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Which of the following is NOT a dialectic discussed in Baxter's theory of dialectical tension?

-autonomy/connection
-expressiveness/privacy
-growth/stasis
-change/predictability

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The dialectic tension 'growth/stasis' is not part of Baxter's theory of dialectical tensions in interpersonal relationships. The correct tensions are autonomy/connection, expressiveness/privacy, and change/predictability.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question refers to Baxter's theory of dialectical tensions, which are opposing forces that people experience in their interpersonal relationships. Within this theory, Baxter identified several core tensions that relationships typically navigate. The ones listed are autonomy/connection, which reflects the need for personal independence versus the desire for intimacy with others, and expressiveness/privacy, which is the tension between the desire to share personal information and the need to maintain a level of privacy.

The third tension correctly listed is change/predictability, which refers to the desire for novelty and change versus the comfort found in stability and routine. However, growth/stasis is not a dialectical tension discussed in Baxter's theory, making it the correct answer to the question of which is NOT a dialect brought up in Baxter's model.

To further elaborate on Baxter's dialectical theory, it encompasses the dynamic and sometimes contradictory aspects of relationships that individuals must continually negotiate. Unlike cognitive dissonance, which deals with the discomfort arising from holding conflicting cognitions, or the ideas of individual choices in Rogers's and Maslow's theories, dialectical tensions are specifically about the push and pull found within social relationships.

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