chapters 7-12
adaptability
(chaotic to rigid) a family’s ability to modify and respond to changes in the family’s power structure and roles
agape
spiritual, altruistic, sacrificial (parent-child)
young adult friendships
around college age
Dependent on life changes such as college, jobs, romantic relationships, moving, or starting a family
Value reciprocation of caring, trust, commitment, self-disclosure, helpfulness, and support
Help us build skills for successful romantic relationships and give us people to confide in for advice or manage stress of transitions
intimate partner violence (IPV)
partner 1 is violent/controlling and partner 2 is violent and non controlling or nonviolent (11%)
Perpetrated almost exclusively by men
Most frequent use of violence
Most likely to escalate to injury
Most likely to result in severe injury, PTSD/psychological stress, seeking medical/legal assistance
Far less likely to incur violent response
manipulation
messages that induce negative feelings in partner and give them responsibility for resolving the situation
communication privacy management (CPM) theory
suggests that we each have individual rules or boundaries about how much private information we share and with whom we share that information
casual turning point
event that brings about a change in a relationship
competitive symmetrical relationship
when both people vie for power and control of decision making
persuasive argumentation
logical appeal to convince your partner to forgo their own interests for yours
nonverbal communication
behavior other than written or spoken language that creates meaning
our faces convey __% of our meaning
55%
vocal cues communication __% of our emotional meaning
38%
principles of nonverbal communication
-nonverbal messages are the primary way we communicate feelings and attitudes
-they’re more believable than verbal messages
-they work with verbal messages to create meaning
-they help people respond and adapt to others
-they play a major role in interpersonal relationships
interaction adaptation theory
describes how people adapt to the communication behavior of others
interactional synchrony
the process of mimicking or mirroring someone’s communication behavior
turning point
specific event or interaction associated with a positive or negative shift in a relationship
kinesics
the study of human movement and gesture
quasi-courtship behaviors
different nonverbal messages you send when you’re interested in someone (suck in your stomach, apply makeup, open body position, etc)
emblems
nonverbal cues that have specific, general understood meanings in a given culture and may actually substitute for a word or phrase
illustrators
nonverbal behaviors that either contradict, accent, or complement a verbal message
affect displays
nonverbal movements and postures used to communicate emotion
regulators
nonverbal messages that control the interaction or flow of communication between two people
adaptors
nonverbal behaviors that help you satisfy a personal need and adapt to the immediate situation
eye contact functions
Cognitive function: eye contact provides clues to thinking patterns
Monitoring function: look at others to determine whether they like what you are saying
Regulatory function: regulates who you are likely to communicate with
Expressive function: provides information about the emotions you display
six primary emotional categories
surprise, fear, disgust, anger, happiness, sadness
backchannel cues
vocal cues that signal you wish to speak or stop speaking
proxemics
study of how close or far away from people or objects people position themselves
intimate space
personal or intimate interactions, 0-1.5 feet from someone
personal space
conversations with family or friends, 1.5-4 feet from someone
social space
group interactions, 4-12 feet from someone
public space
interpersonal communication does not typically occur here, 12 feet and beyond from someone
high-contact cultures
tend to be in warmer climates, people will stand closer to others and may initiate touch more
low-contact cultures
tend to be in cooler climates, people prefer their own personal space and tend not to encroach on others’ space
territoriality
the study of how animals (including humans) use space and objects to communicate occupancy or ownership of space
territorial markers
things that signify the area has been claimed
tells
nonverbal cues that give away what we are thinking and feeling
immediacy
feelings of liking, pleasure, and closeness communicated by such nonverbal cues as increased eye contact, forward lean, touch, and open body orientation
Close proximity, touching, frequent eye contact, inward lean, open body posture, smiling, high pitch
arousal
feelings of interest and excitement communicated by nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, vocal expressions, and gestures
Forward lean, head nods, concentrated stare w/ eyes and forehead, animated voice and gestures
dominance
power, status, and control communicated by nonverbal cues
Raised/lowered head and gaze, formal/informal posture, handshake style, use of space and artifacts
nonverbal messages are…
Ambiguous: what we pick up may not have any meaning or a meaning that is foreign to us
Continuous: generally do not have starting or stopping points to aid our understanding
Multi Channeled: have numerous sources
Culture-based: each culture has unique rules for displaying and interpreting nonverbal behavior
relational development & nonverbal communication
65% of social/relational meaning is communicated nonverbally
facial expressions
movements of our brow, forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, lips/mouth
microexpressions
last less than a half second
vocal cues
