BIOL 1209 Chapter : 20140408 155518
AUDIENCE: COMMUNICATION THEORY
–We will come into contact with a wide assortment of people throughout our lives.
–Our relationships with some people will never progress beyond superficiality.
–Others we will interact with briefly from time to time, but will remain limited in quality.
–Others we will develop lasting relationships with – friendships, romantic relationships
Types of Relationships: Based on Several Factors
1. # of People
A. Dyads
–2 person relationships
–e.g., parent-child, student-teacher, doctor-patient, boyfriend-girlfriend,
B. Groups
–3 or more individuals
–EX: group of friends, family, co-workers, sorority, fraternity, etc.
2. Purpose
A. Task relationships
–developed for the purpose of coordinated action–completion of a task or project that one could not
manage alone
–e.g., taxi driver-passenger, doctor-patient, athletic trainer-athlete
B. Social relationships
–developed for social or personal reasons (to prevent isolation, preserve our mental health–happiness,
need for inclusion, need for affection, maintain our sense of self-worth)
–e.g., friendships, romantic relationships, social groups / interest groups
3. Duration
A. Short-term
–transitory in nature; less frequent contact
–e.g., clerk at a store, neighbor
B. Long-term
–those with whom we have frequent contact over a longer period of time
–e.g., family members, friends, romantic partners
4. Level of Intimacy (Depth)
A. Casual
–provide minimum level of support & sharing (of personal information)
–e.g., acquaintances
B. In-between
–provide a moderate level of support & sharing
–e.g., friends, colleagues
C. Intimate
–provide maximum level of support & sharing
–e.g., romantic partners, best friends, close family members
Relational expectations
–We have different expectations of all our relationships depending upon the nature of each
Document Summary
We will come into contact with a wide assortment of people throughout our lives. Our relationships with some people will never progress beyond superficiality. Others we will interact with briefly from time to time, but will remain limited in quality. Others we will develop lasting relationships with friendships, romantic relationships. Types of relationships: based on several factors: # of people, dyads. Ex: group of friends, family, co-workers, sorority, fraternity, etc: purpose, task relationships. Developed for the purpose of coordinated action completion of a task or project that one could not manage alone. E. g. , taxi driver-passenger, doctor-patient, athletic trainer-athlete: social relationships. Developed for social or personal reasons (to prevent isolation, preserve our mental health happiness, need for inclusion, need for affection, maintain our sense of self-worth) E. g. , friendships, romantic relationships, social groups / interest groups: duration, short-term. E. g. , clerk at a store, neighbor: long-term. Those with whom we have frequent contact over a longer period of time.
