Marie was very unhappy that her food came out cold at the restaurant and was rude to the server. John was not happy that Marie yelled at the waiter. She had done this a few times before, and they had started to have arguments about it. Wishing to avoid escalating things with her further, he said, "Calm down. Outbursts like that don't help the situation." He was using _______ to avoid a negative relational spiral.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John was using metacommunication, which refers to communication about communication. By addressing the manner in which Marie communicates her dissatisfaction, rather than the content of her complaint, he's attempting to discuss their communication patterns and how they affect their relationship, aiming to avoid further negative interactions.

Marie Was Very Unhappy That Her Food Came Out Cold