Chapter 4: Relationship Beginnings

Question 1

Voluntary Relationships

Answer 1

Such as friendships and mating relationships in which the relationship’s initiation (and development) primarily depends on internal factors such as the degree to which the partners like each other.
- involuntary relationships tend to be less subject to readily observable change than voluntary relationships

Question 2

Oper Interaction Field

Answer 2

Each partner is free to start (or refrain from initiating) the relationship.

Question 3

Closed Interaction Fields

Answer 3

In which the partners are forced to interact by virtue o the environment. The initiation and subsequent development of these involuntary relationships are not dependent on the partner’s level of attraction or liking for one another; their association will continue as long as the external causal conditions that originally created it remain in place (or if the partners become sufficiently attracted to one another to main their relationship once the external constraints are lifted)

Question 4

Attraction

Answer 4

Liking or positive sentiment; influenced by several variables:
- other personal characteristics
- a combination o the individual and the other person’s characteristics (i.e., relational factors such as similarity)
- social and physical environment

Question 5

Social Allergens

Answer 5

Men and women are repulsed by people who consistently violate social norms and rules of conduct. Some examples include:
- drinking to excess
- cheating at games
- gossiping about others
- arriving late all the time
- lying
- oversexed (i.e., those who brag about sexual conquests or skills, talk about previous relationship partners, or gaze longingly at others)
- uncouth habits (i.e., those who demonstrate poor grooming, and table manners, stand too close or stare inappropriately, speaking loudly)

Question 6

“Beautiful is good” or physical attractiveness stereotype.

Answer 6

A strong and pervasive set of assumptions concerning the traits, attributes, and outcomes of attractive people (e.g., that they are more sensitive, kind, interesting, friendly, sociable, outgoing, and they will have “better” jobs, marriages, lives, than less attractive people)

Question 7

Proximate Environmental Mechanisms

Answer 7

Causes located in the contemporary social, cultural, and historical environment that appear to influence liking

Question 8

Social and cultural scripts

Answer 8

People learn prevailing “rules” of attraction from exposure to social and cultural scripts, which are normative expectations that define and organize social experience and are used to guide and assess social behaviour.

Question 9

An Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness - Environmental Pressure

Answer 9

The idea that there are forces in the ancestral environment in which our species developed its various adaptions;
- natural selection: environment had adaptive problems or recurrent challenges in human evolutionary history that had consequences for survival and reproduction
- some challenges: communicating and forming cooperative alliances with other humans, finding and retaining an appropriate mate, reproducing and rearing offspring etc.
- ancestors that survived passed on the neural circuitry that governs our preferences

Question 10

Family Allocentrisim

Answer 10

Defined as the degree to which a person feels connected or interrelated with his or her family and the extent to which they are oriented to family norms.

Family allocentrism is often studied in the context of cross-cultural research, as it is believed to vary across different cultural groups. In some cultures, such as collectivist cultures, family allocentrism may be highly valued and considered a key component of social identity. In other cultures, such as individualistic cultures, the emphasis may be more on individual autonomy and self-expression.

Researchers have found that family allocentric can have important implications for individual well-being and mental health. Individuals who score high on this dimension may be more likely to experience feelings of guilt or shame if they are not fulfilling their family obligations or living up to family expectations. However, a strong sense of family connection and belonging can also provide social support and a sense of meaning and purpose in life.

Research has suggested that individuals who are high in family allocentrism may be more likely to seek partners who share their family-oriented values and beliefs and who are perceived as compatible with their family’s expectations.

In addition, family allocentrism may influence the dynamics of romantic relationships by shaping individuals’ attitudes towards commitment, sacrifice, and interdependence. For example, individuals who are high in family allocentrism may be more likely to prioritize their partner’s needs and well-being, and to view their relationship as an extension of their family unit.

