Final answer:
John Gottman defines criticism as attacking the person's character, which stands in contrast to expressing dissatisfaction, offering constructive feedback, or avoiding conflict.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Gottman, a renowned relationship psychologist, defines criticism in the context of communication as attacking the person's character rather than expressing dissatisfaction or providing feedback about specific issues. This can be detrimental in relationships because it's not just a complaint about a specific action or behavior, but rather an attack on the person, implicating their whole character is flawed. For instance, instead of saying 'I'm upset that you didn't do the dishes,' which is a complaint, a critical statement would be 'You're so lazy, you never do the dishes,' which attacks the person's character.