4. RELATIONSHIPS Flashcards
What is the need for affiliation in relationship formation?
The need to form positive and lasting interpersonal relationships; lack of social contact can have serious long-term consequences.
What did Harlow’s monkey research demonstrate?
The importance of affection and comfort in forming attachment, highlighting the effects of social deprivation.
What individual differences affect social contact regulation?
Cultural and dispositional factors, e.g., Korean vs. Caucasian Americans’ intimacy levels.
What are Berscheid and Reis’s variables associated with loneliness?
Dispositional factors, social circumstances, and social cognitive tendencies.
How does proximity affect relationship formation?
Increases familiarity, availability, and expectation of interaction; important for design of environments.
What role does similarity play in elderly relationships?
Leads to friendships in settings like residential care and public spaces.
What is assortative mating?
Partnering with people who are similar in background, personality, etc.; similarity increases over time.
What did Killias (2018) find about Iranian students in Malaysia?
Cultural suspicion led to distancing from similar others to avoid political risks.
What is the reciprocity principle in relationships?
We like those who like us and dislike those who don’t; influenced by attachment and self-esteem.
What is the gain-loss hypothesis?
We prefer people who change from disliking to liking us, and dislike those who shift the opposite way.
What factors can make disclosure ineffective?
Premature, dishonest, or factual disclosures, or failure to notice or value them.
How does disclosure impact relationship closeness?
It predicts partner responsiveness and stronger closeness.
What did Kudo and Simkin (2003) find about Japanese students?
Self-disclosure and openness were key to forming friendships.
What is the ‘beauty is good’ effect?
Attractive people are rated more positively and attractiveness influences romantic relationships.
What factors affect physical attractiveness?
Genetic and environmental factors, including disease and ageing.
What are pro-relationship acts?
Acts signaling commitment; costly signals are more effective.
What happens when one fails to show commitment signals?
It’s more damaging in romantic relationships than friendships.
How do shared activities support relationships?
They promote understanding, disclosure, and satisfaction.
What is the self-expansion model?
Desire to enrich identities through shared experiences and perspectives.
How is support in a relationship unique?
Partner support is hard to replace and improves satisfaction and well-being.
What is the Broaden and Build Theory?
Positive emotions expand perception and build resources for well-being.
What is the Intimacy Process Model?
Framework explaining how daily exchanges impact relationship intimacy.
What is fatal attraction in interpreting information?
Traits once attractive become reasons for ending a relationship.
How do memory biases affect relationships?
Current feelings distort memories of past satisfaction.
What are common types of long-distance relationships (LDRs)?
College students, military couples, and dual-career commuter couples.
How do LDRs compare to local relationships?
Often have more trust, commitment, and adaptive self-disclosure.
What technology supports LDRs?
Video chats and digital tools help maintain intimacy.
What are types of forgiveness?
Silent, hollow, and full forgiveness; varies based on emotional and relationship context.
What factors make forgiveness more likely?
Minor offenses, empathy, apologies, and strong commitment.
How did COVID-19 affect married people emotionally?
Greater declines in well-being than unmarried individuals.
What percent of people reported COVID-related conflict?
34% reported relationship conflict due to COVID-19.
What positive impacts did COVID have on relationships?
20% reported improved relationship satisfaction.
What stressors from COVID threatened relationships?
Fear, redundancy, home-schooling, isolation, and pre-existing issues.
How did COVID impact infidelity?
Increased stress raised risk; social distancing complicated affairs.
What are 3 strategies to support relationships?
Make it safe to connect, do your part, decide don’t slide.
What are common causes of relationship dissolution?
Unmet expectations, desire for freedom, external pressures, and lack of commitment.
What are Duck’s stages of breakup?
Intrapsychic, dyadic, social, and grave-dressing phases.
What are common breakup strategies?
Avoidance, positive tone, confrontation, cost escalation, manipulation, mediation, and de-escalation.
How does personality influence breakup strategies?
High Machiavellianism linked to manipulation and indirect methods.
Why do people stay friends with exes?
For security, practicality, civility, or unresolved feelings—only the first two lead to positive outcomes.
