COMT 4510: Advanced Interpersonal Communication

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COMT 4/510 Advanced Interpersonal
Communication Developing Relationships
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identity demands the other -Pilotta
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John Stewart
interpersonal communication is the highest form
(most meaningful form) of communication
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functions

• instrumental
• substance

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How do we know an interpersonal relationship is
of high quality?

• positive regard
• intimacy - self disclosure
• treat each other as unique human beings
• irreplaceable
• sensitivity
• availability

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Altman Taylor
breadth
Interpersonal communication has more breadth and
depth
depth
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consensus and synthesis are not always positive
because we homogenize to achieve agreement and
lose critical perspective.
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• Martin Heidegger
• We are sheep
• We can become authentic by acknowledging the
  certainty of our own death . . .
• . . . as well as its potential immediacy.
• Only then can we become authentic in relationship.

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All relationships develop in and create a
relational culture. Describe the culture in a
relationship you have.
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Knapp and Vangelisti

• coming together (p. 127)
• initiating
• experimenting
• intensifying
• integrating
• bonding

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• Turning points in coming together
• evaluates partner to some ideal
• direct relational statement
• social network
• circumstance
• relational quota

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• Relational trajectories
• accelerated
• accelerated-arrested
• intermediate
• prolonged

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• Relational chemistry of love
• acetylcholine - rush of excitement similar to
  amphetimines
• dopamine - feelings of well-being
• endorphins - comfort and mellowness, associated
  with enduring love
• norephinephrine - produces feelings of pleasure,
  joy, contentment
• oxytocin - the cuddle chemical
• phenylethylamine - infatuation chemical
• seratonin - emotional serenity and well-being

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Julia Wood
What does the term dialectics mean?? Illustrate
from your own experience.
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Overchoice feeling overwhelmed by an abundance
of choices and a lack of rules for choosing among
them.
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• Three important dialectics in relationship
• integration vs. separation
• stability vs. change
• expression vs. privacy

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• Responding to dialectics
• selection
• separation
• neutralization
• reframing/perceptual transformation

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some other dialectics in relationship

• being vs. becoming
• good vs. evil
• rational vs. emotional
• equality vs. domination

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• physical vs. spiritual
• culture vs. individual
• real vs. fantasy
• finite vs. infinite
• causality vs. chance

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Barbour and Goldberg

• Confirming responses are positive ways of dealing
  with relational tensions.
• recognize other
• dialogic
• accepting

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Relational uncertainty
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Predicting relational outcome 2006
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End of Developing Relationships