mood
the emotional tone of a relationship between two people.
levels of interpersonal confirmation
recognition, endorsement, acknowledgement
interpersonal confirmation
the expressed valuing of another person
certainty communication
proclaiming absolutely correct position: "Janet says to Scott, 'There's no point in talking about this any further. I'm not going to change my mind.'
ethnocentrism
form of certainty language that assumes our culture and its norms are the only right ones.
provisionalism
signaling openness to other points of view while recognizing that people from different cultures differ in thoughts, actions, and values.
cultural relativism
recognizing that cultures vary in how they think and behave as well as in what they believe and value
control
a type of communication that promotes defensiveness
claiming superiority of the speaker
I really know a lot more about this than you do, so you should listen to me.
conflict between people in relationships
conflict is a sign that people are involved and matter to each other
conflict may be over or covert
conflict may be managed well or managed poorly
over conflict
conflict expressed directly and in a straightforward manner
covert conflict
conflict that is expressed indirectly; generally more difficult to manage constructively than overt conflict
Kimberly is irritated that Julia left and borrowed her sweater without asking. Kimberly then plays the stereo loudly when Julia is trying to talk on the phone.
covert conflict example
lose-lose conflict orientation
Samantha says, "Arguments are terrible. I believe nobody can win when conflict breaks out.
win-lose conflict orientation
Shenika says, "I don't like to lose arguments. The way I figure it, when you have a disagreement there can be only one winner.
loyalty
The response to conflict that involves staying committed to a relationship despite differences.
assertive communication
communication that expresses the speaker's feelings without disparaging anyone else.
aggressive communication
communication that occurs when one person puts herself or himself ahead of others or derides others' thoughts, feelings, goals, or actions.
Guidelines for creating and sustaining healthy communication climates:
accepting and confirming others, affirming and asserting yourself, respecting diversity among people, and timing conflict effectively.
bracketing
marking off peripheral issues for later discussion
communication behavior contributing to a disconfirming climate
silence
descriptive communication
The other group members seemed alarmed when you knocked over your chair and began cursing" (describe behaviors without passing judgement).
strategy
communication that aims at manipulating a person or group for the benefit of the person manipulating.
interpersonal conflict components
perceived incompatibility of goals or interests, interdependence, personal orientations toward conflict destructive or constructive response
(NOT third party interventions)
deferential communication
I need this report today, but if you can't get it done, that all right
culture
a system of ideas, values, beliefs, customs, and language that is passed from one generation to the next and sustains a particular way of life
individualistic
the type of cultures in which people act relatively independent of others in the culture
collectivist culture members
think of themselves more as part of a group
low-context
the type of communication style used by individualistic cultures which are very explicit, detailed, and precise
high-context
the type of communication style used by collectivist cultures which is indirect and undetailed conveying meanings implicitly than explicitly.
standpoint
the political awareness of social, symbolic, and material practices of a social group that shape its members' perspectives and communication processes
standpoint theory
the idea that any culture includes a number of social groups with distinct perceptions, identities, and ways of interacting
nonverbal communication expressing culture
portrait of George Washington in a grade school classroom
a statue of Benjamin Franklin in front of the town library
masculine communication culture
culture or co-culture that favors competitiveness in interaction, limited emotional responsiveness, and a focus on accomplishing instrumental goals.
collaborative
management style favored by many women
men socialized in masculine communities (spartans)
are competitive,
build friendships by doing things together,
prefer jokes that include aggression and sexual references,
focus talk on solving problems or getting things done
ethnocentrism
the tendency to regard our culture and our way of like as normal and superior to other people and other ways of life.
resistance
Maggie is very nervous around devout Muslims. She thinks they don't belong in the U.S. and never tries to make any conversation with Muslims she comes across.
