Presentation prepared by:
Marilyn Shaw
University of Northern IA
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 Relationships—an association between at least two
people.
 What are some of the different relationships you are in?
With whom?
 Interpersonal communication occurs in a variety of
contexts and situations and may be characterized
in different ways, such as being impersonal versus
personal.
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 Uncertainty Reduction Theory
 Social Information Processing Theory
 Social Penetration Theory
 Social Exchange Theory
 Interpersonal Needs Theory
 Dialectical Theory: Push and Pull
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 Uncertainty reduction theory suggests that when we
meet others, our need to know about them tends to
make us draw inferences from observable physical
data.
Incentive
value or
reward
 Passive
 Active
 Interactive
Anticipation
of future
contact
Deviance
Berger’s
three prior
conditions
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 Joe Walther states that
social information
processing theory
suggests that
electronically mediated
relationships grow only
to the extent that people
gain information about
each other and use it to
form impressions.
 Verbal Cues
 Extended time
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A theory suggesting that disclosures in relationships become
increasingly intimate as the relationship develops.
DEPTH of
information
shared/deepness
BREADTH of
information
shared/topics
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Social Exchange Theory
 Why do you form relationships with others?
 Social exchange theory is based on the assumption
that people weigh the costs and benefits associated
with entering a relationship and seek out
relationships that benefit them, while avoiding those
that don’t.
Benefits
Costs
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 This is a theory that provides insight into our
motivation to communicate. The theory consists of
three needs:
 Affection; (overpersonal, personal, underpersonal)
 The need to feel likeable or loveable. We need to
belong and be loved.
 Inclusion; (oversocial, social, undersocial)
 Encompasses our need to feel significant and
worthwhile.
 Control (Autocrat, democrat, abdicrat)
 Our motivation for power or influence in our
relationship.
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Copyright © 2014, 2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.






Denial- deny that tension exists
Selection- one end of tension is chosen
Segmentation- compartmentalize
Reframing- make less obvious; dilute
Moderation- compromise
Reaffirmation- recognize that tension will always
exist
 Self-disclosure is
voluntarily sharing
information about
ourselves that another
person is not likely to
know.
Why do we voluntarily share
information about ourselves
with others?
Selfpresentation
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Relationship
building
Catharsis
Legally Separated
27 year old
Been pregnant and miscarried
In a lesbian relationship
Weed smoker
Been to jail
Love to sing loud and dance alone
Very emotional
Not confident
Low self-esteem
Love to love
Very aggressive
Mean
Go to bed without taking a shower
Drink beer and alcohol
Resent parents
Enjoy raves
Sleep all day when off
Alcoholic
Feel fat
Hit the club on Fridays
Watch Bravo shows with mom
Smoke cigarettes
Been on my own since age 15
Acts crazy
Eats to much
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