User:Mmallen3

Lead: Relationship maintenance can provide wanted outcomes such as safety, friendship, and/or sexual fulfilment. There are many kinds of relationships. Some examples include: Family relationships, friend relationships, acquaintances, and romantic relationships. These relationships are considered interpersonal relationships. An interpersonal relationship refers to the association, connection, interaction and bond between two or more people.(source 1). There are many ways to maintain a relationship. It depends on the type of relationship that is present to decide on which maintenance choice is most appropriate. Relationships require communication in some form or fashion. Without communication, relationships can inevitably suffer. The 1980s witnessed increased scholarly interest in maintenance communication. For example, communication strategies such as openness, avoidance, affinity-seeking, among a variety of other behaviors, were presented as maintenance communicative strategies. Stafford and Canary (1991) performed factor analyses on over 80 behaviors that the literature and married couples identified as maintenance behaviors. The results of the factor analysis yielded five maintenance strategies: positivity, openness, assurances, social networks, and sharing tasks. (source 2)

Education on relationship maintenance can help people to best understand how to take care of their interpersonal relationships. The real test of a relationship usually occurs when a conflict arises. Learning the tactics researchers have found to be successful regarding how to maintain a healthy, happy relationship can ensure a strong bond in personal relationships, despite hardships.  

Background: Canary and Stafford (1992; Stafford & Canary, 1991) created measures of five communication strategies: 1. Positivity, 2. Openness, 3. Assurances, 4. Social Networks, and 5. Sharing Tasks(source 2) Positivity refers to having a jolly attitude, even when not necessarily feeling like doing so. This often means not participating in condemnation and negativity. Canary and Stafford mentions openness in a way that encourages discussion in a relationship that is filled with direction and goals. Assurances in a relationship is important because it affirms commitment, trust, and faith. Social networks include having friends and family in your inner circle to help balance out the relationship. Sharing tasks fosters equality in a relationship. Subsequent research has found that maintenance strategies strongly predict important relational characteristics, such as commitment, relational satisfaction, stability, liking, and loving others (Canary, Stafford, & Semic, 2002; Ogolsky & Bowers, 2013).(source 2)

Content Sections: Family Relational Maintenance Relationships with family members are significant for well-being across the life course.(source 3) Dr. Ken Druck recommends the following ways to maintain a healthy family relationship: 1. Open the Channels of Family Communication (and Keep Them Open) • Good, positive communication fosters an environment that allows family members a chance to talk through differences and ideas. 2. Ask- Don’t assume you know • Asking open-ended questions allows family members the opportunity to explain their side. • Asking members of the family how their opinion maintains and strong relationship 3. Learn to Forgive • Apologies can heal a family • Holding grudges is not healthy • Talking things out and forgiveness is valuable. 4. Make Clear Agreements • Come to a clear understanding of each other’s opinion. Romantic Partner Relational Maintenance • Sharing possessions • Spending time together • Sharing media together • Verbal affection • Informal talk • Deep talk • Sharing tasks • Managing conflict • Humor • Physical affection'''' • Shared networks''''''''''''' (source4)

Mentor/Student Relational Maintenance Daniel J. A. Rhind and Sophia Jowett of Brunel University conducted a study on relationship maintenance strategies in coach-athlete relationships. They discovered the COMPASS Model which exposed seven main groupings: conflict management, openness, motivation, positivity, advice, support, and social networks. The COMPASS model was developed based on this analysis and was offered as a theoretical framework for understanding how coaches and athletes might maintain the quality of their relationships.(source 5)

Friendship Relational Maintenance • Keep in contact • Don't keep score • Do keep it balanced • Be loyal • Remember their birthdays • Deal with conflict • Be a fan • Follow the Golden Rule(source 6)

Application: A lot of research on relationship maintenance has been conducted to better understand how people think, respond, and act in their personal relationships. Ayers (1983) defined relational maintenance as keeping a relationship in a stable state, thus preventing it from de-escalating or escalating.(source 7) Ayers conducted a study that involved college students, both female and males. He gave these students a relationship scenario and asked them the probability of using 28 strategies that were created by the author and accompanied by undergraduate students’ ideas to maintain the relationship in the given theoretical situation. The 28 strategies suggested three different issues. The first being, avoidance strategies, which included simply ignoring the things (big or small) that may occur in a relationship in order to not modify the relationship. The second issue being, balance strategies, which involved keeping balance present in the relationship such as keeping favors and emotional support steady and/or persistent. The final issue was directness strategies, which was where one of the two people in the relationship communicates that the relationship should remain unchanged. The most reported strategy was balance strategies followed by avoidance strategies then directness strategies regardless of the relationship condition (trying to maintain when partner wants to escalate, de-escalate, or maintain).This, regardless of perceived partner intent, individuals primarily maintain their relationship through balance and avoidance strategies rather than directness strategies.(source 7)

Critique: I wanted to put a creative spin on my article under the “content sections” segment. Do you think it is a good idea to list different examples of relationships that exist, then listing the ideas scholars have on how to maintain those relationships? I was hesitant on what to put in that section but thought it could make it interesting and relatable for readers. The article I am editing has a section labeled “Romantic relationships.” This is a fine section to have, but I thought it would be smart to add other types of relationships. Also *note: I have not properly cited my sources yet. The bolded parts are the direct quotes from my sources.

Sources: 1. https://assertbh.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Different-Types-of-Relationships.pdf

2. http://wggc.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Relationship%20Maintenance%20Strategies.pdf

3. Umberson D., Pudrovska T., & Reczek C (2010). Parenthood, childlessness, and well-being: A life course perspective. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 612–629.

4. https://andrewledbetter.com/category/relational-maintenance-behaviors/

5. Svenja Wachsmuth, Sophia Jowett, Chris G. Harwood. (2020) Third party interventions in coach-athlete conflict: Can sport psychology practitioners offer the necessary support?. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 0:0, pages 1-26.

6. https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-care-and-maintenance-of-friendship/

7. Maintaining Relationships Through Communication: Relational, Contextual, and Cultural Variations LEA's Series on Personal Relationships