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Relationship (or relational) maintenance refers to a variety of behaviors exhibited by relational partners in an effort to maintain that relationship. Relational maintenance is defined by scholars in four different ways: # to keep a relationship in existence # to keep a relationship in a specified state or condition # to keep a relationship in a satisfactory condition and # to keep a relationship in repair.〔Dindia, K., & Canary, D.J. (1993). (Eds.), Relational Maintenance. Special issue, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 10.〕 First, in order to keep a relationship in existence (for example, adult friends that contact each other infrequently, but adequately to maintain the friendship), means the relationship continues without termination. Second, in order to keep a relationship in a specified state or condition, human communication professors Kathryn Dindia and Daniel Canary “refers to sustaining the present level of certain dimensions or qualities thought to be important in relationship development.” 〔 There are three elements of a stable relationship: # the participants reach minimal agreement about the relationship # relationships can stabilize at different levels of intimacy and # relationship still has considerable change occurring in it.〔Wilmot 1987 W.W. Dyadic Communication New York Random House〕 Dindia and Canary’s third definition of relational maintenance refers to keeping a relationship in a satisfactory condition or to maintain satisfaction within the relationship. “For example, this third definition implies that no one can be in a stable, but dissatisfying relationship.” Fourthly, to keep a relationship in repair means to keep the relationship in good, sound, or working condition and to repair a relationship that has come apart. Repair of the relationship means “changing a relationship from its present condition and restoring it to a previous (more advanced) state after decline or decay.” 〔 ==Social maintenance behaviors== When maintaining a relationship, any behavior that is positive and promotes deepening trust and closeness between people is a Prosocial Maintenance Behavior. The more Prosocial behavior is evident in a relationship, the more likely for strong bonds to be formed, and the relationship to prosper and continue. Low levels of Prosocial maintenance behavior gives less reinforcement in the relationship, and thus more a weak foundation often leads to the relationships deterioration, or at least non-progression.〔Guerrero, L. K., Andersen, P. A., & Afifi, W. A. (2007). Close encounters: communication in relationships (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.〕 Specific pro maintenance behaviors that could be exhibited by Prosocial standards are positivity, openness, assurances, social networking, task sharing, supportiveness, romance, humor, and joint activities. Each of these qualities equates to spending time together, and interacting either physically or emotionally.〔 Prosocial maintenance behavior does not value one source of positivity more than the other, although the individual might. Verbalizing your fondness for your partner through positive speech might be what your partner specifically craves in your relationship, while another partner might find more affection in your willingness to help with household chores together. This type of task sharing is also a part of what is known as Routine Maintenance, and a relatively equal effort by each party is a Prosocial function that greatly adds to relationship satisfaction.〔 As a contrast to Prosocial behavior that is used to strengthen bonds and reinforce a relationship, Antisocial maintenance behavior is another strategic behavior pattern that can be used to maintain a current relationship. Its use of continuing a relationship at its current level, would be to decline invitations to opportunities to create new levels of a relationship. By declining these opportunities, this exemplifies an Antisocial behavior, which is generally deliberate in its implementation.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Relationship maintenance」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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