User:Brodie21quinlan/Relational Communication Theory

Relational Communication can be defined as an act of communication where the key focus of the interaction is the relationship.

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Relational Communication is not something that one person has created, but rather it has been studied by many different individuals who have all contributed to the creation of this concept. Relational Communication can be defined as an act of communication where the key focus of the interaction is the relationship. When creating relationships, it is important for both parties to strive to achieve good relational communication, meaning that both parties involved are willing to work on the relationship. Relational Communication is something to place great importance on because it helps individuals build as well as maintain meaningful connections and relationships with others. Relational Communication allows for individuals in both parties to be understood as well as understanding due to the fact that it goes both ways in relationships and reinforces good communication which can be beneficial in negotiating conflict, express emotions, and maintain trust within relationships. It is important to know and understand that relationships and communication go hand in hand with one another. How we communicate affects our relationship, and our relationships affect the way we communicate. Breaking the two down individually, communication is defined as the exchange of verbal and nonverbal delivering, receiving, and understanding of messages between two or more individuals within an exchange of a message. Relationships is the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. This relationship can be family, friendly, intimate, work-related, or personal. Individuals go through or experience relational communication every single day whether they realize it or not. Relational communication is built at a young age and is developed through an individual's lifetime. Relational Communication is something that needs to have a shared meaning within the relationship in order to maintain unity and healthy relationship maintenance, this can be something that takes time (Relational communication theory 2020). Communication is ongoing and something that is never linear. In relationships, we see communication in everything we do. Take a marital relationship, there is verbal and nonverbal cues that prompt certain topics of conversation or communication things that guide the way we view relationships. On another end of a relationship example, students go through relational communication with teachers by communicating with faculty over classwork, assignments, or things going on inside the classroom on a daily basis. Relational Communication is something that is used in every single form of communicating with personal relationships. It is how you communicate with friends, family, and intimate partners who you have a relationship with. A study proposed by X.S. Li discussed how marital status is affected by communication and even lack thereof. This was because there are many different backgrounds that people grow up in and it is hard for some individuals to combine beliefs, values, practices, etc. This study confirmed the salience of family of origin adversity as couples establish new marriages. It also highlighted the value of communication as a possible path toward intervention regarding negative experiences from a family of origin, particularly when considering connections between wives' family of origin adversity and husbands' relationship satisfaction. (Li, 2023).