Chapter 8: Communication Climate: The Foundation of Personal Relationships

(pgs. 211-237)

I. Elements of Satisfying Personal Relationships

A. Interpersonal Climate :

B. Investment

C. Commitment

D. Trust

E. Relational dialectics

1. Autonomy / Connection

2. Novelty / Predictability

3. Openness / Closedness

4. Responding to Dialectics

a. Neutralization

b. Selection

c. Separation

d. Reframing

II. Different types of communication create supportive and defensive climates in personal relationships

A. Confirming messages —

B. Disconfirming messages —

III. There are six types of communication that create supportive and defensive relational climates

 A.

B.  

 C.

 D.

 E.

 F.

IV. Managing communication climates

A. Monitor our communication so that we use it to create supportive rather than defensive climates

B. We need to accept and confirm others while still being honest

C. We need to make sure we affirm and assert (state what we need, feel, or want without putting ourselves above or below others) ourselves in a relationship

D. We need to self disclose when it is appropriate; use caution when choosing how much, when, and to whom to disclose

E. Understand that there is not a single mold into which all relationships fit

F. Find ways to respond effectively to criticism