Friendship and love Flashcards
What is the social penetration theory?
Altman and Taylor
The role of self-disclosure in developing and maintaining friendships. Breadth and depth of disclosure
What are the stages of social penetration?
Orientation, exploratory affective exchange, affective exchange, stable exchange
What is orientation?
Superficial info, cautious, socially desirable behaviours. First dates/ acquaintances
What is exploratory affective exchange?
Less cautious, limited to the public self, Casual acquaintances or friends
Affective exchange?
Some private or intimate information, commitment and comfort, initiation of conflict. Close friends or romantic partners
What is stable exchange?
Openness, most intimate info, close friends and romantic partners
Collins and Miller - meta analysis
- People who take part in intimate disclosure are liked more than those who disclose less
- People disclose more to people they like more
People like others more following self-disclosure
What are limitations of the social penetration theory?
- Limited in scope - does not apply to co-workers, neighbours or acquaintances
- Does not describe or explain established relationships
- Disclosure may be non-linear
- Individual differences in disclosure preferences are not considered
- Cultural differences in self-disclosure are not considered
What has social media enabled?
Self-disclosure to be more accessible
What is social exchange framework?
The role of costs and rewards in the development of personal relationships
Explain men’s same gender friendships as found by Hall 2015
- Greater value placed on instrumental or agentic characteristics
- Higher risk of low-quality friendships
- Increased homophobia
Explain women’s same gender friendships
- Communion and self-disclosure - Greater effort and expectation
- Increased risk of co-rumination - when you talk about problems with peers but constantly dwell on that problem. Constantly talking about a certain problem. - rumination is associated with things like depression and anxiety
Explain gender differences in friendship
- Meta-analysis of expectations in men and women’s same gender friendships
- Symmetrical reciprocity and communion expectations higher among women
- Agency expectations higher among men (money, physical power, status
- Solidarity expectations similar across genders
Hall 2015 critical evaluation
- Evidence supported by meta-analysis
- Research limited to North America and Europe/mostly Western countries
- Homophobia and co-rumination may be related to culturally determined gender roles
- Same gender friendships among non-heterosexual groups not considered
- Does not take into account individuals with other gender identities
Does not consider other types of friendships beyond same gender friendships
What is romantic love?
The most developed and intense type of interpersonal relationship
What is love?
- Fondness and passion for certain activities (meraki) places (choros) and objects (eros)
- Affection and loyalty towards family (storge), friends (philia) and ourself (philautia)
Passionate desire of ‘epithymia’ and the star crossed destiny of ananke
Sternberg’s triangular theory of love
- Passion - sexual desire, and physical attraction
- Intimacy - connection and feelings of closeness
- Commitment - to love in the short term; to maintain that love in the long term
Define passionate love?
The state of intense longing and desire for another person, involving very intense emotions
What is the three factor theory of passionate love? Hatfield and Walster
1) Meeting a suitable potential partner
2) Attributing physiological arousal to the presence of the potential partner
Understanding and accepting the concept of love
What is companionate love?
- Based on friendly affection and deep attachment due to extensive familiarity
- Replaces and is more enduring than passionate love
- It is suggested that evolutionary processes explain the
transition from passionate to companionate love
What are predictors of relationship satisfcation
Social exchange and equity
Interpretation
Social comparison
Social networks
Attachment
What is social exchange?
- Social exchange theory; balance between what one gives and receives
- People take part in relationships that are personally rewarding and where the rewards outweigh the costs of the relationships
- Cost benefit analysis
Compare existing relationship with possible rewards and costs of alternative relationships
What is the equity theory?
- Based on social exchange theory; expectations of exchange in close relationships
- Inequity in relationships can have negative consequences
- Buunk and Vanyperen 1991
Perceiving equality leads to highest relationship satisfaction
Followed by perception of advantage
Those who felt deprived feel least satisfied in a relationship
What did Sprecher find out about equity?
Under benefiting inequity primed group reported significantly more distress than overbenefiting inequity primed group
Describe a happy relationship
Problems are blamed on the self
The partner is given credit for solving the problems - Thompson and Kelley 1981)
Describe an unhappy relationship
People blame their problems on their partner
See their partner’s problematic behaviour as affecting other aspects of the relationship (Fincham and Bradbury 1991)
Does interpretation of partner’s behaviour contribute to relationship satisfaction?
Fincham and Bradbury 1992
Marital satisfaction correlated negatively with causal attributions, responsibility attribution, blame attribution
Does comparing your relationship to other relationships affect relationship satisfaction?
Buunk and Van Der Ejinden
Individuals with high relationship satisfacton perceive their relationship as better than most other’s relationships
Relationship satisfaction - social networks
Cotton, Cunningham, and Antill 1993
166 families in sydney, cross sectional survey
Measured network structure, six people they felt closest too
Marital satisfaction increased as a function of overlap between the couples social networks
Attachment theory
Attachment style to primary caregiver predicts attachment style in close relationships in later life
Those with secure attachment style
- Tend to have lasting
relationships
- Experience compassionate
love
- Are preferred as partners (Brennan and Shaver, 1995, Doherty et al 1994, chappel and davis 1998)
What determines if a relationship will last?
Rusbult - the investment model
Commitment to relationship is predicted by
- High staisfaction in current relationship
- Investment size
- Quality of alternatives
Individuals in happy and committed relationships engage in relationship protecting behaviours
- Devaluing attractive individuals
Less goal directed mimicry
How would an avoidant deal with a breakup?
Increased anger and sadness following breakup
How would the person who inititated the breakup feel?
Increased depression, anxiety, distress, takes longer to get over break up
