Depth and Breadth of Relationships

ASSIGNMENT 3

Depth and Breadth of Relationships

Use the questions below as a guide to write a short paragraph about one of your relationships.

1.  How deep or shallow is your relationship with this person?

2.  Does the depth vary from one area (breadth) to another? In what way?

3.  Are you satisfied with the depth and breadth of this relationship? Why or why not?

4.  If you are not satisfied, what could you do to change the relationship? What would you predict the results would be?

ASSIGNMENT 4

Alternatives to Disclosure

Write a response for each disclosure or alternative listed and evaluate the effectiveness and ethics of your responses.

Example

Your friend asks you if you had a good time when you went out on a date with his cousin last night.

Self-disclosure: I didn’t have a great time, but then we were just getting to know each other. I don’t think that we had much in common.

Silence: If I don’t answer or don’t say anything, my friend might think it was worse than I do.

Lying: Your cousin was a lot of fun and the movie was great.

Equivocating: First dates are really times of discovery, aren’t they?

Hinting: I don’t think I have to have a great time every night.

Which response is most effective? Which is most ethical? I think equivocating is effective.

While I wasn’t exactly self-disclosing with my friend, I just don’t want to tell him how boring I think his

cousin is. I haven’t lied and both of them can save face, too.

Situation 1:

You are applying to rent an apartment that prohibits animals. You have a cat.

Number of questions presented in this activity:   5 questions.

Question 1: (Required)

Self-Disclosure

Question 2: (Required)

Silence

Question 3: (Required)

Equivocating

Question 4: (Required)

Hinting

Question 5: (Required)

Which responses are most effective? Which are most ethical?