relationship
Connection established when we communicate with another person.
interpersonal relationship
Perception shared by two people of an ongoing interdependent connection that results in the development of relational expectations and varies in interpersonal intimacy.
interpersonal intimacy
Degree to which relational partners mutually accept and confirm each other's sense of self.
relationship of circumstance
Interpersonal relationship that exists because of life circumstances (who your family members are, where you work or study, and so on).
relationship of choice
Interpersonal relationship you choose to initiate, maintain, and, perhaps, terminate.
complementary relationship
Relationship in which power is divided unevenly, with one partner dominating and the other submitting.
symmetrical relationship
Relationship in which both partners behave toward power in the same way, either both wanting power or both avoiding it.
competitive symmetrical relationship
Relationship in which both people vie for power and control of decision making.
submissive symmetrical relationship
Relationship in which neither partner wants to take control or make decisions.
parallel relationship
Relationship in which power shifts back and forth between the partners, depending on the situation.
interpersonal attraction
Degree to which you want to form or maintain an interpersonal relationship.
short-term initial attraction
Degree to which you sense a potential for developing an interpersonal relationship.
long-term maintenance attraction
Degree of liking or positive feelings that motivate us to maintain or escalate a relationship.
predicted outcome value (POV)
Potential for a relationship to confirm our self-image compared to its potential costs.
proximity
Physical nearness to another that promotes communication and thus attraction
physical appearance
Nonverbal cues that allow us to assess relationship potential (POV).
competence
The quality of being skilled, intelligent, charismatic, and credible
reciprocation of liking
Liking those who like us.
similarity
Having comparable personalities, values, upbringing,personal experiences, attitudes, and interests.
complementary needs
Needs that match; each partner contributes something to the relationship that the other partner needs.
relational development
Movement of a relationship from one stage to another, either toward or away from greater intimacy.
relational escalation
Movement of a relationship toward intimacy through five stages: preinteraction awareness, acquaintance, exploration, intensification, and intimacy.
introductions
Sub-stage of the acquaintance stage of relationship development, in which interaction is routine and basic information is shared.
casual banter
Sub-stage of the acquaintance stage of relationship development, in which impersonal topics are discussed but very limited personal information is shared.
relational de-escalation
Movement of a relationship away from intimacy through five stages: turmoil or stagnation, deintensification, individualization, separation, and post-separation.
post-intimacy relationship
Formerly intimate relationship that is maintained at a less intimate stage.
turning point
Specific event or interaction associated with a positive or negative change in a relationship.
causal turning point
Event that brings about a change in a relationship.
reflective turning point
Event that signals a change in the way a relationship is defined.
filtering
Process of reducing the number of partners at each stage of relational development by applying selection criteria.
social exchange theory
Theory that claims people make relationship decisions by assessing and comparing the costs and rewards.
immediate rewards and costs
Rewards and costs that are associated with a relationship at the present moment.
forecasted rewards and costs
Rewards and costs that an individual assumes will occur, based on projection and prediction.
cumulative rewards and costs
Total rewards and costs accrued during a relationship.
expected rewards and costs
Expectation of how much reward we should get from a given relationship in comparison to its costs.
relational dialectics theory
Theory that views relational development as the management of tensions that are pulling us in two directions at the same time (connectedness-autonomy; predictability-novelty; openness-closedness.
social penetration theory
Theory of relational development that posits that increases in intimacy are connected to increases in self-disclosure.
social penetration model
A model of the self that reflects both the breadth and the depth of information that can potentially be disclosed.
breadth
The various pieces of self, like hobbies, beliefs, family, school, and fears that can be potentially disclosed.
depth
How personal or intimate the informatin is that might be disclosed.
communication privacy management theory
Theory that suggests that we each manage our own degree of privacy by means of personal boundaries and rules for sharing information.
dyadic effect
The reciprocal nature of self-disclosure: "You disclose to me, and I'll disclose to you.
warranting
Looking for clues to validate or invalidate an online claim.