Friendship and Love

Question 1

What is a friendship?

Answer 1

A close relationship that may involve intimacy, trust, acceptance, mutual liking and understanding

Question 2

Social penetration theory

Answer 2

• Altman & Taylor (1973)
• Relationships develop closeness in an orderly fashion, like peeling through the layers of an onion
• Closeness comes by self-disclosure

Question 3

Self-disclosure

Answer 3

• Voluntarily sharing information about yourself to another person
• Superficial information comes before personal information

Question 4

Depenetration

Answer 4

When a person emotionally withdraws from a relationship by reducing the quantity and intimacy of the information they disclose

Question 5

Criticisms of social penetration theory

Answer 5

• Some friends click straight away, and immediately begin disclosing highly intimate information
• Cultural differences - individualistic cultures typically disclose more than collectivist cultures
• Doesn’t account for gender differences

Question 6

Gender differences in friendships

Answer 6

Differences in intimacy

Differences in amount of physical contact

Question 7

Dindia & Allen (1992)

Answer 7

• Meta-analysis of 205 studies on gender differences
• Women disclose more than men in same-sex friends
• No difference in disclosure to male friends
• Perhaps men in Western societies are restricted by cultural norms to not act in a vulnerable manner

Question 8

Derlega & Chaiken (1976)

Answer 8

• Participants read stories about a man or woman upset on a plane, who when asked by a passenger if they were ok either concealed the real problem or disclosed the problem
• Participants rated the character for how psychologically well-adjusted they were
• Male was seen as better adjusted if he didn’t disclose, whereas female was vice versa

Question 9

Gender and physical contact

Answer 9

Men engage in less physical contact with same-sex friends than women

Question 10

Explanation for gender differences

Answer 10

• Men are socialised to conform to a norm of heterosexual masculinity
• Masculine traits such as power and control are valued, feminine traits such as tenderness and vulnerability are devalued
• Men are particularly likely to conform to this norm in the company of other men
• Men avoid acting in ways that might indicate homosexuality by avoiding emotional expression, self-disclosure and physical contact in same-sex friendships

Question 11

Romantic relationships

Answer 11

The most developed and intense type of interpersonal relationship

Question 12

John Lee’s colours of love (1977)

Answer 12

• Eros - loving an ideal person passionately (red)
• Mania - obsessive love (purple) (passionate + game)
• Ludos - love as a game (blue)
• Pragma - realistic and practical love (green) (game + friendship)
• Storge - love as friendship (yellow)
• Agape - selfless love (orange) (passionate + friendship)

Question 13

Sternberg’s triangular theory of love

Answer 13

• 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 14

Passionate love

Answer 14

• A state of intense longing and desire for another person, involving very intense emotions
• Early stages of relationship
• Relatively short-lived
• Neurophysiological and psychological arousal

Question 15

Three factor theory of (passionate) love

Answer 15

• Hatfield and Walster (1981)
• Meeting a suitable partner
• Attributing physiological arousal to the presence of the potential partner
• Understanding and accepting the concept of love

Question 16

Dutton & Aron (1974)

Answer 16

Arousal from the swaying bridge was misattributed to the female assistant rather than the correct source

Question 17

Aron et al (1997)

Answer 17

• 36 questions to make you fall in love

- 3 sets, increasing in intimacy

Question 18

Companionate love

Answer 18

• Based on friendly affection and deep attachment due to extensive familiarity
• More enduring than passionate love

Question 19

Factors for relationship satisfaction

Answer 19

• Social exchange and equity
• Interpretation
• Social comparison
• Social networks
• Attachment
• Interdependence theory

Question 20

Social exchange theory

Answer 20

• We weigh the costs of the relationship against the benefits of the relationships
• People try to maximise the benefits and minimise the costs
• Relationship = satisfying when benefits outweigh the costs

Question 21

Equity theory

Answer 21

• People expect an equal exchange in terms of love, emotional, and financial support
• People may feel guilty if they receive more from a relationship than they give or resentful if the other way round
• People who receive their relationship as equal were more satisfied

Question 22

Interpretation (attribution)

Answer 22

• People in happy and unhappy relationships interpret their partner’s behaviour differently
• Happy - people blame problems on themselves
• Unhappy - people blame problems on their partner (maladaptive attribution)

Question 23

Social comparison

Answer 23

Happy couples feel better about their own relationship when comparing against others, related with relationship satisfaction

Question 24

Social networks

Answer 24

Couples are more satisfied when their networks are integrated

Question 25

Attachment theory

Answer 25

Individuals’ experiences in previous close relationships carry forwards into new relationships (expectations/behavioural patterns)

Question 26

Interdependence theory

Answer 26

Need to consider the impact of situational factors on the individuals in a relationship, but also on the processes that occur between the partners

Question 27

The Investment Model

Answer 27

• Resbult (1983)
• Commitment is dependent on three factors
• High satisfaction, quality of alternatives, investment size
• Relationship protecting behaviours include devaluing attractive individuals of the opposite sex, goal directed mimicry

Question 28

Relationship dissolution model

Answer 28

• Duck (1992)
• Intrapsychic phase - thinks about problems, internal cost-benefit analysis
• Dyadic phase - decision made that something must be done, negotiation may occur
• Social phase - accepted that relationship is ending, both partners turn to friends
• Grave dressing phase - division of property and children etc, assure own reputation

Question 29

People low on attachment-avoidance and attachment anxiety…

Answer 29

Have a secure attachment style

Question 30

People high on attachment-avoidance and attachment anxiety…

Answer 30

Have a fearful-avoidant attachment style (low self-esteem and do not trust others)

Question 31

People low on attachment-avoidance and high on attachment anxiety…

Answer 31

Have a preoccupied attachment style (have low self-esteem and worry that people will not love them)

Question 32

People high on attachment-avoidance and low on attachment anxiety…

Answer 32

Have a dismissing-avoidant attachment style (find it difficult to trust others and are uncomfortable with intimacy)