Friendship & Relationships
What is a friendship in the context of interpersonal communication?
What is a voluntary interpersonal relationship characterized by mutual liking, support, and shared interests or experiences.
In communication, what is conflict?
what is a perceived incompatibility of goals, needs, or values between two or more people.
What is interpersonal communication?
What is communication between two or more people that involves mutual influence and relationship building.
What is nonverbal communication?
What is communicating without words through body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and other nonverbal cues.
What is family communication?
What is the way family members share information, feelings, and support with each other through verbal and nonverbal messages.
Name one stage of friendship development (for example, from models like coming together/coming apart).
What is initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating, and bonding.
Name one common conflict style (from models such as Thomas-Kilmann).
What is competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, or collaborating.
What is the difference between intrapersonal and interpersonal communication?
What is intrapersonal is communication with yourself (thinking, self-talk); interpersonal is communication with others.
Name two types of nonverbal communication.
What is..
Any two: facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, tone of voice, touch, appearance, or personal space.
Name one example of healthy family communication.
What is listening without interrupting, calmly talking through problems, expressing appreciation, or checking in about each other’s day.
What is self-disclosure, and why is it important in friendships?
What is self-disclosure is sharing personal information about yourself with others. It builds trust, intimacy, and a deeper connection in friendships.
Which conflict style focuses on finding a win–win solution for both people?
What is collaborating
What is feedback in the communication process?
What is the responses a receiver gives to a sender show how the message was understood.
A person says, “I’m fine,” but their arms are crossed, and they avoid eye contact. What does this suggest about their nonverbal communication?
Their nonverbal cues contradict their words and may show they are not actually fine (possible tension, discomfort, or upset feelings).
How can regular family check-ins (like weekly talks or dinners) improve communication?
They create a routine time to share feelings, solve problems, and stay connected, which builds trust and understanding.
Give one example of how communication can strengthen a friendship during a difficult time.
What is actively listening when a friend is upset, checking in regularly, using supportive language, validating their feelings, or offering help.
A friend always gives in to avoid disagreement, even when they care about the issue. Which conflict style are they using?
What is accommodating
Give one example of how culture can influence interpersonal communication.
What is...
Any example, such as differences in eye contact, personal space, direct vs. indirect communication, or attitudes about expressing emotion.
Define proxemics in communication.
Proxemics is the study of how people use personal space and distance in communication.
Give one example of an unhealthy family communication pattern.
Yelling, giving the silent treatment, constant criticism, name-calling, or avoiding important conversations.
Describe one communication behavior that can damage or weaken a friendship and explain why.
What is gossiping about a friend, avoiding difficult conversations, constant criticism, or ignoring boundaries. Explanation: These behaviors reduce trust, create distance, or cause conflict.
Briefly describe a real-life example (school, work, or home) where collaborating would be the most effective conflict style.
Any reasonable example where both sides share needs and work together on a solution—e.g., roommates negotiating chores so both feel it’s fair.
Explain how perception can affect interpersonal communication.
Our perceptions (how we interpret people and events) shape the meanings we assign to messages, which can lead to misunderstandings or accurate understanding depending on our biases, experiences, and expectations.
How can nonverbal communication strengthen a spoken message? Give one example.
What is...
Example: Looking someone in the eyes and nodding while they speak shows you are listening; using a warm tone and open body posture reinforces supportive words.
A teen feels their parents don’t listen to them. What is one communication strategy the teen could use to improve the situation?
Any reasonable answer, such as: choosing a calm time to talk, using “I” statements ("I feel…"), clearly explaining their feelings and needs, asking parents to listen without interrupting, or suggesting regular check-in talks.