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Chapter 8 Key Terms
Intro to Communication Spring 2026
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Intimacy | Significant emotional closeness experienced in a relationship, whether romantic or not |
| Commitment | The desire to stay in a relationship no matter what happens |
| Interdependence | The state in which what happens to one person affects everyone else in the relationship |
| Investemnt | The commitment of one’s energies and resources to a relationship |
| Dialectical tensions | Conflicts between two important but opposing relational needs or desires |
| Monogamy | The state of being in only one romantic relationship at a time and avoiding romantic or sexual involvement with others outside that relationship |
| Infidelity | Romantic or sexual interaction with someone outside one’s romantic relationship |
| Polygamy | The state of having two or more spouses at once |
| Initiating stages | The stage of relationship development at which people meet and interact for the first time |
| Experiment stage | The stage of relationship development at which people converse to learn more about each other |
| Intensifying stage | The stage of relationship development at which people move from being acquaintances to being close friends |
| Integrating stage | The stage of relationship development at which a deep commitment has formed, and the partners share a strong sense that the relationship has its own identity |
| Bonding stage | The stage of relationship development at which partners make a public announcement of their commitment to each other |
| Catfishing | Using false information, including stolen or edited photos, to create a fake online persona |
| Conflict | An expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving their goals |
| Communication privacy management (CPM) theory | A theory explaining how people in relationships negotiate the tension between disclosing information and keeping it private |
| Instrumental communication | Communication about day-to-day topics and tasks |
| Differentiating stage | The stage of relationship dissolution at which partners begin to view their differences as undesirable or annoying |
| Circumscribing stage | The stage of relationship dissolution at which partners begin to decrease the quality and quantity of their communication with each other |
| Stagnating stage | The stage of relationship dissolution at which the relationship stops growing and the partners feel as if they are just “going through the motions" |
| Avoiding stage | The stage of relationship dissolution at which partners create physical and emotional distance from each other |
| Polamory | Having more than one consensual romantic or sexual relationship at once |
| Ghosting | Suddenly and unexpectedly stopping all contact with someone on social media |
| Orbiting | Continuing to interact with someone on social media after having ghosted that person |
| Terminating stage | The stage of relationship dissolution at which the relationship is officially deemed to be over |
| Divorce | The legal discontinuation of a marriage |
| Role | A pattern of behavior that defines a person’s function within a group, such as a family |
| Family of origin | The family in which one grows up, usually consisting of parents and siblings |
| Family of procreation | The family one starts as an adult, usually consisting of a spouse or romantic partner and children |
| Family rituals | Repetitive activities that have special meaning for a family |
| Confirming messages | Behaviors that convey how much another person is valued |
| Disconfirming message | Behaviors that imply a lack of respect or value for others |
| Criticism | Words that pass judgment on someone or something |
| Contempt | Hostile behavior in which people show a lack of respect for each other |
| Defensiveness | Seeing oneself as a victim and denying responsibility for one’s behaviors |
| Stonewalling | Responding to another person’s words with silence and lack of expression |
| Relational repair | Efforts to fix problems in a relationship so that the relationship can continue |
| Relational transgression | A behavior that violates an important expectation in a relationship |
| Investment model of commitment processes | A theoretic model proposing that relationship commitment is a function of satisfaction, resources (or investments), and the perceived quality of relational alternatives |
| Forgiveness | The process by which a wronged person stops feeling angry or resentful about an offense |
| Denial | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails responding to only one side of a tension and ignoring the other side |
| Disorientation | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails ending the relationship in which the tension exists |
| Alternation | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails going back and forth between the two sides of a tension |
| Segmentation | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails dealing with one side of a tension in some aspects of a relationship and with the other side of the tension in other aspects of the relationship |
| Balance | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails trying to compromise, or find a middle ground, between the two opposing forces of a tension |
| Integration | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails developing behaviors that will satisfy both sides of a tension simultaneously |
| Recalibration | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails reframing a tension so the contradiction between opposing needs disappears |
| Reaffirmation | A strategy for managing dialectical tensions that entails embracing dialectical tensions as a normal part of life |
Created by:
KristenR2025