Quiz #9

If you've ever been in a relationship in which you just felt like you were "going through the motions," you have experienced the ___________ stage of Knapp's model.

stagnating

Which of these is NOT a factor in maintaining and supporting relationships that is discussed in your text?

Emotional Management

Jordan wants to feel emotionally close to his girlfriend, but he also wants to make his own decisions. Which dialectical tension is he experiencing?

autonomy-connectedness

Kyle and Steve have been friends since 7th grade, so it seemed only natural for them to live in the dorm together during their first year in college. Near the middle of the first term, Kyle found that he had made many new friends and wanted to spend more time going out with them. He also wanted to maintain his friendship with Steve. According to relationship dialectics, Kyle is experiencing the ________ dialectic.

autonomy-connection

Sal and Chris do what is necessary to ensure they do not have to be in one another's presence. Even being in the same room is unpleasant. According to Knapp's model, it can be said that the two individuals are at the _________ stage of their relationship.

avoiding

This strategy for managing dialectical tensions involves compromising, or finding a middle ground between the two opposing forces of the tension:

balance

At this relationship stage, there may be a formal statement of commitment made between the two people and a realization that the relationship is now guided by specific rules and regulations established by custom or law.

bonding

During this stage of Knapp's relationship termination model, couples begin to decrease both the quality and frequency of their interactions.

circumscribing

Elizabeth and Aaron had been married for 6 months when Elizabeth started to feel dissatisfied in their relationship. Although Aaron was a nice person and fun to be around, he didn't like to help with the cooking or cleaning. Elizabeth preferred having a neat and tidy kitchen, but Aaron was fine with letting the dishes go a day before cleaning them up. Elizabeth's dissatisfaction would fall into the ____________ stage of Knapp's model of relationship stages:

differentiating

Miranda enjoys talking with Ron before their COM 2206 class begins. It is only two weeks into the semester and she finds herself trying to think of things to talk with Ron. Miranda would like to get to know Ron better and possibly discover some areas of common ground to see if the friendship is worth pursuing. Miranda and Ron are in the _______ stage of their relationship.

experimenting

At this relationship stage, there is small talk. Attempts are made to open the channels of communication, and judgments are made about whether we want to proceed any further to a second meeting or conversation.

initiating

If Laura says to George, "Hi. I'm Laura. Are you a friend of the bride or the groom?" her statements represent conversations typically found in which stage in the lifecycle of a relationship?

initiating

After Ryan and Tamayra had been dating for some time, they began to look like a couple. Their friends always expected to see them together because they were practically inseparable. According to Knapp's model of relationship stages, Ryan and Tamayra are at the ________ stage.

integrating

At this stage in the relationship, the two people begin to change their perspective from "I" to "we." Their willingness to share more personal information increases and each person is also more vulnerable.

integrating

At this stage of relationship formation, a deep commitment has formed and there is a strong sense that the relationship has its own identity:

integrating

Dan and Missy have been dating for eight months. Their friends, family and co-workers now view them as a pair, a social unit. They are in the ______ stage of their relationship.

integrating

In order to satisfy the dialectical tension of predictability-novelty, Nancy and Stewart devise a plan for a weekly date night. They decide they will reserve every Thursday night to spend with each other--away from work, the television, or the children. For each date, they schedule a different mini-adventure (a wine tasting class, a museum tour, paintball) to keep things interesting. Nancy and Stewart are using a(n) __________ strategy to manage their relationship.

integration

Tyler and Rhonda struggled with the autonomy-connection dialectic. Currently, both work outside the home at different jobs, so they are autonomous at work. They also agree that weekends are their time together to maximize connection on the weekends. Tyler and Rhonda seem to have used _________ as a strategy for managing their dialectical tensions.

integration

Jerry was so excited to receive a big promotion at work that he immediately wanted to share the news with his girlfriend because he sees everything that affects him as also affecting their relationship. Jerry's interaction with his girlfriend illustrates that they are at the __________ stage of Knapp's model of relationship stages.

intensifying

If your friend or partner says to you "I wish we could stop arguing so much," they are using a message to convey another message. This is called ________.

meta-communication

Brian and Kendra are currently in a long distance relationship due to Brian's three month work assignment in Paris. Although they are not able to see each other, they make it a point to exchange e-mails and text messages every day, and never fail to remind each other how much the love and miss each other. They also talk about the frustration of being so far apart, and of having to put their physical needs and desires on hold. In terms of relational maintenance behaviors, they are using _______ to deal with their lack of physical proximity,

openness and assurances

Karen had been dating Stefan for three years and was becoming bored with the routine of their relationship. According to relationship dialectics, Karen is likely experiencing the _______ dialectic.

predictability-novelty

Charlie and Beth are generally pretty happy together. Sometimes though, Charlie feels their relationship becomes boring, while Beth enjoys the stability that comes with predictability. Through the years, the couple has learned to recognize the tension of novelty vs. predictability as something that comes with the territory. Charlie and Beth seem to be using ______ as a strategy for managing their dialectical tension.

reaffirmation

Justin and Felecia had just started dating and were spending a lot of time together. Even though he cared about Felecia, Justin started to feel smothered by their relationship. When Justin talked to his dad about his feelings, his dad told him that his feelings were normal and he might always feel that in one way or another. Justin's dad was encouraging him to adopt a(n) _______ strategy to deal with his dilemma.

reaffirmation