Chapter 6: Maintaining Relationships PDF

Chapter 6: Maintaining Relationships: Cognitive Processes and Personality Traits Associated with Satisfaction and Success Learning Objectives L.O. 6.3 Outline the impact of personality traits on interpersonal communication....

Chapter 6: Maintaining Relationships: Cognitive Processes and Personality Traits Associated with Satisfaction and Success Learning Objectives L.O. 6.3 Outline the impact of personality traits on interpersonal communication. 2 Reviewing Monday content L.O. 6.1 Explain how and why dialectical tensions make people feel pulled in different directions. L.O. 6.2 Describe how social exchange theories and theories of how people create meaning explain satisfaction in relationships. 3 Common Dialectical Tensions → Connection/Autonomy → Openness/Closedness → Predictability/Novelty Figure 6.3 Dialectical tensions balance autonomy with interdependence. 4 Managing Dialectics → Cyclical Oscillation → Alternating periods between opposite poles → Selection → Favoring one pole over the other → Segmentation → Choosing one pole in one situation and the opposite in others → Neutralization → Attempting to find a balance or happy medium 5 Social Exchange Theories → Thibaut and Kelley’s Social Exchange Theory → Uses the comparison level (CL) and comparison level for alternatives (CLalt) to measure outcomes → Equity Theory → People expect to get something out of a relationship similar to what they put into it → An overbenefited person may feel guilty while an underbenefited person may feel dissatisfied 6 Practical Strategies: Sacrifice and Satisfaction For assessing sacrifice and satisfaction in relationships: → Assess whether a sacrifice is necessary and whether it is harmful to your well-being. → Don’t continue to makes sacrifices to save a relationships if the relationship is inequitable. 7 6.3 Impact of Personality Traits Who is happier in relationships, introverts or extraverts? — Kyle C. (University of Dayton) 8 Personality Traits → Extraversion → Refers to showing sociability and assertiveness → Ambiverts → A person whose personality includes qualities of both an extravert and an introvert Figure 6.10 The Big Five personality traits exist on a spectrum. 11 Personality Traits that Lead to Relational Success → Emotional intelligence is the ability to comprehend and effectively manage one's own emotions. → Empathy includes perspective taking and affective empathy → Cognitive complexity refers to how broadly a person can construct their understanding of relationships → Self-monitoring refers to the extent to which a person is aware of others’ behavior and adjusts their own to fit in 10 Practical Strategies: Maintaining Integrity For maintaining integrity while trying to fit in: → Take classes on nonverbal communication to build awareness of norms or expectations in different situations. → Adjust behavior in ways that are consistent with your personality and values. → Rather than adapting to social situations in ways that violate or go against your identity, be honest with yourself. 11  Monday is the midterm review session Wednesday is the midterm exam