P2 - Relationships - Role of Communication Flashcards
what is communication
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
why is communication important for relationships?
divorce may occur between the breakdown due to ‘irreconcilable differences’ that could be addressed with right communication
what are the 5 communication strategies for maintaining a successful relationship
- 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
what is a dispositional attribution
which is when someone makes a judgment in relation to the partner’s personality
what is a situational attribution
based on environmental or external factors
what research do we look at?
social penetration theory - Collins and Miller 1994
oxytocin and communication - ditzen 2009
what does social penetration theory propose?
as relationships develop, interpersonal communication moves from shallow communication to deeper, more personal ones
what is self disclosure
share personal and intimate details about oneself
essentially trusting the other with personal details
what does collins and miller 1994 propose
self disclosure is increasing liking and attraction, leads to self-validation, a deeper mutual understanding of one another.
what are the 6 layers from personal details
1st - biographical details
2nd - likes/dislikes
3rd - goals/ambitions
4th - religious/spiritual beliefs
5th - deep fears and fantasies
6th - concept of self
what are the 5 stages of self-disclosure?
- orientation= ‘first impression’ stage, observing mannerisms, exchanging non-intimate information about themselves
- exploratory affective stage = reveals more about themselves, deeply personal information is withheld and casual friendships develop at this stage
- affective stage = disclose personal and private matters, personal ways of speaking, communication is comfortable enough to criticise
- stable stage = disclosure is open and comfortable, they can predict how the other person will react
- depenetration = cost of self disclosure outweighs its benefits. communicators withdraw from self disclosure, ending the relationship
what is the aim of collins and miller 1994
to investigate a possible link between self disclosure and liking in the maintenance of relationships
what is the procedure of collins and miller 1994
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
what are the findings of collins and miller 1994
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
what are the findings of collins and miller 1994
self disclosure plays an important role in the maintenance of relationships
link collins and millers study to the social penetration theory
- 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
critical thinking for collins and miller 1994
+ 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 `
what is the discussion for communication?
is this research something we already know???
is self disclosure always benefit relationships, as sharing unpleasant informaton might be hurtful.
what is oxytocin?
- 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
what study do we use for oxytocin?
Ditzen et al 2009
what is the aim of ditzen
to investigate possible role of oxytocin in how couples diagnose a contenious issue
what is the procedure of ditzen
- 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
what are the findings of ditzen
both men and women with oxytocin improved positive communication and reduced cortisol levels compared to placebo
what are the conclusions of ditzen
indicate a possible role of oxytocin in human relationships. li
link ditzen to communication
- 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.
critical thinking for ditzen
- individual differences
- heterosexual couples
+ lab study
