Relational Development Flashcards
All our relationships are a product of __
Communication
- Self-disclosure, nonverbal warmth, empathetic listening, development of trust
- Closeness is a product of congruence, acceptance and understanding
Phenomenological Approach
- AKA the Transactional Approach
- Emphasis of social exchange
- Assessing the rewards and costs of the relationship
- Prevalence of economic metaphors
Rewards vs Costs Approach
- Self-disclosure is reciprocal, especially towards the middle of the relationship when semi-private information is being shared.
- Penetration is rapid at the start but slows down once the inner layers are reached.
- De-penetration is likewise a gradual layer by layer withdrawal
Social Penetration Theory
Why self-disclose
Rewards vs Costs
Maximize the ___ while minimizing ___
Benefits
Costs
- It happens gradually, from superficial to intimate levels of exchange
- A function of immediate and forecasted outcomes
Closeness
Personality structure is like a
Multilayered onion
Closeness is a product of
Self-disclosure
Depth of penetration depends on (2)
- Degree of personal disclosure
2. Degree of intimacy in friendship and romance
Relational Outcome =
Relational Benefits-Costs
Determines if a relationship is meaningful
Minimax Principle
- How happy or sad an interpersonal outcome makes us feel
- Points of reference
- The threshold above which an outcome seems attractive
- Pegged on our relationship history: baseline of past experience
Comparison Level
- Would this relationship be more rewarding if it was with another person
- What is the worst outcome that I’m willing to tolerate of I’m to stay in the relationship
Comparison Level of Alternatives
Proponent of the Uncertainty Reduction theory
Charles Berger
- Used to gain knowledge and create understanding
2. Used to reduce uncertainty and increase predictability
Human communication
8 Axioms to address uncertainty
- Verbal Communication
- Nonverbal Warmth
- Information Seeking
- Self Disclosure
- Reciprocity
- Similarity
- Liking
- Shared Networks
High levels of uncertainty increase verbal communication. As uncertainty decreases, verbal output
Increases
Nonverbal warmth reduces initial uncertainty. As uncertainty decreases, nonverbal warmth
Increases
High levels of uncertainty increase information seeking behavior. As uncertainty decreases, information seeking
Decreases
High uncertainty reduces self disclosure. As uncertainty decreases, self disclosure
Increases
High levels of uncertainty generate high rates of reciprocity. As uncertainty decreases, reciprocity
Decreases
Similarities __ uncertainty
Dissimilarities __ uncertainty
Reduce
Increase
High uncertainty ___ liking
Reducing uncertainty ___ liking
Decreases
Increases
Shared communication networks ___ uncertainty.
Lack of shared networks ___ uncertainty.
Decrease
Increases
We create plans to reduce uncertainty.
Plan-based communication
Strategies in construction plans (4)
- Information seeking
- Plan complexity
- Hedging
- The Hierarchy Hypothesis
Passive vs active strategy
Information seeking
No. of layers or steps; no. of contingency measures
Plan complexity
Prepare for a way out
Hedging
Lowering of expectations
The hierarchy hypothesis
Computer Mediated Communication is not suited for (2)
- Task Oriented Communication
2. Relational Communication
Proponent of the Social Information Processing theory
Joseph Walther
Issues with CMC (2)
- Lack of nonverbal cues
2. Reduced Interactivity
Cues Filtered Out Approaches (3)
- Social Presence Theory
- Social Psychological Aspects of Online Com
- Information Richness Theory
Proponent of the Social Presence theory
Williams and Christie Short
Communicators pay less attention to other participants because there are less codes and channels available in the medium. Messages tend to be impersonal.
Social Presence theory
Proponent of Social Psychological aspects of Online Comm
Kiesler
CMC has reduced context cues so that senders cannot easily alter the mood of a message, communicate a sense of individuality, exercise dominance or charisma. Sense of anonymity and less individually.
Social psychological aspects of Online Comm
Proponents of the Information Richness theory
Daft and Lengel
Media vary in terms of richness according to the number of cue systems they convey, the immediacy of feedback, the capacity for natural language. Media rich technologies are suited for interpersonally demanding tasks.
Information Richness Theory
Timing your message
Chromenics
The Hyperpersonal perspective affects 4 things
- Selective self-presentation
- Overattribution of Similarity
- Communicate at your convenience
- A looking glass self develops
- No fear of contradiction from actual appearance
- Downplaying or avoiding negative traits
- Management of the cyber-image through self-disclosure over time
Selective self-presentation
We attribute characteristics to people based on what they say and what they do
Attribution
- Reliance of verbal behavior limits what we know about the sender of the message
- We use what we know to create an idealized image of the sender
- Assumption that the person is “like me” since we likely have shared interests, given the context of meaning
Overattribution of Similarity
- Partners can be relational without having to be co-present
- Relaxed time constraint, can be a plus for partners in different time zones
- Allows for more deliberate message composition: more planning, editing comments
Communicate at your convenience
- Affirmation of the initial impressions created by the verbal exchange
- Receivers create a hyper positive or ideal image of their partner
- This image is fed back through the verbal exchange
A looking glass self develops
Proponents of the Social Penetration theory
Altman and Dalmas Taylor
