COMM 4471: Communication
in Marriage and Family
Fall 2012
2 Definition of Communications
1) Information Exchange
(Shannon & Weaver, 1949)
2) Symbol use and meaning making
(Braithwaite & Baxter, 2006)
Information Exchange Model
(Feedback)
Receiver
Sender
(encoding)
Message
Channel
with
Noise
(decoding)
Semantic Triangle
Reference
(Thought)
Symbol
(Word)
Referent
(Thing)
Functional Definition of
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Communication is any
interaction (messaging) between two or
more persons who exchange information,
create meaning, and influence each other
and who through this process achieve
goals, create social reality for themselves
and others, and create and maintain
relationships with each other.
Functions of IPC
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Exchange information
Create meaning
Influence
Achieve goals
Create social reality
Create & maintain relationships
Consequences of Definitions
• Determines what is/what is not part of
communication
• Determines what is focused on and what is
ignored in research
• Implies presence/absence of certain
explanatory mechanisms
Defining Marriage & Family
• What is Marriage?
• What is Family?
• What are the defining
attributes/characteristics?
• Where do definitions reside?
• Who has influence on definitions?
Marriage/Family Properties
• Long-term commitment
• Types of relationships
– biology, law, affection
• Enmeshment in kinship/social networks
• Ongoing interdependence
• Institutionalization
Ways of defining M&F
• Structural
– by membership
• Task-Orientation
– by goals & outcomes
• Transactional
– by communication behaviors & relationships
Consequences of Definitions
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Psychological
Social
Legal
Theoretical
Locations of definitions
Individual Psychology
 mind, brain, cognition
Psychology affected by:
Dyad/Group
Community/Society
Cognitive Representation of
Marriage & Family
Dyad/
Family
Individual
Psychology
Society/
Community
Systems Theory
(general assumptions)
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Wholeness: Complete interdependence
of parts
Nonsummativity: System is more than
sum of parts
Openness: Systems interact with the
environment and are self-regulating
Self-Regulating: Cybernetic
Cybernetics
• Systems are self-regulating
– Have goals
– Can perceive actual states (feedback)
– Compare actual state with goal
– Determine deviation from goal
– Engage in corrective action
Systems Theory
(family specific assumptions)
• Patterns/regularity: Families develop
interaction patterns
• Interactive Complexity: Process matters
more than inputs (causality)
• Complex Relationships: Systems are
hierarchically linked to other systems
• Equifinality: Outcomes are not predetermined by inputs
Diagrams of Family Systems
• Draw your own family system
– Where do you draw your boundaries?
– What are the different subsystems?
– How permeable are the boundaries?
– What other systems interact?
Group Work
• In groups of 4-5, compare & contrast your
diagrams
• How are your family systems similar?
• How are they different?
• Do differences affect your definitions of
family? The functions family has?
Evaluation of Systems Theory
• Strengths
– Emphasis on whole family & interdependence
– Emphasis on process
• Weaknesses
– Complexity and interdependence make testable
hypotheses difficult or impossible
– Diffuse responsibility for dysfunction (e.g.,
abuse, sexism, etc.)
Circumplex Model of Family Functioning
• Two primary dimensions:
– Adaptability (Flexibility)
– Cohesion
• Facilitating Dimension
– Communication
Functioning
Family Functioning
Dimension: adaptability/cohesion
Family Communication and Facilitation
Criticisms of Olson’s Model
• Lack of evidence for curvilinear relationships
of adaptability and cohesion with functioning
• “Communication” largely
underconceptualized
General Questions
• What have we learned?
– List 1-2 fundamental insights gained from the
reading
• How can what was learned be applied?
– Give examples of how new knowledge can be
used to affect desirebale outcomes in family
interactions
The Theory of Evolution
Organisms evolve through the dual process of random
mutation and natural selection, such that those
changes that increase a gene’s (i.e., usually its carrier)
reproductive success are passed on to future
generations and spread through the gene pool,
whereas changes that decrease a gene’s (i.e., usually
its carrier) reproductive success are not passed on and
disappear from the gene pool.
