For this assignment, I will be analyzing the social penetration theory in the context of my own experiences. Social penetration theory is used to understand the process of relational bonding, and how a superficial relationship can progress to an intimate relationship. There are several stages that this theory encompasses and that, if followed, shows how communication in a relationship progresses. These stages are orientation, exploratory affective exchange, affective exchange, and stable exchange. The orientation stage is marked by revealing small things about oneself, with superficial communication, and is the relationship we have with the public. The exploratory affective exchange stage is when your personality starts to emerge, you begin …show more content…
In this particular case, my significant other and I were in the orientation stage for over a year. We had known of each other from classes and running into each other, but we knew nothing about each other besides the small bits of our personality we had disclosed to the public. This stage included superficial conversations about assignments, saying hello when seeing one another, and very little self-disclosure. At this point I would have considered us to be barely acquaintances. My significant other and I experienced the exponential affective exchange stage for the initial months of our relationship. We began to spend more time together and our communication became more frequent. Our personalities began to emerge in small parts – both through intended self-disclosure and unintended self-disclosure. During this stage, we experienced a lack of reciprocity. I was very willing to disclose information about myself, but this was not returned as he was very guarded and unwilling to …show more content…
At this time communication became almost constant and much more comfortable. Our communication also became more purposeful, as we strove to understand one another on a deeper level. This was when terms of endearment and affection began to emerge, and self-disclosure – intentional and unintentional – was finally reciprocated. We began to consider each other close friends as well as romantic partners, and we would commonly say that we knew as much about each other as our close friends knew about us. Our relationship entered the stable exchange stage after several years of dating. During this stage, we reached a willingness to self-disclose any and all information. Over time we have developed our own way of communicating, which consists mostly of looks and gestures as well as short phrases that only have meaning within our relationship. During this stage, we also developed own common sense of humor as well as established our boundaries as a couple and understood each other’s boundaries as individuals. We have also reached the point in our relationship where we are thought of as an “us,” and where are often expected to attend events together and invitations are usually extended to our significant
When thinking about romantic relationships, whether in the movies, media or your own relationship what characteristics come to mind? The topic we will discuss in this presentation attends to the romantic relationships within interpersonal communication.
Deborah Tannen wrote “ Talk in the Intimate Relationship” to help people learn something about how men and women's interactions differ. She is a language scholar and has past experience of failed relationships and she feels as though this was because of lack of communication. Her main focus is on metamessages, these are messages that go beyond what we say. She states that the people that are literal minded, miss out on the context of what communication is. What this essay will consist of being what Tannen calls metamessages, summarizing her article on how men and woman talk, deciding whether Tannen is favorable to both genders and last but not least if I agree to an extent with Tannen says in her article.
The intensifying stage of the relationship is described as becoming less formal, euphoric, and revealing even juicy information about each other which deepens the relationship even further (Alder, pg 289). For example, I remember my car
Harry and Sally entered the initiating stage, or the point in a relationship where one indicates that they would like to form a relationship with the other typically through introducing themselves, several times throughout the movie. Harry and Sally are aware that they are in this stage because they both make the effort to introduce themselves and begin some sort of relationship, no matter how informal. The first
Our Initial contact came the moment he caught my eye during cross-country. I perceived immediate attraction and my friends referred to him as “Paige’s crush.” Similarity of interests connected us and provided opportunities for interactional contact through high school soccer. The relationship developed from afar as we watched and learned about each other through the proximity of our neighborhoods. Living only a mile apart meant more chances for contact. Soon, we moved to deliberate contact and exhilarating, heart-pumping rushes of emotion overwhelmed me each time John called. Showing Interest, John pursued me as we spent time together, meshing our personalities. Uncontrollable Duchenne smiles took over when I saw or thought about him. Soccer team dinners required no need for words because our nonverbal communication and eye contact said it all through winks and silly faces. By the end of the summer, we found ourselves bound and officially dating.
This classic love story describes how people can change once they interact with other people. Moreover, this is an example of how human beings in general need interaction to be normal functioning citizens of society. Having relationships, can make a person feel better about him and can possibly revolutionize or emerge a personality that was quiescent due to lack of interaction. This video demonstrates many facets of interpersonal communication.
Therefore, we were naturally inclined to develop some sort of relationship and intimacy. If we hadn't, our living conditions would have become understandably tenuous. The development of relationships and intimacy has some very definitive steps. The first step is initiating, which is making contact with the other person and showing that you are the kind of person worth talking to. Our relationship was initiated as soon as I was brought into this world and facilitated by the fact that we were brothers and sisters.
David, P., (2014a, Winter Quarter). Stages of intimacy assessment. Class handout from Applied Couple Therapy. Antioch University Seattle.
Although Summer consistently showed signs of her stance on love and relationships, Tom interpreted her feelings as those of romance. Communication can be ambiguous to the point that the existence of conflicts will be guaranteed. Tom and Summer’s relationship inevitably fell to its demise due this ambiguity and incompatibility, an occurrence that I have experienced myself. Since I come from a high-context culture, it is preferred by society to keep to myself and avoid directness. From this, I had often hoped that my partner would be able to pick up on my nonverbal behaviors much more effectively than they did. This assumption that others are like us is a debilitative tendency. For this reason, I believe that Tom should have established his feelings more directly towards Summer instead of letting his actions speak. Since people have different perceptions of life values, it is important to gauge the understanding of the other person and have a mutual boundary set within a relationship. However vague communication can be, communication serves as a significant function within our relationships and our
conversation – that also included sharing my experiences – was so engrossing that I realized that
"Interpersonal attraction refers to positive feelings about another person. It can take many forms, including liking, love, friendship, lust, and admiration" (spark notes). Sometimes these kinds of relationships can happen between individuals that people meet throughout their daily lives. For any relationship to exist or last,last there has to be effective communication. Communication is a major factor used to either build up or tear down interpersonal relationships. Also, having effective listening skills helps the relationship become stronger. In the movie, 50 First Dates, there are many instances where interpersonal relationships are illustrated. This paper will discuss the different types of interpersonal relationships that are found in the movie, as well as how important communication is in a relationship to keep that bond strong and last.
Getting to know each other continued as our involvement expanded and disclosure developed quickly. I soon learned topical boundaries when bringing u...
Theiss, J.A., & Solomon, D.H. (2008). Parsing the mechanisms that increase relational intimacy: the effects of uncertainty amount, open communication about uncertainty, and the reduction of uncertainty. Human Communication Research, 34(4), 625-654. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2008.00335.x
Members will start revealing their personal information and will analyze the impression on the other person. They find various ways to nurture a relationship in order to strengthen interpersonal development such as gifts, spending more time together, asking for dates, expecting a relationship commitment
How many times are the topic of romantic relationships discussed when you are spending time with friends or family? They can be exciting, funny, stimulating, painful, and difficult to comprehend at times, but they keep motivating and encouraging people to succeed. They drive you to distraction as well.