Health&wellbeing In Close Relationships And Ending Relationships Flashcards
What is health concordance
Where couples have similar health statuses
What are health concordance behaviours
When one partner’s health behaviours are associated with a change in the other partner’s health behaviours
What is behavioural convergence
Where those in relationships share the same lifestyle and common stressors within it
What is cortisol
A hormone which regulates a wide range of processes in the body including: learning and memory, leads to a lower immune function, increased weight gain, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, cortisol
How can social interaction impact health and wellbeing in close relationships
Social isolation can have -ve effects whereas high levels of social integration have protective effects on morality of individual level behaviours such as maintaining a healthy weight
How can morbidity and morality relate to married and divorced couples
Both of these are lower for couples couples meaning they’re less likely to develop a chronic illness however, divorced couples have higher risk for illnesses
What have interactions with close partners involving negativity been linked to
- disrupted physiological stress responses
- high blood pressure
- chronic pain
- obesity
However, this may depend on individual differences
Empirical research showing social support is beneficial in relationships
Social support predicts reduced susceptibility to infection and illness especially under stress (Cohen et al 2015)
What are the threats to relationships
- interdependence: can lead to disagreements
- external factors: birth of child, loss of job
- stress from social norms: expectations that men and women have specific roles in relationships
- infidelity: potential rivals can create feelings of jealousy
How can depression impact the health and wellbeing of a relationship
- depression strongly associated with relationship distress
- it alters multiple biological systems which lead to poorer health habits
- interdependence theory: one partner’s depression can feed onto the other partner
Empirical evidence for gender differences in health and wellbeing of women and men in relationships
- relationship between depression and marital quality is stronger among men than women (Whisman 2001)
- though a meta-analysis did not find any difference (Robles et al 2014)
What is monogamy
A relationship form which is viewed as optimal and conferred with many social, financial, and legal benefits
What is the evolutionary perspective of infidelity
Men and women have different concerns regarding this because:
- women are interested in securing commitment and resources of partner, they are afraid of emotional infidelity which threatens long term relationship
- men look to sexual infidelity because it can increase uncertainty of paternity
What are the impacts of infidelity and what is it associated with
- can result in harmful individual and relational outcomes for those who engage in it
- is associated with poorer mental health and relationship dissolution
What is the investment model of infidelity
- used to predict and explain infidelity in dating relationships
- says that commitment is main determinant of longevity or termination of a relationship
- provides framework for predicting efforts to maintain monogamy in intimate relationships
How can relationships be maintained in the face of threat
- conflicts can be handled by either responding constructively or destructively
What is a constructive response
A +ve response where you actively discuss the problem
What is a destructive response
A -ve response where you behave with reciprocation of -ve feelings and acts
What are the 4 problematic types of communication often used in conflict
- criticism of the person as a whole
- contempt (disregard something that should be considered)
- defensiveness
- refusal to communicate
What is constructive accommodation and when is it lessor more likely
- involves actions that help to maintain relationship
- more likely when couples are committed,idolise each other
- less likely when among those who believe that their current partner and them are destined to be together
- a lack of this can lead to relationship breakdown
What are the psychological consequences of break ups
- both partners experience grief
- both engage in self-reflection: understanding why the relationship ended and to predict success in future ones
What are the challenges in studying close relationships
- hard to draw conclusions as they are non-experimental designs
- only use convenient populations such as students or married couples
- mos research is carried out in North America so difficult to examine cultural differences
What’s are the 3 factors that predict relationship commitment and breakup
Relationship satisfaction, comparison for alternatives, level of investment
What predicts the decision to end a relationship
Unreasonable behaviour, growing apart, stress
How can bereavement impact the wellbeing of a partner in a relationship
Death of a partner is on of the most stressful life events
Responses to dealing with this can be physical, psychological and social harm
What are Kubler-Ross 1969 5 stages to adjustment of bereavement
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining: attempt to postpone inevitable
- Depression
- Acceptance
What can help bereavement
- online support groups
- qualitative evidence has shown clear +ve attributes of online peer support that are valued by bereaved users
