Close Relationship Types Complete Test Bank Ch.11

Chapter 11: Communication in Close Relationships: Friends, Family, and Romantic Partners

Test Bank

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 1

1) Anthropologist Robin Dunbar suggests that humans have the capacity to be intimately connected with about how many people at a time?

Feedback: Robin Dunbar suggests that humans have the capacity to be intimately connected with only about 5 people at a time. Although you can maintain meaningful relationships with as many as 150 people, your core circle is much smaller.

Page reference: 11.1 Communication in Friendships

a.5

b.8

c.10

d.12

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 2

2) Friendships are created, managed, and maintained through____________.

Feedback: Various types of communication are key to different kinds of friendships.

Page reference: 11.1 Communication in Friendships

a.proximity

b.activities

c.communication

d.similarities

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 3

3) What quality characterizes friendships where contact is infrequent?

Feedback: It’s difficult to predict what infrequent contact says about a friendship. Close friends, for example, may not need frequent contact to remain close. Many close friends may see each other only once a year but pick up easily where they left off in terms of breadth and depth of disclosure.

Page reference: 11.1.1 Types of Friendships

a.Low sense of obligation

b.Low sense of disclosure

c.Task orientation

d.Hard to say

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 4

4) What kind of friendship are you most likely to have with a teammate or a coworker?

Feedback: Friendships that revolve around certain activities such as sports or work are task oriented.

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a.High obligation

b.Low obligation

c.Task oriented

d.Maintenance oriented

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 5

5) What has research about social media relationships with coworkers revealed?

Feedback: In some ways, social media have replaced team-building events that used to take place off-site.

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a.Social media can help create bonds by allowing colleagues to learn about each other’s lives away from the job.

b.The more social media relationships that are built and fostered, the less productive the environment at work.

c.Filters will successfully prevent people who have less restricted access to your posts from sharing them with a broader audience.

d.Self-monitoring on social media is less important with coworkers than with friends and family.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 6

6) According to communication researcher Jeffrey Hall, three ingredients for friendship are __________, talk, and shared activities.

Feedback: Hall says the recipe for friendship features time, talk, and shared activities. He found that creating a casual friendship takes about 50 hours of time together. Becoming “real friends” takes 90 hours, and about 200 hours are necessary to forge a close friendship.

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a.time

b.similar values

c.mutual respect

d.reciprocal rewards

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 7

7) Which relationships are often problematic for the same reasons that they are attractive?

Feedback: The communicative complexities of FWB relationships present a number of challenges.

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a.Best friends forever

b.Friends with Benefits

c.Mutual romance

d.Strictly platonic

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 8

8) In FWB relationships, men are typically more focused on ____________.

Feedback: Women are typically more focused on being “friends,” whereas men are more likely to be interested in the “benefits.” As a result, women may find FWB arrangements less satisfying than men, both relationally and communicatively.

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a.friendship

b.benefits

c.facework

d.bonding

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 9

9) Which type of friendship blurs personal-professional boundaries?

Feedback: Blurring personal-professional boundaries, the work-spouse relationship is a platonic friendship with a work colleague characterized by a close emotional bond, high levels of disclosure and support, and mutual trust.

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a.Coworker

b.Teammate

c.Work spouse

d.Mentor

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 10

10) Amal’s friendship with Jason ended abruptly due to a serious expectancy violation that can injure or destroy friendships. Which guideline for friendship was most likely the one violated?

Feedback: People expect discretion from their friends. Betraying a confidence is particularly harmful if a person’s reputation could be damaged.

Page reference: 11.1.3 Communication in Successful Friendships

a.Provide a listening ear

b.Lend a helping hand

c.Share joys and sorrows

d.Maintain confidences

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 11

11) Which is a hallmark of a successful friendship?

Feedback: In addition to laughing together, close friends regularly prod and deepen each other’s memory banks.

Page reference: 11.1.3 Communication in Successful Friendships

a.Shared laughter and memories

b.Frequent interaction

c.Shared secrets

d.Similar values and attitudes

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 12

12) Your close friend Marisa has recently struck up a friendship with someone you consider a bad influence. You also resent the fact that she spends less time with you now because of this new relationship. Which guideline for friendship do you need to remember?

