patterns.

Bradbury and Fincham (1992) Findings

Couples that reported lower levels of marital satisfaction had more frequent distress maintaining communication patterns. They tended to have a greater tendency toward seeing the partner behaving intentionally and with selfish motivation. The interaction between such couples was rated as more hostile and rejecting of the partner's positive approaches.

Bradbury and Fincham (1992) Conclusion

Marital satisfaction had an effect on communication patterns

Bradbury and FIncham (1992) Strengths

Researcher triangulation, increased reliability

Bradbury and Fincham (1992) Limitations

- Correlational results, bidirectional ambiguity

- Could be correlated to something else

- Confounding variables such as depression/mental illness

- Varying seriousness of discussed issues

- Order effects were not counterbalanced.

- Sampling bias

- Cross-sectional design: change over time cannot be observed