HL - Role of communication in personal relationships

Question 1

Rogers (1957)

Answer 1

THEORY

Rogers was a therapist in the 1950s and discovered that among his patients there are three conditions that are present in the most healthy relationships.

Theorised that there are 3 conditions for growth: unconditional positive regard, openness, and empathy

UPR - To become the best version of ourselves, we need to feel valued for who we are, without judgement and without conditions. We let people know that this is how we feel about them through the things that we say and the way that we act towards them.

Openness - To become the best version of ourselves, we need to see people being themselves. Openness, therefore, is what person A needs to show to person B for person B to be able to be more fully themself. By being open about who they are, person A gives person B the example (and the ‘permission’) to be more open about how they are.

Empathy - To become the best version of ourselves, we need to know that someone else understands us and can respond to us in a way that is helpful. That understanding can come about only if we communicate openly about our own experiences. Otherwise, how else can anyone else know what it’s like to be us?

Evaluation ->

✔ Altman and Taylor supported the significance of communication
✔

❌ Altman and Taylor focused on the effect of communication on the relationship, instead of on one growing because of communication in the relationship
❌

Question 2

Collins and Miller (1994)

Answer 2

Aim ->
To investigate the effect between self-disclosure and liking

THEORY:
There are three effects of self-disclosure and liking: Effect 1, effect 2, and effect 3.

Effect 1: disclosing information to someone causes that person to like you more.

Effect 2: Liking someone causes you to disclose more information to them. C&M states this could be because (links to Rogers (1957)):
One communicates their liking for the other person, in the hope that they might be liked in return (see effect 1);
Disclosing might be a way to receive social validation as others might give support to the facts that are disclosed;
Increasing empathy in the other person: the more that is disclosed to them the better they will be able to understand and respond sensitively to the discloser.

Effect 3:
Disclosing more causes the discloser to like the other person more. Suggested this was because

Evaluation ->

✔ Only studies that fit a strict criteria were included in the meta analysis
✔ Conducted their own study investigating these relationships, found them to exist

❌ Meta analysis: secondary data so can’t be certain of a casual relationship
❌

Question 3

Altman and Taylor (1973)

Answer 3

THEORY

States that social penetrative theory exists: there are 5 stages to relationships:

Orientation stage - clichés and superficial detail, getting to know those who we want to develop a friendship/connection with
Exploratory affective stage – casual friendship, more open (links to rogers: effect 2), starting to have a stronger connection.
Affective stage – physical intimacy, relationship formed, more intimate details shared, arguments (links to rogers: effect 1 as we have UPR as we accept the other person despite possible conflicting views)
Stable stage – deep sharing, strong stable connection, predictions of other’s emotional responses (rogers: effect 3), we feel safe and valued in our intimate connection
Depenetration stage - relationship breaks down when communication breaks down

✔ As seen throughout the theory, it relates to and supports rogers
✔

❌ While this study focused on the effect of communication on the relationship, rogers considered the effect of communication within a relationship on the growth of a person
❌