A Markov analysis of strangers', roommates', and married couples' conversational focus on their relationships

This study examines the process of relational definition, or individuals' maneuvers to define or redefine their interpersonal relationships. A category scheme was devised to operationalize “focus on the relationship” and was applied to conversations between strangers, roommates, and married couples and to low‐and high‐trusting pairs of each. Results indicate that persons rarely referenced their relationships directly in these discussions, yet once a relationship was referenced, it was more likely than expected to be referenced again. The findings were discussed relative to counseling and therapy techniques which encourage relational examination and evaluation.