FIA3131
INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
WEEK 4
UNDERSTANDING INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONSHIPS
PART 1
Interpersonal Relationship Defined &
Family Relationships
Lesson Objectives
At the end of the session, students should be able to:
(1) define interpersonal relationships and identify two ways to distinguish among
them.
(2) identify and describe the types of families.
(3) identify and describe the models used to describe family interactions, and the
ways to improve family communication.
(4) identify and describe types of relationships among married couples.
Definitions perception shared by two
people of an ongoing
interdependent connection
that results in the development
of relational expectations
and varies in interpersonal
intimacy
RELATIONSHIP INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP
connection
established when
one person
communicates
with another
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
(a)Shared Perception
• Both people must share the perception that
they have an ongoing relationship
(b) Ongoing Interdependent Connection
• Interpersonal relationships are constantly changing
• Differ in levels of trust, self-disclosure and intimacy
In an intimate, trusting relationship, we can feel safe in telling our deepest secrets to another
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
(c) Relational Expectation
• Specific relational expectations are formed between partners (based
on socialisation and experiences).
• Sometimes, expectations are violated, which can create turmoil in the
relationship.
(d) Interpersonal Intimacy
• Degree to which relational partners mutually accept and confirm
each other’s sense of self.
• The more intimate the relationship, the more we depend on the
other for acceptance and confirmation of our self-image.
Circumstance or Choice?
a) Relationship of Circumstance
• Interpersonal relationship that exists because of life
circumstances (who your family are, where you work or
study, and so on)
b) Relationship of Choice
• Interpersonal relationship you choose to initiate, maintain,
and, perhaps, terminate
• E.g. friends, lovers, spouse, counselor
Family
Relationships
(Part 1)
What is Family?
Family Defined
Today, the textbook authors define family as a self-defined unit made
up of any number of persons who live or have lived in relationship
with one another over time in a common living space and who are
usually, but not always, united by marriage and kinship.
Family Types
Natural or Family of
Nuclear Blended Origin
Single-
Voluntary
Extended Parent
(fictive) kin
**Extended families involve unique relationships and communication patterns.
Family Types
Natural or Nuclear Family
• Consists of a mother, a father, and their biological children (nuclear
family).
• Due to cultural changes, this type of family may be called the idealised
natural family.
Extended Family
• Incudes relatives such as aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents and/or
unrelated persons who are part of a family unit (related by blood or
marriage).
Family Types
Blended Family
• Consists of two adults and their children who may be the offspring of
other biological parents or of just one of the parents who is raising them
and, thus, are constituted from many possible relationships.
Single-Parent Family
• The fastest-growing family unit in the United States is described as having
one parent and at least one child. Children of divorced parents who share
joint custody still have ongoing relationships with both parents.
Family Types
Family of Origin
• Simply the family in which a person was raised (born or adopted).
Voluntary (Fictive) Kin
• Includes individuals we consider family regardless of their legal or
blood connection (e.g: close family friends)
Family
Relationships
(Part 2)
Models of Family
Interaction
Two Models of Family Interaction
Circumplex Model of Family Interaction
Family Communication Patterns Model
i) Circumplex Model of Family Interaction
• It is developed to explain the dynamics of both effective function
and dysfunction within family systems, has three basic dimensions:
a) Adaptability - ranges from chaotic to rigid, refers to the
family’s ability to modify and respond to changes in its own
power structure and roles.
b) Cohesion - emotional bonding and feelings of togetherness
that families experience; ranges from disengaged to
enmeshed
c) Communication – most important, affects everything in the
model, keeps the family operating as a system
Low control High control
Not very warm
Very warm
ii) Family Communication Patterns Model
• Based on conversation and conformity levels.
• Families with a strong conversation orientation engage in
frequent discussions, all family members share their
thoughts and feelings, and they all share in decision making.
• Families strong on conformity seek homogeneity, harmony,
avoidance of conflict, and obedience to elders
Four Types of Family
(based on the Family Communication Patterns Model)
i) Consensual Families
• Consensual families are those with high
orientations toward both conversation and
conformity.
ii) Pluralistic Families
• Pluralistic families have high orientations
toward conversation but low orientations
toward conformity.
Four Types of Family (cont.)
iii) Protective Families
• Protective families have low orientations toward
conversation but high orientations toward
conformity.
iv) Laissez-Faire Families
• Laissez-faire families have low orientations
toward both conversation and conformity.
Strategies for Improving Family Communication
✓ Take time to talk
✓ Listen actively, clarify meanings, and respond appropriately
✓ Support and encourage one another
✓ Use productive strategies for managing conflict, stress, and
change
SPECIFIC FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
(Married Couples)
Committed Partners –
• What drives people to form a lifelong relationship to a
partner?
• Why do people get married?
i) Traditional couple
ii) Independent couple
iii) Separate couple
iv) Mixed couple
Traditional Couple
• Married partners who are interdependent and who
exhibit a lot of sharing and companionship, follow a
daily routine, are not assertive, have conflicts,
emphasize stability over spontaneity, and follow
traditional community customs.
Independent Couple
• Sharing and showing companionship and are
psychologically interdependent but allow each
other individual space.
Separate Couple
• Married partners who support the notion of
marriage and family but stress the individual over
the couple.
Mixed Couple
• Married couples in which the husband and wife
each adopt a different perspective (traditional,
independent, separate) on the marriage.
Q&A
