Communication: KEY TERMS Ch 8

Question 1

intimacy (förtrolighet)

Answer 1

significant emotional closeness experienced in a relationship, whether romantic or not

Question 2

commitment

Answer 2

the desire to stay in a relationship no matter what happens

Question 3

interdependence

Answer 3

the state in which what happens to one person affects everyone else in the relationship

Question 4

investment

Answer 4

the commitment of one’s energies and resources to a relationship

Question 5

dialectical tensions

Answer 5

conflicts between two important but opposing relational needs or desires

Question 6

monogamy

Answer 6

the state of being in only one romantic relationship at a time and avoiding romantic or sexual involvement with others outside that relationship

Question 7

infidelity

Answer 7

romantic or sexual interaction with someone outside one’s romantic relationship

Question 8

polygamy

Answer 8

the state of having two or more spouses (makar) at once

Question 9

initiating stage

Answer 9

the stage of relationship development at which people meet and interact for the first time

Question 10

experimenting stage

Answer 10

the stage of relationship development at which people converse to learn more about each other

Question 11

intensifying stage

Answer 11

the stage of relationship development at which people move from being acquaintances (bekanta) to being close friends

Question 12

integrating stage

Answer 12

the stage of relationship development at which a deep commitment has formed, and the partners share a strong sense that the relationship has its own identity

Question 13

bonding stage

Answer 13

the stage of relationship development at which partners make a public announcement of their commitment to each other

Question 14

conflict

Answer 14

an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving their goals

Question 15

communication privacy management (CPM) theory

Answer 15

a theory explaining how people in relationships negotiate the tension between disclosing information and keeping it private

Question 16

differentiating stage

Answer 16

the stage of relationship dissolution at which partners being to view their differences as undesirable or annoying

Question 17

circumscribing (omskrivande) stage

Answer 17

the stage of relationship dissolution at which partners being to decrease the quality and quantity of their communication with each other

Question 18

stagnating stage

Answer 18

the stage of relationship dissolution at which the relationship stops growing and the partners feel as if they are just “going thorough the motions”

Question 19

avoiding stage

Answer 19

the stage of relationship dissolution at which partners create physical and emotional distance from each other

Question 20

terminating stage

Answer 20

the stage of relationship dissolution at which the relationship is officially deemed to be over

Question 21

divorce

Answer 21

the legal discontinuation of a marriage

Question 22

role

Answer 22

a pattern of behavior that defines a person’s function within a group, such as family

Question 23

family of origin

Answer 23

the family in which one grows up usually consisting of parents and siblings

Question 24

family of procreation

Answer 24

the family one starts as an adult, usually consisting of a spouse or romantic partner and children

Question 25

family rituals

Answer 25

repetitive activities that have special meaning for a family

Question 26

confirming messages

Answer 26

behaviors that convey how much another person is valued

Question 27

disconfirming messages

Answer 27

behaviors that imply a lack of respect or call for others

Question 28

criticism

Answer 28

complaints about another person or the person’s behaviors

Question 29

contempt

Answer 29

hostile behavior in which people insult each other and attack the other’s self-worth

Question 30

defensiveness

Answer 30

seeing oneself as a victim and denying responsibility for one’s behaviors

Question 31

stonewalling

Answer 31

withdrawing from a conversation