Feedback: Allow your friends space to develop their own identity and nurture other relationships—and also the freedom to make choices that might not match your own.

Page reference: 11.1.3 Communication in Successful Friendships

a.Honor pledges and commitments

b.Value both connection and autonomy

c.Have a balanced exchange

d.Provide a listening ear

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 13

13) Which is a definitional characteristic of a family?

Feedback: A family is a system with two or more interdependent people bound by commitment, legal or otherwise, who have a common history and a present reality and who expect to influence each other in the future.

Page reference: 11.2 Communication in the Family

a.Pluralism

b.Conformity

c.Intimacy

d.A common history

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 14

14) Every time you talk about touring the country with your garage band, your mother says, “You don’t want to end up like your Uncle Brian, do you?” This is an example of a family __________.

Feedback: Narratives are especially important in families, as they serve a variety of functions that include reinforcing shared goals, teaching moral values, and stressing family concerns.

Page reference: 11.2.1 Creating the Family through Communication

a.ritual

b.narrative

c.rule

d.conformity orientation

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 15

15) Your aunt typically plans and reminds family members about birthdays, graduations, trips, holidays, and memorial services. What is another name for this role?

Feedback: Many families have “kinkeepers” who take charge of enacting family rituals.

Page reference: 11.2.1 Creating Family through Communication

a.Accommodator

b. Collaborator

c.Regulator

d.Kinkeeper

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 16

16) Although there’s no “Keep Out” sign on your teenage sister’s door, when it’s closed and the TV is on, you and your parents know not to disturb her. This is an example of a(n) __________ in a family.

Feedback: As unique cultures, families have their own rules about a variety of communication practices. Some are discussed (i.e., explicit); others are unspoken but understood (i.e., implicit).

Page reference: 11.2.1 Creating Family through Communication

a.explicit rule

b. implicit rule

c.narrative

d.ritual

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 17

17) The nuclear family is a(n) __________ that is part of a larger __________ including aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, grandparents, etc.

Feedback: Subsystems are smaller systems within larger suprasystems.

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

a.subsystem; suprasystem

b.suprasystem; subsystem

c.pattern; orientation

d.orientation; pattern

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 18

18) You would like to join the Peace Corps after college, but you know your parents would never approve or even listen to your thoughts on the matter. Your family has a long tradition of medical or law school straight after college. Which kind of communication orientation does this illustrate?

Feedback: The orientation of protectivefamilies is low in conversation and high in conformity. Communication in these families emphasizes obedience to authority and the reluctance to share thoughts and feelings.

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

a.Consensual

b.Pluralistic

c.Protective

d.Laissez-faire

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 19

19) Which type of family is low in conversation orientation and high in conformity orientation?

Feedback: The orientation of protectivefamilies is low in conversation and high in conformity. Their communication is open and unrestrained, with all family members’ contributions evaluated on their own merits.

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

a.Consensual

b. Laissez-faire

c.Pluralistic

d.Protective

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 20

20) Young adults from __________ families are more confident listeners and more intellectually flexible than those from __________ backgrounds.

Feedback: Some communication patterns are more productive and satisfying than others.

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

a.consensual and pluralistic; protective and laissez-faire

b.protective and laissez-faire; consensual and pluralistic

c.pluralistic and laissez-faire; protective and consensual

d.protective and consensual; pluralistic and laissez-faire

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 21

21) Which shared task best predicts marital satisfaction and illustrates the systemic nature of the family?

Feedback: If parents want to improve their relationship with each other, one way to do so is to be more invested in the care of their children. A change in one part of the family system (parent–child interaction) affects other parts of the system (spouse–spouse interaction).

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

a.Meal planning and preparation

b.Housework

c.Child rearing

d.Leisure activity

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 22

22) Families who are most successful at negotiating the difficulties of adolescence tend to be ____________.

Feedback: Flexibility, a trait of competent communicators, is especially helpful to improve family communication with adolescents.

