Close Encounters Communication in Relationships

Question: Discuss about the Close Encounters for Communication in Relationships. Answer: Introduction: The primary goal of this research study is to assess the efficiency of married and unmarried couples. Both married and unmarried couples face issues regarding efficiency for which the below survey results were found. 50 couples, i.e. 100 people were involved in the survey so that the efficiency of Married couples vs. Unmarried ones can be assessed. Based on the scale, the couples were classified as efficient or inefficient. It is argued that communication has the ability to bring a couple closer or push them apart. According to the results in Figure 1, 85% of the people believe that after marriage, the communication has helped improve their efficiency. However, 15% of the respondents feel that there is more communication while the couple is unmarried. A majority of the married ones feel that it is easier to express and communicate as the married partners are good listeners. However, a small percentage of the unmarried ones stated that the partners made comments and put each other down. It is further argued that the partners need to have good listening skills and patience while withholding judgment and spending more energy on trying to understand. The unmarried couples were found more impulsive in nature that made it difficult for the partners to understand each other thereby increasing stress and reducing efficiency (Guerrero, Andersen, Afifi, 2013). It is argued that conflict is a natural and inevitable part of every human relationship. There are inevitable differences and it is necessary to handle such conflicts in a healthy manner. According to the results in Figure 2, 68% of the respondents believe that married couples handle conflict in a better way and find resolution. However, 32% of the respondents believe that the unmarried couples do not have a great way of handling conflict. The married couples stated that they are able to resolve the differences. In case of unmarried couples, the partner takes the disagreements seriously. It is argued that conflict must not be avoided as it damages a relationship. Building effective relationships affects efficiency in other aspects as it teaches the people to deal with the conflict rather than escaping from it (Worthington et al., 2015). Financial issues are one the most important concerns among the couples, whether married or unmarried. The partners often have disagreements when it is about monetary issues. However, it was found that 65% of the respondents felt that married couples manage their finances in a better way than the unmarried. The married couples have few concerns about debt and they know the proper amount to save. This is difficult in case of unmarried couples as they have low level of planning and 35% of the respondents feel that the same. The partners do not try to control the money in case of unmarried couples (Bisdee, Daly, Price, 2012). Couple flexibility refers to the level of changes and compromise can be made by the couple. It is important and challenging to adapt to the ever changing stress and challenges in the society. According to Figure 4, the couple flexibility among the married couples was more than the unmarried ones. 72% of the respondents believe that there is more flexibility and compromise among married couples that makes them efficient than the unmarried ones. It is argued that the unmarried couples do not make most decisions jointly. Therefore, 18% of the respondents believe that the unmarried couples are not able to adjust when necessary. It is argued that the relationships that do not balance well in times of compromise are inefficient. It is necessary to be adaptable in times of need. Also, the married ones were closer to their partners in comparison with the unmarried ones in terms of emotions (Busby, Larson, Halford, 2015). In terms of organization, it is found that married couples are more efficient than the unmarried ones. According to Figure 5, 80% of the respondents believe that the married ones are more organized. The things and plans are well-organized in comparison with the unmarried couples. 20% of the respondents believe that the unmarried couples are less organized and are haphazard in their ways in comparison with the married ones (Knudson-Martin, 2012). Therefore, the overall results indicate that the married couples are more efficient than the unmarried ones. There are ups and downs in the process, but the married ones prove to be greatly efficient than the unmarried couples. References Bisdee, D., Daly, T., Price, D. (2012). Behind Closed Doors: Older Couples and the Gendered Management of Household Money.Social Policy And Society,12(01), 163-174. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s147474641200053x Busby, D., Larson, J., Holman, T., Halford, W. (2015). Flexible Delivery Approaches to Couple Relationship Education: Predictors of Initial Engagement and Retention of Couples.Journal Of Child And Family Studies,24(10), 3018-3029. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0105-3 Guerrero, L., Andersen, P., Afifi, W. (2013).Close encounters: Communication in relationships(1st ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Knudson-Martin, C. (2012). Why Power Matters: Creating a Foundation of Mutual Support in Couple Relationships.Family Process,52(1), 5-18. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/famp.12011 Worthington, E., Berry, J., Hook, J., Davis, D., Scherer, M., Griffin, B. et al. (2015). Forgiveness-reconciliation and communication-conflict-resolution interventions versus retested controls in early married couples.Journal Of Counseling Psychology,62(1), 14-27. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cou0000045