understanding
Phil attends a party being help in honor of a visitor from Great Britain. Phil notices that the visitor doesn't stand very close to those who are talking to her. Phil doesn't assume that the visitor is being rude or unfriendly' instead he wonders how pers
tolerance
I don't approve of the gay lifestyle, but I can accept it
avoid self-promotion
in a culture that emphasizes collective well-being
the importance of adapting communication to various cultures and social communities
reflected in our ability to accurately interpret nonverbal messages and negotiate effectively with people of varied backgrounds.
learn our culture's perspectives and rules by
learning our language through observing and interacting with others
social communities
groups of people who live within a dominant culture yet also belong to another group that is distinct from the mainstream culture
resistance
rejecting the beliefs of particular cultures or social communities
code switching
bilingual; being able to understand more than one group's ways of using language such as what is practiced by many Asian, Mexican Americans or lesbians, gay men and members of other groups that are simultaneously part of a dominant and a minority culture.
multilingual
ability to speak and understand more than one language or more than one group's way of using language.
social relationships
relationships which are governed more by what we do than who we are.
commitment
making a decision to remain with a relationship
relationship embedded in contexts
the surrounding influence the interactions between the partners in the relationship
relationship dialectics
the opposing and continuous tensions found in a personal relationships.
autonomy/connection
dialectic that involves the desires to be separate, on one hand and to be connected on the other. Tension created.
novelty/predictability
the opposition of the desire for familiar routines and the desire for novelty
openness/closedness
dialectic involving the desire for openness in tension with the desire for privacy.
neutralization
negotiates a balance between the opposing dialectical forces. EX: Bob ad Patina
turning point
moves a relationship toward or away from intimacy. EX: Dan asks sarah to meet parents
coping
the stage in a interracial relationship in which the couple struggles with external pressures
two greatest influences on initial attraction in romantic relationships
proximity and similarity
agape (love)
selfless love where a beloved's happiness is more important than one's own. EX: single mom Michelle
eros
style of love that is passionate, intense, and fast moving
storge
style of love: comfortable, "best friends
ludus
playful style of love even manipulative
mania
unsettling style of loving marked by emotional extremes.
navigating
the process of communication that aims at sustaining intimacy in romantic relationships in the face of changes within the partners and the surrounding context.
relationship culture
the private understandings, rules, and meanings that couples develop to define who they are.
equity
theory that people are happier and more satisfied with balanced and equal relationships than unbalanced and unequal ones.
constitutive rules
define how to interpret communication
regulative rules
govern interaction by specifying when with whom to engage in various kinds on communication
team
a special kind of group characterized by different and complementary resources of members and by a strong sense of collective identity
group
3 or more people who interact over time, depend on one another, and follow shared rules of conduct to reach a common goal.
project team
consists of people who have expertise related to different facets of a project and who combine their knowledge and skills to accomplish a common goal
advisory group
group that exists to provide information and recommendations to an executive who makes the actual decisions
quality improvement team
a group of employees that generates suggestions for improving operations at a company
significant potential disadvantages of group discussion
conformity pressures and time required
group discussion advantages
greater creativity, greater commitment to decisions made, greater resources on which to draw, greater thoroughness.
cohesion
the degree of closeness among group members and a sense of group spirit
social climbing
the attempt to increase personal status in a group by winning approval of high status members
power to (orientation to power)
ability to empower others to reach their goals
power over (orientation to power)
ability to help or harm others
group norms
guidelines that regulate how group members act; grow directly out of interactions within a group
procedural communication
helps a group get organized and stay on track EX: Brian
task communication
provides ideas and information, clarifies a members' understanding, and critically evaluates ideas EX: Shiv
climate communication
focuses on creating and maintaining a constructive climate and encourages members to contribute and evaluate ideas critically
egocentric
self-absorbed
disruptive conflict
personal attacks on another member, focus on issues of self-interest
disruptive conflict communication
competitive, attempts to wield influence, reflects self-interested focus, fosters defensiveness
referent power
Marnie: used to getting her way; charm...go along.