Question 11

Mere Exposure Effect / Mere-repeated-exposure effect

Answer 11

The psychological phenomenon in which merely being exposed to a person (or an object) repeatedly is sufficient to produce a preference for that person (or object)
- e.g., the women who attended the class more received significantly higher scores on the attraction index, and the students reported that they would be significantly more likely to befriend them and enjoy spending time with them

Question 12

Bogus Stranger Experimental Paradigm (Bryne)

Answer 12

• Researchers assess participants’ attitudes on a variety of issues
• Later on, participants are asked to evaluate an attitude survey ostensibly completed by another person and rate their attraction to them
• There was no actual another person
• The researchers have systematically varied the responses to the attitude survey to represent different degrees of similarity to the participants own (previously assessed) attitudes)
• Results: attitude similarly generates attraction
• Hypothesis: those who resemble us are inherently more familiar than those who do not resemble us. This perception of familiarity is what produces attraction; AND others provide consensual validation of our worldview

Question 13

Responsiveness

Answer 13

Is another variable that is strongly associated with interpersonal attraction.

Question 14

Affiliation

Answer 14

Not dependent on attraction developing between the partners - they will interact as long as the external situation demands it

Question 15

Field of Availables

Answer 15

Individuals who are available and accessible for interaction; it is affected by both the surrounding physical environment and aspects of their social environment

Question 16

Civility and courtesy norms

Answer 16

Norms govern social behaviour among individuals in close physical proximity these norms coupled with the expectation of future interactions, may encourage us to treat our neighbours, classmates, and coworkers with consideration and respect.

Question 17

Environment Spoiling

Answer 17

Disliked others tend to violate civility and courtesy norms and behave in ways that spoil the participant’s living environment.

Question 18

Interaction Accessibility

Answer 18

It is more important than physical proximity in the beginning stages of relationship formation.

Interaction accessibility refers to the ease with which two individuals can interact with each other, regardless of their physical proximity. In the context of relationship formation, interaction accessibility may be more important than physical proximity, particularly in the early stages of the relationship.

This is because, in the beginning, stages of a relationship, individuals often try to establish and maintain contact with each other and are, therefore, more concerned with the ease and frequency of interaction than with physical closeness. For example, two individuals who live far apart may still be able to interact frequently through phone calls, text messages, or video chats and may therefore feel a strong connection despite the distance between them.

Question 19

Receptivity

Answer 19

A potential partner must not only be accessible for interaction but also must be receptive to our initiation attempts.
- Apart from the two-factor model of affliction

Question 20

Two-Factor model of affliation

Answer 20

The person contemplating initiating an encounter must consider at least two factors:
a) the degree to which they find the attributes of the potential partner attractive
b) the degree to which they anticipate the potential partner wud find their attributes attracted and hence respond favourable to the initiative

Question 21

Overture Function

Answer 21

The decision to make a n overture to a potential partner is a function of both attraction and people’s beliefs about whether the desired other is likely yo reciprocate the interest and be open to their overture.

V = f(AxP), where:
V = strength of the valence of making an overture
A = the individuals attraction toward the other
P =the initiators estimate of the probability that an overture will be accepted rather than rejected by the person

Question 22

Pluralistic Ignorance

Answer 22

A phenomenon in which people observe others behaving similarly to themselves but attribute their behaviour and that of others to very different underlying causes. Examples:

Approaching someone at a party: Imagine you’re at a party, and you see someone you find attractive. You might want to approach them, but you’re hesitant because you think everyone else there is confident and already knows each other. Meanwhile, everyone else is also feeling unsure about approaching new people, but they’re all trying to appear confident. This can lead to a situation where everyone is standing around, waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Asking someone out on a date: You might be interested in someone, but you’re not sure if they feel the same way. You observe that they seem to enjoy spending time with you and laugh at your jokes, but you assume they’re just being friendly. Meanwhile, they’re also interested in you, but they’re not sure if you feel the same way. This can lead to a situation where both of you are waiting for the other person to make a move, and the relationship doesn’t progress.

Expressing feelings in a relationship: You might be in a relationship and have strong feelings for your partner, but you’re hesitant to express them because you think your partner is less invested in the relationship than you are. Meanwhile, your partner also has strong feelings for you but doesn’t express them because they assume you’re less invested. This can lead to a situation where both partners feel insecure about the relationship, even though they both care deeply for each other.

Overall, pluralistic ignorance can make it difficult for people to form relationships because they assume that others are feeling and thinking differently than they actually are. By being more open and honest with one another, people can overcome this phenomenon and build stronger relationships.