Week 6

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University of Nairobi *

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501

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Communications

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Nov 24, 2024

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docx

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1 Week 6: Issues in Relationships Student Name Institution Date

2 Week 6: Issues in Relationships I have one relationship that I experienced coming together which was with a friend I met at a concert during college outreach programs. It began causally with usual evening walks and watching matches together to watching movies in public spaces. Overtime, the friendship turned into a serious love relationship. The best theory to analyze this relationship is social penetration theory which describes the process of becoming close and intimate between people through the concept called self- disclosure (Usera et al., 2021). This theory states that for a relationship to develop, the parties involved need to disclose more personal information about them to each other as that enables them understand each other better and deepen their connection and intimacy. In my case, my relationship with the friend deepened from just mere meetups and movie shows after the self- disclosure stage. Overtime, we asked and reveal to each other more personal issues in our lives and family which included dreams, aspirations, experiences, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, fears, and other social factors. This is a vulnerable but important stage that strengthens the bond and trust between the two parties. As the relationship continued growing, we began relying on each other for emotional support and respect and that greatly solidified the relationship. I have also experienced a relationship that came to an end with a former partner. The relationship went for long and we were used to each other so much that no one could imagine it ending. However, the draft began then we became normal friends and then to nothing. The best theory for describing the decline in our relationship is the uncertainty reduction theory. According to this theory, people tend to minimize possible uncertainty in their

3 relationships as they look for validity to understand other party’s behavior (Usera et al., 2021). Mostly, uncertainty contributes to anxiety or discomfort in a relationship and can end the relationship if not quickly addressed. In my case, the relationship started drifting away due to increasing uncertainty between me and the former partner. Insecurity started creeping when we both began question the mission and direction of our relationship, and realized that we were both unsure of our intensions. This led to the genesis of inconsistent communication and assumptions of each other’s wellbeing. We lost trust and satisfaction for each other and that is how we parted. According to this theory, once there is an increase in uncertainty, people to question each other, seek clarity and reassurance, and tend to withdraw.

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4 References Usera, Daniel & other contributors. (2021). Communicating to Connect:Interpersonal Communication for Today. LibreTexts. https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Introduction_to_Communica tion/Communicating_to_Connect_Interpersonal_Communication_for_Today_(Usera)/11 %3A_Issues_in_Relationships

Week 6

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