John Gottman
Name: Huaning Pi
Institutional Affiliation: Arizona State University
John Gottman
Dr. John Gottman is a therapist well known for his contributions to marital stability and accurate prediction of divorce. He has an over 40 years experience in which he has conducted thousands of studies on couples. According to Gottman, effective communication is the primary key to a successful relationship. He stresses that a relationship should be kept strong by avoiding all forms of conflicts. Conflict is pervasive in every part of our life and more particularly where interpersonal relationships are concerned. As I went through Gottman's materials, I remembered I once had a conflict with one of my friends. My friend came from a different ethnic background. At first, I did not understand his beliefs and values; as such, I kept challenging him without considering his opinions and what they meant to him. I did not know that we shared opposing values and beliefs that defined our moral life. At some point, we almost engaged in a…show more content… Gottman implies that the first step towards a healthy relationship is allowing one's partner to influence and know them well. This can be accomplished only through good communication between two people. Once people in a relationship manage to understand each other through effective communication, solving problems becomes easier. This is because everyone can contribute and is willing to help the other. What I have learned from the book Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships by Laura K. Guerrero, Peter A. Andersen, and Walid A. Afifi is that healthy personal relationships occur when people understand each other. Close relationships are enhanced by communication. Emotional and personality traits significantly impact a relationship. Gottman used personality and emotion traits to predict divorce in couples. He discovered that these components were not only relevant to couples but also to any other healthy