Theory of Evolution (Darwin)
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Competition (inter & intra-species)
Variation (random change of traits)
Inheritance (passing on of traits to offspring)
Selection (of advantageous traits)
- Survival
- Reproduction
Linking Evolution & Behavior
• Genetic bases of behavior (instincts)
– Physical structure, including brain
– Temporary expressions, such as proteins,
hormones, neuro-transmitters, etc.
• Link is probabilistic rather than deterministic
Inclusive Fitness (Hamilton)
• Evolution understood from the gene’s perspective
(i.e., “Selfish Gene”)
• Essentially, genes (information) evolve
• Solves “problem” of altruism (i.e., co-operation)
– Success of others carrying one’s genes benefits
own genes
– Varying % of relatedness (100,50,25,12.5, etc)
– Relatedness predicts assistance/sacrifice
Evolved Psychological
Mechanisms
• brain functions subject to evolution
• solve specific recurring problems of survival
or reproduction
• take in limited information
• use decision rules to obtain output
• output can be psychological, physiological,
or behavioral
Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness
• Last 100,000 – 400,000* years of huntergatherer existence for modern humans, but
~ 5 million years for huminids
– Relatively small groups of related individuals
– Division of labor by sex*
– Hierarchical social structures
– Intra-species competition (warfare)
Adaptive Functions of Interpersonal
Relationships
• Reproduction
– Procreation
– Raising of offspring
• Survival
– Assistance & co-operation
– Sharing of resources
– Defense
Areas of Evolved Behaviors
related to Relationships
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Mate selection, mating strategies
Attachment – interpersonal relationships
Affiliation – social relationships
Co-operation & exchanges
Decision making
Social hierarchies, status & dominance
Commitment, loyalty, fairness, etc.
Morality and Ethics?
Evolution and Families
• Paternal and Maternal Care
– (Parental Certainty)
• Family Conflict
– (Inclusive Fitness)
• Resource Allocation
– (discriminative parental solicitude)
Parental Certainty
• Men = low certainty
– Less attachment to children
– Less parenting / resources
• Women = high certainty
– More attachment to children
– More parenting /resources
Parental Investment
• Selection of Sexual Partner
– Men = low investment (intercourse)
• Less selectivity
• Attraction based on fertility
– Women = high investment (pregnancy)
• More selectivity
• Attraction based on ability to provide and loyalty
Parental Investment
• Into children
– Men = large reproductive ability
• maximize # of children
• maximize quality of children
– Women = limited reproductive ability
• maximize quality of children
Relational Model Theory
• Only four relational models are bases of all
social behavior
• Culture specific implementation rules (preo)
determine use of models
• Models are generative
• Models are pervasive
• Models are universal
Communal Sharing
• no distinction between self and other
• Need/ability based distribution of resources
• categorical system
Authority Ranking
• hierarchical distinction between self and
other
• status based distribution of resources
• ordinal system
Equality Matching
• self and partner distinct, but on equal level
socially
• even (i.e., in kind) distribution of resources
• interval system
Market Pricing
• self and partner distinct but equal, although
inequalities might result from behavior
• market based distribution of resources
• ratio system
Asocial & Null Relationships
• Alternatives available if persons interact
with others without perceiving a
relationship
• Asocial = awareness and use of
relational models for ends unrelated or
antithetical to relationship
• Null = failure to perceive other as
potential relationship partner
Elementary Features of Relational
Models
1) Models are morally obligating
2) Violations of models are sanctioned
3) Actualization of models intrinsically enjoyable
4) Models operate in disparate domains in diverse
cultures
5) Models form an ordered set in terms of relations
and operations that define structures
6) Models exist in more primitive mammalian and
other animal life
Predictions Regarding the Universality
of Relational Models
1) Models emerge spontaneously
regardless of culture (teaching)
2) Models are externalized (not
internalized)
3) In novel situations, people use models
to organize social life
Predictions Regarding the
Acquisition of Relational Models
1) Models are acquired in a predetermined
sequence
2) Uses of newly acquired models are learned
and fine tuned through experimentation
3) Much like language, acquisition of relational
models independent of general intelligence
The Role of Culture (PREO)
For any given relationship culture
determines which relational model (or
combination of models) applies to which
specific relationship domain.