Danielle Burckle Relational Turbulence Reading Notes 9/9/13

Changes in close relationships can stem from a variety of sources, including: o Individual growth o Relationship development o External circumstances Charles Darwin said, it is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. When changes threaten or disrupt sources of satisfaction within a relationship, they can erode the very foundation of intimacy o On the other hand, changes can invite partners to increase their investment in the relationship, refine strategies for maintaining individual and collective well-being, and deepen the bond between partners.

-Transitions and Relational Turbulence Within a close relationship, partners are cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally enmeshed. Within romantic associations, transitions can be necessitated by developments o Within an individual o Within the dyad o Within the environment external to the partnership Transitions inherently involve a degree of instability, as people alter their thoughts and actions in search of those that better fit with their new circumstances. doubly developmental process: individuals within relationships undergo change, while the relationship itself evolves Relational turbulence refers to the instability and chaos that people experience when transitions render previously functional dyadic systems ineffective

-The Relational Turbulence Model The relational turbulence model addresses the causes and consequences of turbulence during transitions within romantic relationships.

-Relational Uncertainty Relational uncertainty indexes peoples (lack of) confidence in their perceptions of involvement in a relationship.

In other words, it encompasses the doubts, ambiguities, and questions people have about a relationship. When people wonder about their own goals for the relationship or their own feelings about a partner, they are experiencing self uncertainty. To the extent that a partners investment in or commitment to a relationship is unclear, people experience partner uncertainty. If peoples questions focus on the status, nature, or future of the relationship itself, they are experiencing relationship uncertainty. Even though relational uncertainty can produce a host of negative outcomes for relational partners, it also creates opportunities for people to test the resilience of their association, to build efficacy with their partner through communication, and try to keep the bond exciting. *More research is needed to clarify the causal ordering of the antecedents and outcomes in the relational turbulence model.*

-Interdependence Processes What happens to interdependence during relationship transitions? o Patterns of interdependence are beneficial to the extent they are responsive to the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and contextual conditions for the relationship; when circumstances change, previously functional patterns of behavior may become less effective. Processes associated with establishing and renegotiating interdependence are a second mechanism featured by the relational turbulence model. Interdependence encompasses three interrelated process: o First, interdependent partners or those developing a new relationship allow each other to influence their everyday activities. o When a partners involvement makes an action more difficult to perform or prevents a desired outcome, individuals experience interference from a partner. o In contrast, if a partner makes a task easier to perform or promotes goal achievement, people experience facilitation from a partner. The relational turbulence model emphasizes how interference from a partner disrupts the smooth operation of behavioral sequences and undermines goal achievement. Partner interference may give rise to turbulence during relational transitions in the short term, but partners who can transcend the disruptions and establish solutions can see long-term relational benefits.

-Relational Turbulence McLaren demonstrated that relational turbulence is positively associated with interference from a partner and negatively associated with perceptions that a partner facilitates everyday activities and goals.

The results of a second study done by McLaren suggest that a turbulent relationship context can shape message processing in ways that have consequences for emotional and cognitive outcomes. Experiencing doubts or questions about ones own involvement in the relationship, a partners involvement, or the relationship itself contributes to a general sense of instability, chaos, and turmoil. In turn, relational turbulence can spark doubts and disruptions for a partner or exacerbate negative reactions to hurtful interactions.

-Refining Our Understanding of Transitions and Turbulence Within the relational turbulence model, the emphasis is on the process of transformation that occurs, perhaps in response to a turning point event, as partners continuously negotiate their involvement in the relationship.

-Studying Transitions Beyond Courtship The rich tapestry of life yields many opportunities for examining how romantic partners adapt individually and collaboratively to change. To the extent that both dark and bright transitions require partners to adjust how they relate to each other, both types of change have the potential to create turmoil and turbulence as well.

-Understanding the Resolution of Turbulent Transitions The studies reviewed in this reading link relational uncertainty and facets of interdependence to a myriad of cognitive, emotional, and communicative phenomena. M. Scott Peck, said it best, The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.