Gretchen is reading the facial expressions of her mother and father in order to her interpret the un-familiar, ambiguous situation. gretchenâs behavior is known as:

Social referencing.

Explanation:

While acquiring new knowledge of environmental events, infants are able to regulate their attitudes towards people and objects in compliance with the affective display of their caregivers. Social referencing refers to the observation of facial expression by children to understand the situation, persons and the environment around them.

intimacy, passion and commitment are the components of a interpersonal relationship emphasized in the triangular theory of love by robert sternberg.

the triangular theory of love says love can be comprehend as this componest form the vertices of a triangle.  

intimacy relates to feelings such as of closeness and connection;

passion relates the drives that brings people together, as physical attraction.

commitment relates to the being in a long-term relationship.