Module 6a Transcript - Intimacy and Empathy

Vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts of intimacy, empathy, and the Intimacy Process Model based on lecture materials.

Intimacy

A sense of closeness developed and maintained through the communication of central aspects of yourself, such as emotions, beliefs, and values.

Dyadic process

A concept where intimacy is formed through a two-way interaction, specifically involving one person's disclosures and the partner’s subsequent responses.

Harry Reis and Phil Shaver

Researchers who developed a theory stipulating that for intimacy to develop, a partner's responses must demonstrate understanding, validation, and caring.

Understanding

A component of the intimacy process where the partner demonstrates they know who the individual really is.

Validation

A component of the intimacy process where the partner respects and values what is being expressed and agrees that the speaker's feelings are okay.

Caring

A component of the intimacy process where the partner displays concern for the individual's welfare.

Intimacy Process Model

A theoretical framework suggesting that individual perspectives, concerns, motivations, and goals act as interpretive filters that shape how disclosures and responses are viewed.

Responsiveness

The degree to which a partner's behavior matches the speaker's intentions and needs, which is essential for bolstering developing intimacy.

Empathy

The capacity to understand and share another person’s thoughts and feelings, characterized as being close and connected.

Empathic accuracy

The ability to accurately infer another person’s thoughts and feelings.

Sympathy

Feelings of care and compassion for someone suffering that is described as more distant and disconnected than empathy.

Relationship-threatening thoughts

Flickers of negative emotion or thoughts about ending a relationship that occur under high emotion; accurately inferring these is not necessarily beneficial to the relationship.