Chapter 3 Flashcards
1
Q
dating vs. mate selection
A
- dating is fun, meant for entertainment; choosing people we like and find attractive
- mate selection is the process of choosing your life partner; choosing people with attributes like stability; leads to marriage or marriage-like cohabitation with intention of permanence
- there is overlap between the two
2
Q
dating in the past
A
- dates were chaperoned and considered a serious commitment to marriage
- courtship enabled individuals to refine gender roles (men were initiators, planners, and payers)
- dating was rite of passage and gave you status
- after WW1, dating was much less supervised
3
Q
dating today
A
- women have more of a direct role
- dating is much less formal
- group activities/”hanging out” became common
- technology became source of meeting people (and allows for more privacy)
- goal of dating has shifted to having fun and meeting new people rather than choosing a life partner
- in early stages of dating, gender roles still tend to be more traditional
4
Q
4 stages of courtship
A
- casual dating
- steady dating
- engagement
- marriage
5
Q
hooking up
A
- common/on the rise on college campuses
- getting together for a physical encounter without expecting anything further
- hookup partner is usually friend or an ex
- 1/3 hope it’ll lead to more conventional dating relationship/initiate dating
6
Q
4 main functions of dating
A
- gaining status
- socialization
- recreation
- mate selection
7
Q
same-sex dating
A
- little research available
- may be a more difficult process for gay and lesbian people: harder to recognize potential partners, don’t have access to enough potential partners
8
Q
wedding rings, engagement rings, promise rings
A
- originally a sign of property - you’re “owned” by your boyfriend/husband
- shows status/wealth and husband’s ability to provide for wife
- men’s wedding rings showed employers they were stable, committed, and had a family to provide for, so it was worthwhile to train them
9
Q
6 theories of attraction
A
- propinquity theory
- similarity theory
- filter theory
- complementary theory
- stimulus-value-role theory
- psychological reactance theory
- biosocial theory
- social exchange theory
10
Q
propinquity theory
A
- we are attracted to those around us
- repeated contact (familiarity) causes us to like an individual
- with technology, propinquity is less important (but you still have to be on the same site at the same time)
11
Q
similarity theory
A
- “like attracts like”/”birds of a feather flock together”
- assortative mating/homogamy (same personality traits and demographics)
- we like similarity because it helps us feel understood and validated
- homogamy less important to same-sex couples
12
Q
filter theory
A
- we go through various filters when finding the person we want to spend our life with
- gender -> proximity -> sex ratio -> inside/outside social group (endogamy/exogamy) -> homogamy (age, race, religion, etc.) -> value and role similarity
13
Q
complementary theory
A
- “opposites attract”
- little evidence that complementary personalities cause attraction
- complementary interests and behaviours are attractive
14
Q
assortative mating/homogamy
A
choosing individuals with traits similar to ours (ie. personality traits, demographics, etc.)
15
Q
interracial dating
A
- interracial dating on the rise
- occurs among more than 1/2 of African-American, Latino, and white study participants
- interracial marriages however, are rare - 3.2% in 2001
16
Q
stimulus-value-role theory
A
- stimulus stage: initially attracted to external attributes
- value stage: determine if attitudes, interests, and beliefs match (by asking questions or setting up “tests”)
- role stage: assessing each other as long term partners (assessing your partner and yourself in comparison to the person you want them to be and the person you want to be)
17
Q
psychological reactance
A
- we like people we cannot have
- reverse psychology
- internal barrier (playing hard to get) or external barrier (parental disapproval)
18
Q
problem with getting a date
A
- even with technology, people are still at a disadvantage if they don’t fit the norm for attractiveness
- easy to lie online about age, weight, relationship status, etc.
- stigma exists with online dating
19
Q
interference
A
- most Canadians practice free choice dating
- however, our choices are constrained by the approval of our friends and family
- people more satisfied with relationship if it’s been approved by their social network
20
Q
violence and coercion
A
- initiators and victims (male and female) had more sexual partners and a history of childhood victimization than those not coerced or coercing
- Almost a quarter of both males and females report some form of sexual coercion before age 14 - females moreso than males
- Anitoch college was one of the first colleges to establish a strict verbal consent policy
- sexual assault on campus due to things like male privilege, drug/alcohol use, etc.
21
Q
sexual coercion and its 2 big strategies
A
- being forced by another to have sex of any kind or engage in sexual touching
- strategies: guilt and intoxication