Perspectives on Intimate Relationships, Family Systems, Communication, and Conflict Resolution

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, theories, frameworks, communication styles, and conflict resolution patterns from the lecture notes.

Intimacy

Sharing intellectually, physically, and or emotionally with another person.

Marriage

The emotional and legal commitment of two people to share emotional, legal, economic, and personal life responsibilities.

Social Environment

All the factors in society that impact individuals and their relationships, including cultural norms, community strengths, and media.

Stress

The body and mind's reaction to life, which is directly related to change, technology, and materialism.

Cultural Identity

An identity that evolves from shared beliefs, values, and attitudes within an ethnic group.

Race

A classification based on common physical characteristics.

Ethnicity

A classification based on a group of people's common ancestry.

Culture

How people make sense of their environment and their experiences.

Cultural Competence

The effectiveness in working with a variety of cultural groups, which requires awareness, knowledge, and skills.

Nuclear Family

The smallest, most elementary kinship unit, typically consisting of parents and their children.

Conjugal Family System

A kinship family system formed through marriage relationships.

Extended Family

A family system consisting of a nuclear family and additional individuals related to its members by blood ties.

Pseudo-Kin Group

A group of unrelated individuals with close friendships or living arrangements caring for each other without legal or blood ties.

Neolocal Society

A societal norm where newly married couples establish a separate, autonomous residence independent of either partner's kinship group.

Ethnocentrism

The assumption that one's own culture is the standard by which other cultures should be judged.

Assimilation

A process in which old cultural traits and values of an ethnic group are replaced by those of the dominant culture.

Acculturation

A process in which cultural traits and values from an ethnic group become blended with those of the dominant culture.

Segregation

A condition in which an ethnic group isolates itself or is forced into isolation within the dominant culture.

Familism

A strong family orientation identified as a major cultural strength in Latino families.

Conceptual Framework

A set of interconnected concepts, ideas, and assumptions that helps organize thinking from a particular perspective.

Idiographic Approach

An approach to understanding individuals or families that focuses on their unique aspects.

Nomothetic Approach

An approach to understanding individuals or families that focuses on ideas applying to the majority.

Family Systems Theory

A perspective stating that family members are interconnected and operate together as a complex system.

Ecological Approach to Human Systems

A framework illustrating nested system levels that place the person and couple inside the family, surrounded by neighborhood and community systems.

Morphogenic System

An open system that is open to growth, development, and change.

Morphostatic System

A closed system that maintains the status quo and avoids change.

Centrifugal Interactions

System interactions that tend to push family members apart, thereby increasing separateness.

Centripetal Interactions

System interactions that pull family members together and increase family closeness.

International Family Strengths Framework

A framework that focuses on how couples and families succeed from a global perspective.

Family Development Framework

A framework examining how family members deal with various roles and developmental tasks across stages of the life cycle.

Emerging Adulthood

A developmental stage between childhood and adulthood spanning ages 18 to 25.

Symbolic Interaction Framework

A framework focusing on symbols and interactions, viewing the family as a unit of interacting personalities.

Looking-Glass Self

The concept that people learn about themselves and develop a self-concept based on interaction with others.

Social Construction Framework

A framework emphasizing that self and identity are products of social processes and life experiences.

Feminist Framework

A framework asserting that society should commit to empowering women, challenging traditional family roles, and changing oppressed conditions.

Enmeshed Relationship

An unbalanced family cohesion level marked by extreme togetherness, high loyalty, high dependence, and potential jealousy.

Disengaged System

An unbalanced family cohesion level characterized by extreme separateness, high independence, and a lack of loyalty.

Personification

The notion that everything one's partner does is a personal reflection on oneself, common in enmeshed relationships.

Couple and Family Map

A mapping model built on cohesion, flexibility, and communication to understand couple and family relationships.

Communication

The way humans create and share meaning, both verbally and nonverbally.

Linear Causality Model

A communication model stating a direct relationship between cause and effect, often promoting blame.

Circular Causality Model

A communication model where partners deny responsibility, creating repetitive communication cycles and blaming.

Content or Report

The verbal component of communication consisting of facts, opinions, and experiences people relate to one another.

Relationship or Command

The nonverbal component of communication conveying what an individual expresses about the nature of the relationship.

Mixed Message

A communication message in which a discrepancy exists between verbal and nonverbal components.

Double Bind

A situation where verbal and nonverbal messages relay conflicting information, causing conflict about the relationship.

Metacommunication

Communicating about communicating, which is the primary way of preventing or unbinding a double bind.

Continuous Partial Attention

Multitasking to keep up with information flow, which fails when developing and maintaining intimate relationships.

Self-Disclosure

Revealing personal information or feelings that others could not otherwise learn.

Persuasive Listening

A listening style where the listener looks for ways to jump in and control the conversation.

Directive Listening

A listening style focused on efficiency that attempts to channel the conversation.

Attentive Listening

A listening style where the listener allows the speaker to talk spontaneously without interruption.

Assertive Communication Style

Expression of one's thoughts, feelings, and desires as one's right as an individual.

Passive Communication Style

Unwillingness to say what one thinks, feels, or wants.

Aggressive Communication Style

Communication aimed at hurting or putting down the other person to protect the aggressor's self-esteem.

Communication Cycles

Relational feedback loops categorized as positive (assertiveness and self-confidence) or negative (avoidance and partner dominance).

Conflict

An interaction occurring when one person opposes another person's position.

The Four Horsemen

Gottman's four destructive communication patterns: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling.

Criticism (Gottman)

An attack on a partner at the core of their character rather than addressing a specific behavior.

Contempt

Treating others with disrespect, mocking them with sarcasm or name-calling, and using disrespectful body language like eye-rolling.

Defensiveness

A reaction to criticism that reverses blame to make the issue the other partner's fault.

Stonewalling

Withdrawing from interaction, shutting down, and ceasing response to a partner rather than confronting issues.

Kitchen Sinking

A combative strategy where a partner throws all accumulated grievances and complaints at their partner at once.

Hierarchy of Conflict

A pyramid model illustrating conflict stages from daily event exchanges up to crisis as tension and decision pressure increase.

Pursuers

In Harriet Goldhor Lerner's anger management styles, individuals who seek connected or enmeshed relationships high in cohesion.

Distancers

In Lerner's styles, individuals who create disengaged or separated relationships low in cohesion.

Underfunctioners

In Lerner's styles, individuals who struggle to stay organized in many areas of life.

Overfunctioners

In Lerner's styles, individuals who decide what is best for themselves and everyone else.

Blamers

In Lerner's styles, individuals who respond in times of stress with emotionally intense feelings and blame toward others.