1. Chapter 8: Communication and Relational Dynamics
PowerPoint Presentation to accompany Looking Out, Looking In, Tenth Edition
Chapter 8: Communication and Relational Dynamics
Presentation prepared by Dr. Michael Pearson, Gretchen Gill, and Tim Scanlon of West Chester University
Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning™ is a trademark used herein under license.
For permission to use material from this text, contact us by:
Phone: Fax:
Web:
Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. 1

2. Communication and Relational Dynamics
CHAPTER 8
Communication and Relational Dynamics
Copyright © 2002 Thomson Learning, Inc. 2

3. Communication and Relational Dynamics
Why We Form Relationships
Models of Relational Development and Maintenance
Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Alternatives to Self-Disclosure 3

4. Why We Form Relationships
Attraction
Similarity and complementarity
Reciprocal Attraction
Competence
Disclosure
Proximity 4

5. Why We Form Relationships
Intimacy
Dimensions of Intimacy
Masculine and Feminine Intimacy Styles
Cultural Influences on Intimacy
The Limits of Intimacy 5

6. Why We Form Relationships
Rewards
Social Exchange Theory
We often seek out people who can give us rewards that are greater than or equal to the costs we encounter in dealing with them.
Rewards – Costs = Outcomes 6

7. Models of Relational Development and Maintenance
Developmental Models
Relational Maintenance - communication aimed at keeping relationships operating smoothly and satisfactorily
Initiating
Experimenting
Intensifying
Integrating
Bonding 7

8. Models of Relational Development and Maintenance
Developmental Models
Differentiating
Circumscribing
Stagnating
Avoiding
Terminating 8

9. Models of Relational Development and Maintenance
Dialectical Perspectives
Dialectical tensions - conflicts that arise when two opposing or incompatible forces exist simultaneously
Connection vs. Autonomy
Predictability vs. Novelty
Openness vs. Privacy 9

10. Models of Relational Development and Maintenance
Dialectical Perspectives
Strategies for Managing Dialectical Tensions:
Denial
Disorientation
Alternation
Balance
Integration
Recalibration
Reaffirmation

11. Models of Relational Development and Maintenance
Characteristics of Relational
Development and Maintenance
Relationships are constantly changing
Movement is always to a new place 10

12. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Self-Disclosure - the process of deliberately revealing information about oneself that is significant and that would not normally be known by others 11

13. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Degrees of Self- Disclosure
Social penetration model
Breadth
Depth 12

14. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Degrees of Self- Disclosure
Cliches - “How are you” or “We will have to get together soon”
Facts - “I’m practically engaged,” when meeting a stranger
Opinions - “I am against abortion” or “Cheesecake stinks”
Feelings - “Tell me what’s on your mind” 13

15. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
A Model of Self-Disclosure
Johari Window
open area- information of which both you and the other person are aware
blind area- information of which you are unaware but of which the other person is aware
hidden area- information you know but will not share
unknown area- information unknown to you and others 14

16. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Characteristics of Self-Disclosure
Self-disclosure usually occurs in dyads.
Self-disclosure occurs incrementally.
Relatively few transactions involve high levels of self-disclosure.
Self-disclosure is relatively scarce.
Self-disclosure usually occurs in the context of positive relationships. 15

17. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Reasons for Self-Disclosure
Catharsis
Self-Clarification
Self-Validation
Reciprocity
Identity Management
Relationship Maintenance and Enhancement
Social Control
Manipulation 16

18. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Guidelines for Self-Disclosure
Is the other person important to you?
Is the risk of disclosing reasonable?
Is the disclosure relevant to the situation at hand?
Are the amount type of disclosure appropriate? 17

19. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
Guidelines for Self-Disclosure
Will the effect be constructive?
Is the self-disclosure clear and understandable?
Is the disclosure reciprocated? 18

20. Alternatives to Self-Disclosure
Lying
White Lie - is defined (at least by the teller) as unmalicious, or even helpful to the person to whom it is told
Reasons for Lying
1. To save face
2. To avoid tension/conflict
3. To guide social interaction
4. To expand or reduce relationships
5. To gain power
Effects of Lies - What are the consequences of discovering that you’ve been lied to? 19

21. Alternatives to Self-Disclosure
Equivocating
Equivocal language - Ambiguous language that has two or more equally plausible meanings.
The value of equivocation:
It spares the receiver from embarrassment.
It can save face for both the sender and receiver.
It provides an alternative to lying.
Hinting
A hint seeks to get a desired response from another person. 20

22. Alternatives to Self-Disclosure
The Ethics of Evasion
Some argue that the morality of a speaker’s motives for lying ought to be judged, not the lie itself, and others ask whether the effects of a lie will be worth the deception. 21