Interpersonal COMM Ch. 10 Vocab

social exchange theory

An economic model of relational attraction that suggests that we seek out people who can give us rewards that are greater than or equal to the costs we encounter in dealing with them.

comparison level (CL)

The minimum standard of what behavior is acceptable from a relationship partner.

comparison level of alternatives (CLalt)

A comparison between the rewards one is receiving in a present situation and those one could expect to receive in others.

relational maintenance

Communication aimed at keeping relationships operating smoothly and satisfactorily.

initiating

The first stage in relational development in which the interactants express interest in one another.

experimenting

An early stage in relational development, consisting of a search for common ground. If the experimentation is successful, the relationship progresses to intensifying. If not, it may go no further.

intensifying

A relational stage following experimenting in which the interactants move toward integration by increasing their amount of contact and the breadth and depth of their self-disclosure.

integrating

A relational stage in which the interactants begin to take on a single identity.

differentiating

A relational stage in which the partners reestablish their individual identities after having bonded.

circumscribing

A relational stage in which partners begin to reduce the scope of their contact and commitment to each other.

stagnating

A relational stage characterized by declining enthusiasm and standardized forms of behavior.

avoiding

A relational stage immediately prior to terminating in which the partners minimize contact with each other.

terminating

The concluding state of a relationship, characterized by the acknowledgment of one or both partners that the relationship is over.

dialectical tensions

Relational tensions that arise when two opposing or incompatible forces exist simultaneously.

integration–separation dialectic

The tension between the desire for connection with others and the desire for independence.

connection–autonomy dialectic

The tension between the need for integration and the need for independence in a relationship.

inclusion–seclusion dialectic

The tension between a couple’s desire for involvement with the “outside world” and their desire to live their own lives, free of what can feel like interference from others.

stability–change dialectic

The tension between the desire to keep a relationship predictable and stable and the desire for novelty and change.

predictability–novelty dialectic

Within a relationship, the tension between the need for a predictable relational partner and one who is more spontaneous and less predictable.

conventionality–uniqueness dialectic

The tension between the need to behave in ways that conform to others’ expectations and the need to assert one’s individuality by behaving in ways that violate others’ expectations.

expression–privacy dialectic

The tension between the desire to be open and disclosing and the desire to be closed and private.

openness–closedness dialectic

The tension between the desire to be honest and open and the desire for privacy.

revelation–concealment dialectic

The tension between a couple’s desire to be open and honest with the “outside world” and their desire to keep things to themselves.

metacommunication

Messages (usually relational) that refer to other messages; communication about communication.

social support

Helping others during challenging times by providing emotional, informational, or instrumental resources.

relational transgressions

A violation of the explicit or implicit terms of a relationship, letting the partner down in some important way.