Comm330 Exam 1 Textbook Readings Chapter 1 Relationship research was viewed as pointless in 1975 Having good relationships is associated with better mental and physical health Research in interpersonal communication social psychology and other disciplines has contributed to the establishment and evolution of the field of personal relationships Study of interpersonal communication began to focus on how people communicate in dyads and small groups Miller and Steinberg said that the defining characteristics of an interpersonal relationship are that it is unique is irreplaceable and requires understanding of the partners psychological makeup The youth movement of the 1960s rebellion of the manipulative and impersonal society turned people s attention inward to the dyad and to close relationships By the 1980s interpersonal and relational communication research had become increasingly sophisticated and theoretically driven The International Network on Personal Relationships INPR established the first journal dedicated solely to the study of personal relationships The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 1984 Role relationships are functional or casual and often are temporary people in these Basic ingredient for having a relationship is that the individuals share some degree of behavioral independence one persons behavior somehow affects the other person s behavior and vice versa relationships are often interchangeable and not unique An interpersonal or close relationship with someone requires more than simple behavioral interdependence Interpersonal relationships require that two individuals influence each other in meaningful ways mutual influence Interpersonal relationships are characterized by unique interaction patterns ex you have a friend that you have inside jokes with that know different information about you than other friends shared experiences Close Relationships Have all the features of interpersonal relationships plus 3 more 1 Emotional attachment 2 Need fulfillment 3 Irreplaceability Behavioral interdependence characterizes all relationships but as people move from role to interpersonal to close relationships interdependence becomes more enduring and diverse Need fulfillment is also part of all three relationship types but the needs that our closest relationships fulfill are more central and personal than the needs other relationships fulfill 3 most central interpersonal needs affection inclusion and control Affection forms the basis for our most powerful and closest relationships Affectionate communication is a resource that strengthens relationships and makes people feels better about themselves and others Social Inclusion feeling included is a crucial part of social development that enables us to have successful interactions and associations with other people A lack of social interaction and inclusion can contribute to loneliness and low self esteem Behavioral Control People in successful interpersonal relationships share control Relationship Categories Ex categorizing some one as your friend boyfriend mother brother in law There are some blended relationships like your brother is also your best friend Another way to categorize relationships is based on how typical or mainstream they are Characteristics Distinguishing Different Relationship Types the degree to which people are genetically related 1 how voluntary the relationship is 2 3 whether the relationship is sexual or platonic 4 whether the relationship is romantic 5 the sex or gender of the partners Romantic vs Nonromantic 3 general trajectories or pathways developing a romantic relationship The traditional trajectory is acquaintanceship to romantic relationship sexual and emotional aspects develop together Platonic relationship to romantic relationship develop emotional closeness first as friends and later add sexual intimacy Friends with benefits to romantic relationship sexual and emotional closeness is already there it is the definition of the relationship that changes Principles of Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal communication refers to the exchange of messages in all sorts or relationships ranging from functional to casual to close Relational communication is narrower in that it typically focuses on messages exchanged Verbal and nonverbal messages in close relationships ex between good friends romantic partners 1 Principles related to interpersonal communication Interpersonal communication consists of a variety of verbal and nonverbal messages that can be exchanged through different channels including face to face and computer mediated channels haptics the use of touch ranging from affectionate to violent touch self disclosure a vital form of interpersonal communication is used to reveal personal information to others people are more accessible to one another because of technology 2 One cannot communicate in face to face settings Even if someone does not intend to send a message something that person says or does is often interpreted as meaningful by the other person this does not mean that everything people do is communication 3 People use interpersonal communication to fulfill goals Self presentational goals relate to the image we convey We are what people think we are Relational goals have to do with how we communicate feelings about others including the type of relationships we desire Canary and Cody s 3 relational goals activity based doing things with someone relationship based involves wanting to initiate escalate maintain or de escalate a relationship advice based involves giving advice to peers and parents Instrumental goals are task oriented ex making money getting good grades getting a ride to school people often facilitate attainment of instrumental goals by asking for advice or assistance from a friend getting permission from a parent influencing someone s attitudes or behaviors Achieving relational goals involves giving advice to others achieving instrumental goals involves seeking advice and assistance to meet one s own task related goals 4 Interpersonal communication varies in effectiveness with the most effective messages leading to shared meaning between a sender and a receiver Communication is most effective when the sender and receiver attach very similar meanings to a behavior behaviors falling in the box labeled unattended behavior do not qualify as communication successful communication is the most effective form of communication and occurs when a senders message is