Relational Communication Definitions

Role Relationships

• Task-oriented, lacking personal connections
• Interchangeable and temporary with limited interdependence

Interpersonal Relationships

• Characterized by mutual influence and repeated interactions
• Unique communication that is not interchangeable with others

Close/Intimate Relationships

• Involves emotional attachment and need fulfillment (affection, social inclusion, behavioral control)
• Considered the most important and irreplaceable relationships

Six Components of Intimacy

• Knowledge, caring, interdependence, mutuality, trust, commitment

Characteristics Distinguishing Relationship Types

• Includes factors like voluntary vs. involuntary, genetically related vs. nonrelated, and sexual vs. platonic nature

Interpersonal Communication (IPC)

• Encompasses communication between any two individuals

Relational Communication

• Specifically about communication between two close individuals

Principles of IPC

• Communication is inevitable, fulfilling self-presentational, relational, and instrumental goals

Principles of Relational Communication

• Subset of IPC; relationships develop through ongoing interactions
• Contextualizes messages, often reducing verbal communication needs
• Reflects varying levels of intimacy and is dynamic with both linear and nonlinear patterns

Computer-Mediated Communication

• Utilizes platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat

Types of Attraction

• Includes physical, social, task-related, sexual, and fatal attraction

Fatal Attraction

• Qualities that attract may also lead to relationship breakdowns due to personal, partner, or pair qualities

Perceptions of Reward

• Influences what individuals seek in others

Expectancies

• Forms perceptions on what others should be like; positive vs. negative violations of expectations

Attachment Styles

• Secure, dismissive, fearful avoidant, and preoccupied attachment styles affect relationship dynamics

Secure Individual

• Feels safe and comfortable both alone and in relationships

Dismissive Individual

• Prefers solitude over being in relationships

Fearful Avoidant Individual

• Lacks confidence, feels comfortable both in and out of relationships

Preoccupied Individual

• Fears being alone and constantly seeks to be in relationships

Demographic Differences

• Factors like sex, gender, age, and sexual orientation can influence relationships

Other People's Qualities

• Attractiveness based on physical appearance, communication skills, and the "hard to get" phenomenon

Qualities of the Pair

• Synergy in interactions leads to attraction; similarity vs. complementarity plays a role

Similarity vs. Complementarity

• Similarity refers to shared core values and attitudes; complementarity involves differing behaviors and resources

Environmental Influences on Attraction

• Physical proximity and the approval of a social environment enhance attraction

Perspectives on Relationship Trajectories

• Include relational stage approach, turning point approach, and dialectical approach

Relationship Stages

• Relationships develop through gradual, linear stages, explained by theories like social penetration and the staircase model

Social Penetration Theory

• Consists of stages: orientation, exploratory, affective, stable, and social depenetration

Turning Points

• Significant events that redirect the trajectory of a relationship

Types of Turning Points

• Events include communication changes, activities, romantic events, commitment moments, family changes, proximity shifts, crises, and perceptual changes

Dialectical Perspective

• Relationships are dynamic with inherent tensions between competing needs, defined by Baxter's Relational Dialectics Theory

Baxter's Relational Dialectics Theory

• Includes internal (connection-autonomy, certainty-novelty, openness-closedness) and external tensions (inclusion-seclusion, conventionality-uniqueness, revelation-concealment)

Types of Closeness in Relationships

• Physical, emotional, and relational closeness are vital for connection

Communicating Closeness

• Involves affectionate gestures, immediacy to increase closeness, and providing social support

Affection Exchange Theory

• Suggests affection meets survival and reproductive needs and correlates with health

Communicating Affection

• Achieved through direct-verbal, direct nonverbal, and indirect nonverbal behaviors

5 Love Languages

• Words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service, receiving gifts, and quality time express love

Immediacy in Communication

• Verbal immediacy includes active word choice; nonverbal immediacy involves eye contact, physical touch, and body language

Cognitive Valence Theory

• Different individual responses to increases in closeness and immediacy

Types of Support

• Emotional, esteem, informational, tangible aid, network support, and social support can be provided in various situations

Effective Supportive Communication

• Balances visible and invisible support based on the needs of the recipient

High and Moderate Person-Centered Messages

• High-centered messages are elaborate and validating, while moderate-centered messages acknowledge feelings without depth

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

• Love comprises passion (infatuation), intimacy (emotional closeness), and commitment (loyalty)

Types of Love in Sternberg's Model

• Nonlove is the absence of intimacy, passion, and commitment, among others

Lee's Love Styles

• Includes romantic (eros), companionate (storage), game-playing (ludus), possessive (mania), altruistic (agape), and practical (pragma) love

Attachment Theory

• Emphasizes the essential bond and intense emotional ties established in childhood through consistent caregiving

Childhood Attachment Styles

• Identified as secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant, influenced by parenting practices

Factors Accounting for Attachment Styles

• Inborn differences and varying parenting styles shape attachment outcomes in children

Importance of Maintaining Relationships

• Relationships provide happiness and satisfaction in life

Divorce Rates

• Significant percentages of marriages end in divorce: 50% for first marriages, 60% for second, and 75% for third marriages

Strategies for Relationship Maintenance

• Can include prosocial behaviors (positivity, support) or antisocial behaviors (avoidance, jealousy)

The "5 Magic Hours"

• Daily routines that strengthen relationships include curiosity about each other’s day, regular admiration, and affection

Maintenance Behavior Modalities

• Interaction types include face-to-face, texting, and social media communication to uphold connections

Effectiveness of Maintenance Behaviors

• Strategic maintenance tends to be more effective than routine, as it prevents feelings of being "lost in routine"

Romantic Relationship Maintenance

• Married couples generally report higher levels of task sharing and assurances compared to daters

Maintenance in Same-Sex Friendships

• Boys tend to value shared activities, while girls prioritize communication, with more similarities than differences observed

Challenges in Cross-Sex Friendships

• Includes managing emotional bonds, sexual attraction, social perceptions, and jealousy issues

Long-Distance Relationship Maintenance

• LDRs can provide happiness and allow partners to control communication frequency, though idealization may fade when proximity increases

Equity Theory

• Relationships are measured by a ratio of costs and benefits; equitable relationships lead to satisfaction, while inequities result in negative feelings

Consequences of Equity

• Equitable relationships correlate with happiness, while underbeneficial inequity leads to dissatisfaction, and overbeneficial equity can result in guilt

Addressing Inequitable Relationships

• Solutions include restoring equity, adjusting perceptions, or leaving the relationship if needed