A First Look At Communication Theory, 10e (Griffin)
Chapter 11 Relational Dialectics Theory
1) The central concept of relational dialectics theory is:
A) uncertainty reduction.
B) the desire for intimacy that causes self-disclosure.
C) discourse, or “a set of propositions that cohere around a given object of meaning.”
D) online impression management that generates relationship development.
2) When attempting to capture the complexity of relationships as seen through the lens of
dialectical flux, personal relationships are found to be ________.
A) beneficial
B) messy
C) predictable
D) time-consuming
3) Which of the following is NOT one of the dialectical tensions that Baxter and Montgomery
address?
A) revelation – concealment
B) judgment – acceptance
C) inclusion – seclusion
D) conventionality – uniqueness
4) According to Leslie Baxter, which of the following statements is true about the four “links”
that are formed in the utterance chain that create an utterance’s meaning, in the context of a
relationship between the speaker and the listener?
A) Distant already-spoken discourses are the relationship’s history.
B) Nearby already-spoken discourses involve anticipated conversations with the other person in
the future.
C) Nearby not-yet-spoken discourses are past comments by those outside the relationship.
D) Distant not-yet-spoken discourses imagine the evaluation of someone outside the relationship
in the future.
5) Within any given relationship, Baxter regards the discursive struggle between ________ as
foundational.
A) openness and closedness
B) certainty and uncertainty
C) connection and autonomy
D) platonic and romantic
6) Which of the following forms of synchronic interplay replaces an expected discourse with an
alternative discourse?
A) negating
B) entertaining
C) countering
D) transforming
7) ________ is defined as the belief that communication creates, sustains, and alters relationships
and the social world.
A) Constitutive approach
B) Interpretive approach
C) Humanistic approach
D) Nonassertive approach
8) The unpredictable, unfinalizable, indeterminate nature of personal relationships is called:
A) a constitutive process.
B) a dialectical flux.
C) an aesthetic moment.
D) an utterance.
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9) Bakhtin believed that:
A) communicative predicaments are a vital element in the study of friendship.
B) complex contradictions lie at the heart of family systems.
C) ethnography is the best way to study close relationships.
D) dialectical tension provides an opportunity to work out ways to mutually embrace the conflict
between unity with and differentiation from each other.
10) Baxter and Montgomery’s general purpose in developing the dialectical perspective was to
discover scientific laws that will explain and predict behaviors that take place between friends
and lovers.
11) Baxter and Montgomery believed that relationships improve as self-disclosure and openness
increase and uncertainty decreases.
12) No relationship can exist by definition unless the parties sacrifice some individual autonomy.
13) Leslie Baxter no longer prefers the word “contradictions” because it may tempt people to
think she’s talking about psychological conflict between different desires.
14) In the context of dialectical flux, the chaotic jumble of competing voices is far removed from
such idyllic notions of communication as a one-way route to interpersonal closeness, shared
meaning, or increased certainty.
15) Baxter believes that communication is an insignificant aspect of a couple’s relationship.
16) Memories of aesthetic moments are likely to support relational parties through the turbulence
that goes with the territory of any close relationship.
17) From a dialectical standpoint, it is better if one partner is dominant and charts the course for
a relationship.
18) A(n) ________ is defined as a fleeting sense of unity through a profound respect for
disparate voices in dialogue.
19) ________ are defined as the central building blocks of meaning making, where utterances
are linked to competing discourses near and far away, already spoken and not.
20) According to Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin, without ________ there is no
relationship.
21) You and your friend Casey are experiencing some conflict. He wants you to spend all your
time with him, but you feel suffocated. Using Baxter and Montgomery’s theory, how will you
explain this tension?
22) Compare and contrast the internal dialectics with their external counterparts. What causes
these dialectics to exist?
23) Given that relationships are in constant flux and that change is all that is predictable, what
good does it do to analyze them as Baxter and Montgomery do?
24) What are the principal complaints about the relational dialectic perspective? How would
Baxter and Montgomery respond to them? How would you respond?
25) In your mind, are there any gender- or culture-specific aspects to relational dialectics? If so,
what are the consequences of these elements?
26) Compare the approach to relational communication championed by Baxter and Montgomery
with social penetration theory and uncertainty reduction theory. How would you assess the
insights and values of each theory?
27) Walther’s social processing theory suggests that relationships developed via online
communication can be as intimate as those developed through face-to-face interactions. Baxter
and Montgomery’s relational dialectics suggests that, in addition to the need to disclose, people
have a competing need for privacy. How might this affect relationships developed via online
communication?