voice pitch, rate, volume, intensity and quality; pronunciation and articulation
haptics (touch)
expresses/increases intimacy (vital to our health)
appearance
physical attributes (body shape, facial features, hair/eye/skin color) artifacts
deception cues
concealment/falsehoods/exaggeration
More pauses, faster speech, phony smile, more fidgeting, less eye contact, increased eye blinking, more “you” than “I,” negative and passive language
expectancy violation theory
we interpret others’ messages based on how we expect them to behave
emotional contagion theory
people “catch” the emotions of those around them
interpersonal conflict
An interactional dynamic between two interdependent people who perceive incompatibilities, strive to achieve goals and reach solutions
goals
desired end states that individuals try to attain by conflict management
instrumental/task-oriented goals
obtaining and/or resolving disputes over resources like material goods, information, etc
relational goals
negotiate relationship dynamics such as gaining power or building trust
identity goals
image-focused, saving face; for self or partner
conflict style
patterned responses to conflict across situations
avoiding conflict style
Refusal to engage/non-action
Ignore and side-step any problems
Usually a lose-lose situation
obliging/accommodating conflict style
Sacrifice your own interests in favor of what your partner wants
competing conflict style
Pursue our own goals at the expense of our partners’
Seeks to win while the other person loses
compromising conflict style
Negotiate mutual give-and-take concessions
Lose-win, lose-win
collaborating conflict style (ideal)
Seeks a solution that meets the needs of both partners without requiring them to give anything up
contending
methods that seek to impose your solution on your partner
ingratiation
making yourself more attractive to your partner so that they are more receptive to your perspective
flattery
exaggerating their attributes/minimizing their weaknesses
opinion conformity
expressing agreements with their opinions
favors
giving them a reward with an eye towards reciprocity
self-presentation
presenting your own qualities/ideas in a way that the other person will find attractive
promises
expressed intentions to reward your partner if they comply with your requests
shaming
causing partner to feel shameful due to private or public condemnation; can be indirect (look of disapproval) or direct (verbal or physical admonition)
tit-for-tat
matching your partner’s behavior at every turn (cooperation and punishment)
threats
expressed intentions to punish your partner if they do not comply with our requests/demands
warning
prediction that your partner will suffer if they don’t comply
deterrent
requests that they avoid doing something
compellent
requests that they take a specific action
coercive commitment
continued punishment which gives your partner control over both parties’ welfare
violence
behavior that is intended to physically injure another person or an object they value
problem-solving
any effort to identify a formula that will satisfy both sides’ goals and interests (compromise, integrative solution)
expanding the pie
strategies which increase available resources
nonspecific compensation
one partner gets what they want and the other is repaid with something unrelated to the issue
logrolling
mutual exchange by parties of concessions on low priorities and acquisition of high priorities
cost cutting
one side gets what it wants by reducing or eliminating the cost to the other
bridging
devising a new option that satisfies both parties’ most important underlying interests
relationship
a connection you establish when you communicate with another person
interpersonal relationship
perception shared by two people of an ongoing interdependent connection that results in the development of relational expectations and varies in intimacy and affection
interpersonal intimacy
the degree to which relational partners mutually confirm, value, and accept each other’s sense of self
affectionate communication
verbal messages, nonverbal cues, and supportive activities that convey love, fondness, or positive regard
relationships of circumstance
form simply because our lives overlap with others’ in some way (family, teachers, classmates, coworkers)
relationships of choice
relationships that we seek out and intentionally develop (friends, romantic partners, spouses, counselors)
complementary relationships
one partner usually dominates or makes most of the decisions
symmetrical relationship
both partners behave toward power in the same way, either both wanting power or both avoiding it
submissive symmetrical relationship
when neither partner wants to take control or make decisions
parallel relationships
involves a shifting back and forth or a balance between the partners
interpersonal attraction
the degree to which you want to 1) form or 2) maintain an interpersonal relationship
short-term initial attraction
degree to which you sense a potential for developing an interpersonal relationship
long-term maintenance attraction
the level of liking or positive feelings that motivate us to maintain or escalate a relationship
proximity
physical nearness to another that promotes communication and thus attraction
physical appearance
nonverbal cues that allow us to assess relationship potential
competence
the quality of being skilled, intelligent, charismatic, and credible
reciprocation of liking
liking those who like us
similarity
we like people whose personalities, values, upbringings, personal experiences, attitudes, and interests are similar to ours
complementary needs
needs that match; each partner contributes something to the relationship that the other partner needs