Learning Objectives

  1. Define self-disclosure and intimacy, using social penetration theory to describe a relationship’s breadth and depth and the Johari window to explore how self-awareness and self-disclosure affect relationships
  2. Define and explain the effects of relational dialectics
  3. Discuss factors influencing relationship maintenance
  4. Discuss whether and how to repair a relationship
  5. Define and explain toxic communication, describing the four stages in an abusive relationship
  6. Explain the grief cycle, describing what occurs when a relationship ends with a loved one’s death
  7. Identify how culture, gender, and media and technology influence notions of intimacy and disclosure
  8. Discuss strategies for handling closeness and distance in relationships more effectively