Relationship Bids

A relationship bid is an attempt to obtain affection and attention in our relationships. The concept originated from John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman, who created the Gottman Institute.

Someone can respond in three different ways:

1. Turning Toward: Responding positively to the comment you made
2. Turning Against: Responding in a disagreeing way to the comment you made
3. Turning Away: Not responding to the comment you made, either by ignoring it or changing the subject.