Assignment: Analyzing Interpersonal Relationships & Conflict Styles

Part I:

Review the Skill Development Experience on page 152 of your textbook. For the four questions provided, write a concise reflection for each question.

Interpersonal relationships, as they're expressed in the popular media, provide an interesting perspective on the ways in which our culture views relationships and on the principles of relationship communication it teaches. Think of all the media you're exposed to throughout an average day and consider the messages you are receiving about relationships. Look at the media in any form-television (in dramas, sitcoms, commercials, talk shows, reality shows), newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, music, and film-and try to identify the values and attitudes they communicate about interpersonal relationships. Think about these examples:

?Do the popular media approve of certain types of relationships and not others?

?How do the media "define" friendship, love, and family?

?What do the media say about the rules for relationships?

?How do the media deal with the dark side of interpersonal relationships, such as relationship violence and spousal abuse?

Part II:

On page 161 of your textbook, different conflict styles are described. Using the questions provided in Table 8.1, write a concise reflection about which style describes you best. Consider how adopting a different style may be positive or negative for you.

TABLE 8.1 Five Conflict Styles and Their Consequences

Here are the five conflict styles and their likely consequences or outcomes (Blake & Mouton (1984). Do you have a general conflict style or does your conflict style vary with your relationship to the other person? For example, are you likely to engage in conflict differently depending on the other person, whether friend, romantic partner, work colleague, and so on?

Competing: great concern for your needs; little concern for other's

Avoiding: little concern for your own or other's needs

Compromising: some concern for your own and other's needs

Accommodating: great concern for other's needs; little concern for your own

Collaborating: great concern for your own and other's needs

Both Parts I & II should be included in the same Word (.docx) file and should total about one double-spaced page in length.

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these step-by-step instructions.