Chapter 9 Terms Flashcards
relational maintenance
behaviors used to maintain and strengthen personal relationships
Peer
someone of similar power or status
equity theory
a theory predicting that a good relationship is one in which a person’s ratio of costs and rewards is equal to that of the person’s partner
under-benefited
the state in which one’s relational costs exceed one’s relational rewards
over-benefited
the state in which one’s relational rewards exceed one’s relational costs
comparison level for alternatives
a person’s assessment of how good his or her current relationship is, compared with other options
comparison level
a person’s realistic expectation of what the person wants and thinks he or she deserves from a relationship
social exchange theory
a theory predicting that people seek to form and maintain relationships in which the benefits outweigh the costs
avoidance behaviors
communication behaviors that signal one’s lack of interest in getting to know someone
approach behaviors
communication behaviors that signal one’s interest in getting to know someone
predicted outcome value theory
a theory predicting that we form relationships when we think the effort will be worth it
uncertainty reduction theory
a theory suggesting that people are motivated to reduce their uncertainty about others
task attraction
attraction to someone’s abilities and dependability
social attraction
attraction to someone’s personality
physical attraction
attraction to someone’s physical appearance
