Friendships and Romantic Relationships
What is the definition of a friendship?
A friendship is a voluntary interpersonal relationship characterized by intimacy, mutual liking, and positive regard.
What is conflict?
Conflict is a perceived or actual incompatibility of goals, values, expectations, or processes between two or more parties.
What is the definition of a communication climate?
A communication climate is the emotional tone of a relationship as expressed through verbal and nonverbal messages.
What is the definition of a family?
A family is a group of individuals who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption and who share resources and responsibilities.
What is the difference between a communal friendship and an agentic friendship?
Communal friendships are based on sharing time and activities together, while agentic friendships are based on achieving practical goals together.
What is the difference between a content conflict and a relational conflict?
A content conflict is about a specific issue or topic, while a relational conflict is about the relationship itself.
What is the difference between a confirming message and a disconfirming message?
A confirming message validates another person's feelings or perspectives, while a disconfirming message invalidates them.
What is the difference between a consensual family communication pattern and a pluralistic family communication pattern?
In a consensual family communication pattern, there is high conversation and high conformity. In a pluralistic family communication pattern, there is high conversation but low conformity.
Give an example of a "relational dialectic" in a romantic relationship.
An example of a relational dialectic in a romantic relationship might be the tension between wanting to spend time together (connection) and wanting to maintain individual interests and activities (autonomy).
Give an example of a "competing" conflict style.
Competing involves trying to win the conflict at all costs. An example might be insisting on having your way in an argument with your partner even if it means hurting their feelings.
Give an example of a "metacommunication" in a personal relationship.
Metacommunication refers to communication about communication. An example might be saying "I feel like we're not really listening to each other right now" during an argument with a partner.
Give an example of a "family ritual."
A family ritual might be something like having dinner together every Sunday night or going on an annual vacation together.
How might social media impact the maintenance of long-distance friendships?
Social media can help maintain long-distance friendships by providing opportunities for frequent communication and sharing of experiences. For example, friends can use video chat to catch up or share photos on social media platforms.
How might the concept of "collaboration" apply to a hypothetical situation where two coworkers have different ideas for how to approach a project?
Collaboration involves working together to find a mutually beneficial solution. In this hypothetical situation, collaboration might involve brainstorming ideas together and finding ways to combine both coworkers' perspectives into one cohesive approach.
How might the concept of "defensiveness" apply to a hypothetical situation where two friends are having an argument?
Defensiveness occurs when someone feels attacked or criticized and responds by becoming defensive. In this hypothetical situation, one friend might become defensive if they feel like their perspective is being invalidated by the other friend. This can escalate the argument and make it more difficult to resolve.
How might the concept of "triangulation" apply to a hypothetical situation where two parents are having marital problems?
Triangulation occurs when one person in a relationship involves another person in order to avoid dealing with issues directly. In this hypothetical situation, one parent might involve their child in order to avoid confronting their spouse about their marital problems. This can create tension and stress for the child and may not effectively address the underlying issues in the marriage.
How might the concept of "self-disclosure" apply to a hypothetical situation where two friends have had an argument?
Self-disclosure involves revealing personal information about oneself to another person. In this hypothetical situation, one friend might disclose their feelings about the argument in order to work towards resolving it. For example, they might say something like "I feel hurt that you didn't listen to me during our argument." This can help both parties understand each other's perspectives and work towards repairing the friendship.
How might the concept of "forgiveness" apply to a hypothetical situation where two friends have had an argument and one friend has hurt the other's feelings?
Forgiveness involves letting go of negative feelings and moving forward. In this hypothetical situation, forgiveness might involve acknowledging that both friends made mistakes during the argument and choosing to let go of any lingering resentment or anger. This can help repair the friendship and prevent future conflicts from arising.
How might the concept of "empathy" apply to a hypothetical situation where two coworkers have different opinions on how to approach a project?
Empathy involves understanding and sharing another person's feelings or perspectives. In this hypothetical situation, one coworker might show empathy by trying to understand why their colleague has a different opinion on how to approach the project. They might say something like "I can see why you think that approach would work well. Can you help me understand your perspective better?" This can help build rapport and lead to more effective collaboration on the project.
How might the concept of "enmeshment" apply to a hypothetical situation where an adult child has difficulty establishing independence from their parents?
Enmeshment occurs when boundaries between individuals are blurred or nonexistent. In this hypothetical situation, enmeshment might manifest as parents being overly involved in their adult child's life or making decisions for them without consulting them. This can make it difficult for the adult child to establish independence and may lead to conflict within the family.