Journal 5 and 6

 

Journal 5 

There are six relationship maintenance strategies that we can use to help maintain the quality of our relationship (Hendrick, 2005). These strategies include the following:

1. Assurances: expression of commitment, faithfulness, & love
2. Network: social network involvement
3. Openness: disclosure & other communication
4. Positivity: displaying a positive attitude
5. Tasks: sharing daily/household chores
6. Minding: caretaking, staying close, renewin attachments, attending to partner (like a combination of all; or “love in action”) 

Identify relationship maintenance strategies that are important to your romantic relationship. Also, use the results of the self-disclosure survey to evaluate a current close personal relationship. 

Download, print and complete the

Brief Self-Disclosure Survey

. Respond to each item using the 5-point scale. Scores range from 10-50 with higher scores indicating higher levels of self-disclosure.  What can you learn about your own self-disclosure from this survey? Be sure to keep these results so that you can write about them in your journal entry this week.  

Journal 6

Using your results on the Romantic Partner Conflict Scale (Zacchilli, Hendrick, & Hendrick, 2009), reflect on the conflict strategies that you typically use. How do these conflict styles affect other aspects of your romantic relationship?   

Download, print and complete the Romantic Partner Conflict Scale Survey.The Scale includes 39 items with six sub-scales: Compromise, Avoidance, Interactional Reactivity, Separation, Domination, and Submission. The purpose of this scale is to measure everyday conflict experienced by individuals in romantic relationships. Be sure to keep these results so that you can write about them in your journal entry this week.

Self- Disclosure

Listed below are several statements that reflect different approaches to interpersonal communication. For each statement fill in the response on the answer sheet that indicates how much you agree or disagree with that statement as it applies to your own behavior.

For each statement:

5 = Strongly agree with the statement

4 = Moderately agree with the statement

3 = Neutral- neither agree or disagree

2 = Moderately disagree with the statement

1 = Strongly disagree with the statement

I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS TO A LOVE PARTNER

____ 1. My personal habits.

____ 2. Things I have done which I feel guilty about.

____ 3. Things I wouldn’t do in public.

____ 4. My deepest feelings.

____ 5. What I like and dislike about myself.

____ 6. What is important to me in life.

____ 7. What makes me the person I am.

____ 8. My worst fears.

____ 9. Things I have done which I am proud of.

____ 10. My close relationships with other people.

Romantic Partner Conflict Scale

The Romantic Partner Conflict Scale includes 39 items with six subscales. The subscales include: Compromise, Avoidance, Interactional Reactivity, Separation, Domination, and Submission. The purpose of this scale is to measure everyday conflict experienced by individuals in romantic relationships.

Scoring Instructions:

Compute total scores for each subscale by using the following guide.

Compromise: Items 1-14

Avoidance: Items 15-17

Interactional Reactivity: Items 18-23

Separation: Items 24- 28

Domination: Items 29-34

Submission: Items 35-39

Citation

Zacchilli, T. L. (2007). The relationship between conflict and communication, sex, relationship satisfaction, and other relational variables in dating relationships. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.

Zacchilli, T. L., Hendrick, C., & Hendrick, S. (2009). The Romantic Partner Conflict Scale: A new scale to measure conflict in dating relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 1073-1096.

tammy.zacchilli@saintleo.edu

Copyright 2007, Tammy Lowery Zacchilli, Texas Tech University

Romantic Partner Conflict Scale

Think about how you handle conflict with your romantic partner. Specifically, think about a significant conflict issue that you and your partner have disagreed about recently. Using the scale below, fill in which response is most like how you handled conflict. If you do not have a romantic partner, respond with your most current partner in mind. If you have never been in a romantic relationship, answer in terms of what you think your responses would most likely be.

For each item, answer as follows:

1 = Strongly disagree with statement

2 = Moderately disagree with statement

3 = Neutral, neither agree nor disagree

4 = Moderately agree with statement

5 = Strongly agree with statement

_____1. We try to find solutions that are acceptable to both of us.

_____2. We often resolve conflict by talking about the problem.

_____3. Our conflicts usually end when we reach a compromise.

_____4. When my partner and I disagree, we consider both sides of the argument.

_____5. In order to resolve conflicts, we try to reach a compromise.

_____6. Compromise is the best way to resolve conflict between my partner and me.

_____7. My partner and I negotiate to resolve our disagreements.

_____8. I try to meet my partner halfway to resolve a disagreement.

_____9. The best way to resolve conflict between me and my partner is to find a middle ground.

_____10. When we disagree, we try to find a solution that satisfies both of us.

_____11. When my partner and I have conflict, we collaborate so that we are both happy with our decision.

____12. My partner and I collaborate to find a common ground to solve problems between us.

____13. We collaborate to come up with the best solution for both of us when we have a problem.

____14. We try to collaborate so that we can reach a joint solution to a conflict.

____15. My partner and I try to avoid arguments.

____16. I avoid disagreements with partner.

____17. I avoid conflict with my partner.

____18. When my partner and I disagree, we argue loudly.

____19. Our conflicts usually last quite awhile.

____20. My partner and I have frequent conflicts.

____21. I suffer a lot from conflict with my partner.

____22. I become verbally abusive to my partner when we have conflict.

____23. My partner and I often argue because I do not trust him/her.

____24. When we have conflict, we withdraw from each other for awhile for a “cooling off” period.

____25. When we disagree, we try to separate for awhile so we can consider both sides of the argument.

____26. When we experience conflict, we let each other cool off before discussing it further.

____27. When we have conflict, we separate but expect to deal with it later.

____28. Separation for a period of time can work well to let our conflicts cool down.

____29. When we argue or fight, I try to win.

____30. I try to take control when we argue.

____31. I rarely let my partner win an argument.

____32. When we disagree, my goal is to convince to my partner that I am right.

____33. When we argue, I let my partner know I am in charge.

____34. When we have conflict, I try to push my partner into choosing the solution that I think is best.

____35. When we have conflict, I usually give in to my partner.

____36. I give in to my partner’s wishes to settle arguments on my partner’s terms.

____37. Sometimes I agree with my partner so the conflict will end.

____38. When we argue, I usually try to satisfy my partner’s needs rather than my own.

____39. I surrender to my partner when we disagree on an issue.