Friendship and love

Question 1

What is the social penetration theory?

Answer 1

Altman and Taylor
The role of self-disclosure in developing and maintaining friendships. Breadth and depth of disclosure

Question 2

What are the stages of social penetration?

Answer 2

Orientation, exploratory affective exchange, affective exchange, stable exchange

Question 3

What is orientation?

Answer 3

Superficial info, cautious, socially desirable behaviours. First dates/ acquaintances

Question 4

What is exploratory affective exchange?

Answer 4

Less cautious, limited to the public self, Casual acquaintances or friends

Question 5

Affective exchange?

Answer 5

Some private or intimate information, commitment and comfort, initiation of conflict. Close friends or romantic partners

Question 6

What is stable exchange?

Answer 6

Openness, most intimate info, close friends and romantic partners

Question 6

Collins and Miller - meta analysis

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

What are limitations of the social penetration theory?

Answer 7

• 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

Question 7

What has social media enabled?

Answer 7

Self-disclosure to be more accessible

Question 7

What is social exchange framework?

Answer 7

The role of costs and rewards in the development of personal relationships

Question 8

Explain men’s same gender friendships as found by Hall 2015

Answer 8

• Greater value placed on instrumental or agentic characteristics
• Higher risk of low-quality friendships
• Increased homophobia

Question 9

Explain women’s same gender friendships

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

Explain gender differences in friendship

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

Hall 2015 critical evaluation

Answer 11

• 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

Question 12

What is romantic love?

Answer 12

The most developed and intense type of interpersonal relationship

Question 13

What is love?

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

Sternberg’s triangular theory of love

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Define passionate love?

Answer 15

The state of intense longing and desire for another person, involving very intense emotions

Question 16

What is the three factor theory of passionate love? Hatfield and Walster

Answer 16

1) Meeting a suitable potential partner
2) Attributing physiological arousal to the presence of the potential partner
Understanding and accepting the concept of love

Question 17

What is companionate love?

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

What are predictors of relationship satisfcation

Answer 18

Social exchange and equity
Interpretation
Social comparison
Social networks
Attachment

Question 19

What is social exchange?

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

What is the equity theory?

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

What did Sprecher find out about equity?

Answer 21

Under benefiting inequity primed group reported significantly more distress than overbenefiting inequity primed group

Question 22

Describe a happy relationship

Answer 22

Problems are blamed on the self
The partner is given credit for solving the problems - Thompson and Kelley 1981)

Question 23

Describe an unhappy relationship

Answer 23

People blame their problems on their partner
See their partner’s problematic behaviour as affecting other aspects of the relationship (Fincham and Bradbury 1991)

Question 24

Does interpretation of partner’s behaviour contribute to relationship satisfaction?
Fincham and Bradbury 1992

Answer 24

Marital satisfaction correlated negatively with causal attributions, responsibility attribution, blame attribution

Question 25

Does comparing your relationship to other relationships affect relationship satisfaction?

Answer 25

Buunk and Van Der Ejinden
Individuals with high relationship satisfacton perceive their relationship as better than most other’s relationships

Question 26

Relationship satisfaction - social networks

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Attachment theory

Answer 27

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)

Question 28

What determines if a relationship will last?

Answer 28

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

Question 29

How would an avoidant deal with a breakup?

Answer 29

Increased anger and sadness following breakup

Question 30

How would the person who inititated the breakup feel?

Answer 30

Increased depression, anxiety, distress, takes longer to get over break up