A posture that involves, responding with a posture that differs in focus and is directly opposite in degrees of affiliation and interdependence from the partner's message is called?

1. A

   Complementary posture

2. B

   Symmetric posture

3. C

   Asymmetric posture

4. D

   Anti thetic posture

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur - 2017 (shift-2)

Explanation

• Antithetic posture, which is defined as a response that is directly opposite to a partner's communication on two key dimensions.
• The first dimension is affiliation, which ranges from friendly to hostile.
• The second dimension is interdependence or control, which ranges from dominant to submissive.
• An antithetic response counters both dimensions simultaneously, creating a direct opposition. For instance, a friendly, leading statement is met with a hostile, yielding response.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: A complementary posture is opposite on only one dimension (interdependence/control) but matches on the other (affiliation). It involves one person taking a 'one-up' (dominant) position and the other a 'one-down' (submissive) position.
• Option B: A symmetric posture involves mirroring or matching the partner's posture on both affiliation and interdependence. For example, dominance is met with dominance, or friendliness is met with friendliness.
• Option C: Asymmetric posture is a broad, general term that simply means the postures of the two individuals are not identical. While an antithetic posture is a type of asymmetric posture, 'antithetic' is the more precise and correct term for being 'directly opposite' on both axes.

Related Visual

• Visual 1: Diagram - A two-axis diagram with 'Affiliation (Friendly/Hostile)' on the Y-axis and 'Interdependence (Dominant/Submissive)' on the X-axis. This can visually plot where symmetric, complementary, and antithetic responses fall in relation to an initial message, clarifying the concept of opposition on one or both axes.

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Interpersonal Communication Theory as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• Understanding communication postures is vital for therapeutic nurse-patient relationships. Recognizing a patient's posture (e.g., hostile, submissive) allows the nurse to choose a response that de-escalates conflict and builds trust.
• An antithetic response from a nurse (e.g., responding with hostility to a patient's friendly gesture) would be unprofessional and damage the therapeutic alliance.
• A complementary response is often the most therapeutic. For example, if a patient is anxious and submissive, the nurse can adopt a calm, guiding (complementary dominant) posture to provide reassurance and direction.

How to Approach the Question

• First, break down the definition provided in the question stem. The key phrases are 'directly opposite' and the two dimensions: 'degrees of affiliation' and 'interdependence'.
• Analyze the term 'antithetic'. The prefix 'anti-' means against or opposite. This strongly suggests it is the correct answer.
• Evaluate the other options. 'Complementary' implies completing or balancing, which in communication theory means being opposite on the control axis but not necessarily affiliation.
• 'Symmetric' implies being the same or mirroring, which is the opposite of what the question asks.
• 'Asymmetric' means not the same, but it is a general term. 'Antithetic' is more specific and accurately describes being 'directly opposite' on both dimensions.
• Conclude that 'Antithetic posture' is the most precise term that matches the definition.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Interpersonal Communication Theory
• Stem keywords: posture, responding, directly opposite, affiliation, interdependence
• Lead-in keywords: is called

Question ID

Qedd3vm4j6txvD2cmDf8T4

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