Reciprocity
Reciprocity was an attribute of connectedness exhibited by
the mutual exchange of affection and interest that people
have in one another. Reciprocity was commonly described in
articles that explored connectedness between people (e.g.
children and parents; nurses and patients). Reciprocity was
also identified in studies that examined persons’ perceptions
of connectedness. For instance, Whitlock (2006) found that
an adolescent’s sense of connectedness to school is something
that is not only received, but also reciprocated (i.e. when an
adolescent feels cared for by his/her peers and teachers, the
adolescent also cares about those people).