Page reference: 11.2.3 Effective Communication in Families

a.disciplined

b.intimate

c.blended

d.flexible

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 23

23) Which type of conflict pattern is most associated with psychosocial distress for adult children?

Feedback: It’s healthy for adult children to maintain some interpersonal privacy rather than adopt a surrendered pattern characterized by frequent parental invasions met with infrequent defenses.

Page reference: 11.2.3 Effective Communication in Families

a.Guarded

b.Surrendered

c.Combative

d.Trusting

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 24

24) Which family boundary pattern is characterized by infrequent invasions by parents and infrequent defenses by adult children?

Feedback: In the trusting boundary pattern, parents are infrequently invasive and their adult children are infrequently defensive.

Page reference: 11.2.3 Effective Communication in Families

a.Guarded

b.Surrendered

c.Combative

d.Trusting

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 25

25) What do couples rate as the most important competency for ensuring success in romantic relationships?

Feedback: In a study of more than 2,200 participants recruited by couples’ therapists and counselors, “communication” was rated the most important competency for ensuring success in romantic relationships—more than sex and romantic passion or any other factor.

Page reference: 11.3 Communication in Romantic Relationships

a.Sex

b.Romantic passion

c.Communication

d.Affection

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 26

26) According to Sternberg’s triangular theory, which type of love is characterized by a combination of passion and commitment?

Feedback: According toSternberg, fatuous love is characterized by passion and commitment but not intimacy.

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a.Infatuation

b.Romantic love

c.Consummate love

d.Fatuous love

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 27

27) In a study of satisfied couples in arranged marriages, __________ was identified as the most important factor that helped their love flourish over time.

Feedback: There is a strong relationship between commitment and communication in successful romantic relationships.

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a.intimacy

b.passion

c.commitment

d.affection

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 28

28) Embracing your partner while gushing “I adore you” is an expression of which type of love?

Feedback: Couples experiencing romantic love may exchange highly emotional messages.

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a.Romantic

b.Fatuous

c.Infatuation

d.Companionate

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 29

29) Rank the three components of Sternberg’s triangular theory of love from hot to warm to cool.

Feedback: Passion is the physical and emotional, or hot, component; commitment is the rational, or cool, component; and intimacy lies somewhere in between.

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a.Intimacy; Passion; Commitment

b.Passion; Commitment; Intimacy

c.Commitment; Passion; Intimacy

d.Passion; Intimacy; Commitment

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 30

30) The afternoon movie on the Lifetime network features a couple who exchange highly emotional messages and engage in significant PDA. Their romantic love features which component(s) of Sternberg’s theory of love?

Feedback: Romantic love combines intimacy with passion.

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a.Intimacy + Passion

b.Intimacy + Commitment

c.Intimacy alone

d.Passion alone

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 31

31) In terms of a relationship, received affection works like a __________.

Feedback: In terms of relational benefits, received affection works like a bank account—when a loved one has made plenty of deposits, the partner is more willing to overlook a transgression than when the affection account is depleted.

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a.classroom

b.bank account

c.marathon

d.book club

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 32

32) Stepchildren feel more dissatisfied and avoid more topics with stepparents who have which kind of parenting style?

Feedback: Stepchildren feel more dissatisfied and avoid more topics with stepparents who are highly authoritarian (i.e., demanding and rigid). Interestingly, they are also dissatisfied with highly permissive stepparents.

Page reference: 11.2.1 Creating the Family through Communication

a.High in conversation orientation

b. Low in conversation orientation

c.High in authoritarianism

d.Low in authoritarianism

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 33

33) Words of affirmation and quality time are examples of __________.

Feedback: Although not technically languages, words of affirmation and quality time are two particular categories of what counts as love for some people, according to Gary Chapman.

Page reference: 11.3.2 Effective Communication in Romantic Relationships

a.relational commitments

b.love languages

c.boundaries

d.narratives

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 34

34) We’re imprinted with ways to give and receive affection from an early age; most people learn these ____________ in their family of origin.

Feedback: Although we develop characteristic ways of expressing love early, we can learn to communicate it in different ways, especially with help from our romantic partners.

