P2 - Relationships - Role of Communication

Question 1

what is communication

Answer 1

imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing or using some other medium

its all about what your partner’s needs are and how you both feel fulfilled from your relationship

Question 2

why is communication important for relationships?

Answer 2

divorce may occur between the breakdown due to ‘irreconcilable differences’ that could be addressed with right communication

Question 3

what are the 5 communication strategies for maintaining a successful relationship

Answer 3

• doing unpredictabke things that make your partner feel good
• self disclosure
• tuning into the other people’s feeling
• keeping a social network by doing things together
• sharing some of the household tasks

Question 4

what is a dispositional attribution

Answer 4

which is when someone makes a judgment in relation to the partner’s personality

Question 5

what is a situational attribution

Answer 5

based on environmental or external factors

Question 6

what research do we look at?

Answer 6

social penetration theory - Collins and Miller 1994
oxytocin and communication - ditzen 2009

Question 7

what does social penetration theory propose?

Answer 7

as relationships develop, interpersonal communication moves from shallow communication to deeper, more personal ones

Question 8

what is self disclosure

Answer 8

share personal and intimate details about oneself

essentially trusting the other with personal details

Question 9

what does collins and miller 1994 propose

Answer 9

self disclosure is increasing liking and attraction, leads to self-validation, a deeper mutual understanding of one another.

Question 10

what are the 6 layers from personal details

Answer 10

1st - biographical details
2nd - likes/dislikes
3rd - goals/ambitions
4th - religious/spiritual beliefs
5th - deep fears and fantasies
6th - concept of self

Question 11

what are the 5 stages of self-disclosure?

Answer 11

1. orientation= ‘first impression’ stage, observing mannerisms, exchanging non-intimate information about themselves
2. exploratory affective stage = reveals more about themselves, deeply personal information is withheld and casual friendships develop at this stage
3. affective stage = disclose personal and private matters, personal ways of speaking, communication is comfortable enough to criticise
4. stable stage = disclosure is open and comfortable, they can predict how the other person will react
5. depenetration = cost of self disclosure outweighs its benefits. communicators withdraw from self disclosure, ending the relationship

Question 12

what is the aim of collins and miller 1994

Answer 12

to investigate a possible link between self disclosure and liking in the maintenance of relationships

Question 13

what is the procedure of collins and miller 1994

Answer 13

a meta analysis from research articles (published from 1955 to 1992) on the topic of self disclosure
also used studies found in a variety of academic textbooks
stats programmes were used to look for the effect in studies of self disclosure
studies in the meta analysis were varied from lab to self reports

Question 14

what are the findings of collins and miller 1994

Answer 14

self report studies and lab studies both showed higher levels of self disclosure lead to increased liking

people will disclose more to those to whom they already feel close with

Question 15

what are the findings of collins and miller 1994

Answer 15

self disclosure plays an important role in the maintenance of relationships

Question 16

link collins and millers study to the social penetration theory

Answer 16

• people who disclose intimate information are more liked
• people tend to disclose to people they like
• disclosue could be an important factor in establihsing relationships

Question 17

critical thinking for collins and miller 1994

Answer 17

+ triangulation
+ using secondary data has less research bias
+ objective measurement of stats

• bidirectional ambiguity, does healthy communication lead to a good relationship or does a good relationship lead to healthy communication
• secondary data is less secure
• lacks ecological validity - detached stats measurements `

Question 18

what is the discussion for communication?

Answer 18

is this research something we already know???

is self disclosure always benefit relationships, as sharing unpleasant informaton might be hurtful.

Question 19

what is oxytocin?

Answer 19

• produced by hypothalamus
• secreted by pituitary gland
• when it affects the brain, it acts as a hormone
• plays a role in mother and child attachment, social bonding

Question 20

what study do we use for oxytocin?

Answer 20

Ditzen et al 2009

Question 21

what is the aim of ditzen

Answer 21

to investigate possible role of oxytocin in how couples diagnose a contenious issue

Question 22

what is the procedure of ditzen

Answer 22

• double blind, placebo contolled design
• 47 heterosexual couples
• either had oxytocin or placebo intranasally
• videotaped whilst having discussions that could lead to arguements
• coded for verbal and nonverbal interactions
• cortisol, stress hormone, was also measured

Question 23

what are the findings of ditzen

Answer 23

both men and women with oxytocin improved positive communication and reduced cortisol levels compared to placebo

Question 24

what are the conclusions of ditzen

Answer 24

indicate a possible role of oxytocin in human relationships. li

Question 25

link ditzen to communication

Answer 25

• increase in oxytocin, more positive communication
• oxytocin plays a role in trust, the more you trust your partner, the more likely you are going to self disclose.

Question 26

critical thinking for ditzen

Answer 26

• individual differences
• heterosexual couples

+ lab study