Exam 9: Communicating in Close Relationships

Natalie wants her boyfriend to respond consistently to her affectionate behavior, but she also wants him to surprise her occasionally with different signs of his affection. Natalie is feeling which dialectical tension?

Discuss why it is important to be authentic in communication within close relationships.

One factor that influences attraction is ________, which refers to how close you are to others.

The ________ stage of Knapp's stages of romantic relational development involves appearing pleasant and likeable during a first encounter.

Julie discovered that her boyfriend has been having lunch and talking on the telephone with his ex-girlfriend. Which turning point in developing relationships are they experiencing?

Bri is jealous of her husband's relationship with his coworker; she is unsure of his fidelity. Her jealousy is a result of _____.

The ________ stage of Knapp's stages of romantic relational development involves ending the relationship.

Cassie's mom asked her if she thought her boyfriend was cheating on her. Cassie replied that Nathan would never cheat on her and her mother should mind her own business. Cassie's inability to suspect Nathan of cheating demonstrates the concept of _____.

Frequency refers to how often self-disclosure occurs in a relationship.

Nagging, criticizing, complaining, and teasing are all examples of _____.

How close you are to others is considered your similarity to them.

Knapp's stage model conceptualizes relationship development as a _____.

Joe tends to prefer spending his Friday nights unwinding alone with a movie. His partner, Ted, likes to spend Fridays cooking dinner together and playing games. Joe wants his quiet time but also wants to spend time with Ted. Which dialectical tension is he primarily experiencing?

Research has shown that people with satisfying relationships experience the same level of health as people with stressful relationships.

The change/predictability dialectical tension is most prevalent in which relational stage?

When Connor wanted to break up with Jillian, he told her "we can still be friends." Which type of termination strategy was Connor using?

The idea that one develops relationships with people who are approximately as attractive as they are is called the ________ hypothesis.

Identify three ways to express dissatisfaction in your relationship competently. Give an example of each and state why it would be better than a more negative approach.

The ________ theory emphasizes that our guesses about future interactions as positive or negative determine our likelihood of talking with someone and forming a relationship.

According to uncertainty reduction theory, if we find someone desirable after initial attempts to reduce uncertainty, we are likely to back off and let them pursue us to determine reciprocal interest.