Page reference: 11.3.2 Effective Communication in Romantic Relationships

a.relational commitments

b.love languages

c.boundaries

d.narratives

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 35

35) Jamil often answers his phone when having dinner with his partner, Tanika. This bothers Tanika, whose primary love language is ____________.

Feedback: Being inattentive or distracted takes the “quality” out of time spent together.

Page reference: 11.3.2 Effective Communication in Romantic Relationships

a.quality time

b.words of affirmation

c.acts of service

d.gifts

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 11 Question 36

36) You spent all day cleaning the house until every counter and floor sparkled, efforts that went unnoticed when your romantic partner got home. This lack of recognition stung because your primary love language is __________.

Feedback: People who use this language are hurt when their efforts aren’t verbally acknowledged.

Page reference: 11.3.2 Communication in Romantic Relationships

a.words of affirmation

b.quality time

c.gifts

d.acts of service

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 37

37) Friendships are created, managed, and maintained through communication.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.1 Communication in Friendships

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 38

38) Task-oriented friendships are grounded in mutual liking and social support.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.1.1 Types of Friendships

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 39

39) Infrequent contact with close friends correlates with low levels of disclosure or obligation.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.1 Types of Friendships

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 40

40) Becoming “real friends” takes 90 hours, and about 200 hours are necessary to forge a close friendship.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 41

41) Mutual romance and strictly platonic are the most complicated categories of heterosexual cross-sex friendships.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 42

42) Families are defined primarily through their biological relationship or kinship systems.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.2 Communication in the Family

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 43

43) Stepchildren report more topic avoidance with their parents than with their stepparents.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.2.1 Creating the Family through Communication

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 44

44) Spouses report higher marital quality when they are equally responsible for family tasks.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 45

45) More families identify as protective or laissez-faire than consensual or pluralistic.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 46

46) Daughters who take care of elderly family members report being more satisfied when this relationship allows for autonomy

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.2.3 Effective Communication in Families

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 47

47) Divorced couples cite “money problems” as the primary challenge in their defunct marriages.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.3 Communication in Romantic Relationships

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 48

48) It’s healthy for loving couples to have both companionate and romantic affection for each other.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 49

49) The assumption that your partner speaks the same love language is a common setup for disappointment in marriages.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.3.2 Effective Communication in Romantic Relationships

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 50

50) Sexual activity is less satisfying when accompanied by direct verbal communication.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a. True

b. False

Type: true-false

Title: Chapter 10 Question 51

51) Acts of deceptive affection is negative behavior in romantic relationships.

Feedback: Type general feedback here (maximum of 1000 characters (including spaces))

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

a. True

b. False

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 52

52) List 5 dimensions of friendship.

Feedback: Short versus long term, maintenance versus task oriented, low versus high disclosure, low versus high obligation, and infrequent versus frequent contact are 5 dimensions of friendship.

Page reference:11.1.1 Types of Friendships

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 53

53) What does research on same-sex friendships suggest about gender differences?

Feedback: Contemporary research on same-sex friendships suggests that gender differences may have been overstated in earlier studies—or perhaps norms have changed. A large-scale national survey found almost no differences in number of close friends reported by men and women, nor in how friendship is communicated. Some research suggests that women expect more disclosure and emotional support from their female friends than men do from their male friends. Nevertheless, these studies confirm that both men and women value same-sex friendships for both emotional support and shared activities.

Page reference:11.1.2 Friendships, Gender, and Communication

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 54

54) What are 11 guidelines for friendship?

Feedback: 1) Share joys and sorrows. 2) Share laughs and memories. 3) Provide a listening ear. 4) Maintain confidences. 5) Lend a helping hand. 6) Stand up for each other. 7) Honor pledges and commitments. 8) Treat each other with respect. 9) Have a balanced exchange. 10) Value both connection and autonomy. 11) Apologize and forgive.

Page reference: 11.1.3 Communication in Successful Friendships

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 55

55) What are the characteristics of the family as a communication system?

Feedback: More than the sum of its parts, a family has systems within the larger system and interdependent members.

Page reference: 11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 56

56) Identify 3 ways by which families can better manage communication?

