With her father's help, Martha is baking a birthday cake for her mother. Marta states, "Dad, I wish you were a bit more creative." Her father replies, "Well, I wish you weren't so messy." Which negative reciprocal communication pattern are they using?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this interaction, both parties are offering negative feedback in response to the other's statement. This is a classic example of a complaint-counter complaint pattern where one person criticizes and the other responds with criticism of their own.

With Her Father's Help, Martha Is Baking a Birthday Cake