1) Manage the connection-autonomy dialectic. 2) Strive for closeness while respecting boundaries. 3) Encourage confirming messages.

Page reference: 11.2.3 Effective Communication in Families

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 57

57) Identify multiple indicators of commitment in a romantic relationship.

Feedback: Major indicators of commitment in a romantic relationship are affection and support, creating a relational future and a positive relational atmosphere, showing respect, working on relationship problems together, maintaining integrity, sharing companionship, communicating regularly, and reassuring one’s commitment.

Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 58

58) What does research suggest about remaining single?

Feedback: Some research suggests that single people may lead richerrelational lives. Singles were more likely than marrieds to stay in touch with, provide help to, and receive help from parents, siblings, neighbors, and friends. Being single might free you up to communicate more with your closest friends and family.

Page reference: 11.3.2 Effective Communication in Romantic Relationships

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 59

59) Describe the characteristics that shape the way family members communicate as a system, and provide an example of each.

Feedback:

• Family members are interdependent.If you touch one piece of a hanging sculpture or wind chime, all the other parts will move in response. In the same way, one family member’s feelings and behaviors affect all the other members. If, for example, one family member leaves home to marry, or a parent loses a job, or feuding siblings stop talking to one another, the system is no longer the same.
• A family Is more than the sum of its parts. Even if you knew each member separately, you still wouldn’t understand the family system until you saw the members interact. When those members are together, new ways of communicating emerge. For instance, you may have known friends who turned into very different people when they became a couple. Maybe they became better as individuals—more confident, clever, and happy. Or perhaps they became more aggressive and defensive.
• Families have systems within the larger system. Like boxes within boxes, families have subsystems (systems within the family). For example, a traditional family of four can have six communication subsystems with two people: mother and father, mother and son, mother and daughter, father and son, father and daughter, and daughter and son.
• Page reference:11.2.2 Patterns of Family Communication

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 60

60) Identify Robert Sternberg’s 7 different combinations resulting from the interaction of 3 core components. Which of these is considered ideal?

Feedback:

• Sternberg’s model has 3 core components:intimacy, the closeness and connectedness one feels in a relationship; passion, the physical attraction and emotional arousal, often including sexuality; commitment, the rational side of love, involving decisions to maintain a relationship over time.
• These interact to form 7 combinations: Liking (intimacy alone); Romantic Love (intimacy + passion); Fatuous Love (passion + commitment); Companionate Love (intimacy + commitment); Consummate Love (intimacy + passion + commitment); Infatuation (passion alone); Empty Love (commitment alone).
• Sternberg acknowledges that consummate love—the combination of intimacy, passion, and commitment—is an ideal that’s rare to achieve and challenging to maintain. Typically, love’s components wax and wane over the course of a relationship. There can be rushes of passion on occasion; at other times, love is more a cool decision than a warm feeling.
• Page reference: 11.3.1 Characteristics of Romantic Relationships

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 10 Question 61

61) Describe Gary Chapman’s 5 love languages in romantic relationships.

Feedback:

• Words of affirmation: These include compliments, words of praise, verbal support, written notes or letters, or other ways of saying that a person is valued and appreciated. People who use this love language are easily hurt by insults or ridicule, or when their efforts aren’t verbally acknowledged.
• Quality time:This is about being present and available for your partner and giving that person your complete, undivided attention for a significant period. Being inattentive or distracted takes the “quality” out of time spent together.
• Gifts:People who measure love in terms of gifts believe “it’s the thought that counts.” A gift needn’t be expensive to be meaningful; the best ones show that you know the recipient well. To gift-oriented partners, neglecting to honor an important event is a transgression.
• Acts of service:Taking out the trash, filling the car with gas, doing laundry—the list of chores that can be acts of service is endless. Similar to gifts, the key to service is knowing which acts would be most appreciated by your partner. (Hint: It’s probably the chore that your partner hates most.)
• Physical touch: Although this might include sexual activity, meaningful touch can also include other expressions of affection: an arm around the shoulder, a held hand, a brush of the cheek, or a neck rub.
• Page reference: 11.3.2 Effective Communication in Romantic Relationships