Health&wellbeing In Close Relationships And Ending Relationships

Question 1

What is health concordance

Answer 1

Where couples have similar health statuses

Question 2

What are health concordance behaviours

Answer 2

When one partner’s health behaviours are associated with a change in the other partner’s health behaviours

Question 3

What is behavioural convergence

Answer 3

Where those in relationships share the same lifestyle and common stressors within it

Question 4

What is cortisol

Answer 4

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

Question 5

How can social interaction impact health and wellbeing in close relationships

Answer 5

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

Question 6

How can morbidity and morality relate to married and divorced couples

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What have interactions with close partners involving negativity been linked to

Answer 7

• disrupted physiological stress responses
• high blood pressure
• chronic pain
• obesity
  However, this may depend on individual differences

Question 8

Empirical research showing social support is beneficial in relationships

Answer 8

Social support predicts reduced susceptibility to infection and illness especially under stress (Cohen et al 2015)

Question 9

What are the threats to relationships

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

How can depression impact the health and wellbeing of a relationship

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

Empirical evidence for gender differences in health and wellbeing of women and men in relationships

Answer 11

• 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)

Question 12

What is monogamy

Answer 12

A relationship form which is viewed as optimal and conferred with many social, financial, and legal benefits

Question 13

What is the evolutionary perspective of infidelity

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What are the impacts of infidelity and what is it associated with

Answer 14

• can result in harmful individual and relational outcomes for those who engage in it
• is associated with poorer mental health and relationship dissolution

Question 15

What is the investment model of infidelity

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

How can relationships be maintained in the face of threat

Answer 16

• conflicts can be handled by either responding constructively or destructively

Question 17

What is a constructive response

Answer 17

A +ve response where you actively discuss the problem

Question 18

What is a destructive response

Answer 18

A -ve response where you behave with reciprocation of -ve feelings and acts

Question 19

What are the 4 problematic types of communication often used in conflict

Answer 19

• criticism of the person as a whole
• contempt (disregard something that should be considered)
• defensiveness
• refusal to communicate

Question 20

What is constructive accommodation and when is it lessor more likely

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

What are the psychological consequences of break ups

Answer 21

• both partners experience grief
• both engage in self-reflection: understanding why the relationship ended and to predict success in future ones

Question 22

What are the challenges in studying close relationships

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

What’s are the 3 factors that predict relationship commitment and breakup

Answer 23

Relationship satisfaction, comparison for alternatives, level of investment

Question 24

What predicts the decision to end a relationship

Answer 24

Unreasonable behaviour, growing apart, stress

Question 25

How can bereavement impact the wellbeing of a partner in a relationship

Answer 25

Death of a partner is on of the most stressful life events
Responses to dealing with this can be physical, psychological and social harm

Question 26

What are Kubler-Ross 1969 5 stages to adjustment of bereavement

Answer 26

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining: attempt to postpone inevitable
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Question 27

What can help bereavement

Answer 27

• online support groups
• qualitative evidence has shown clear +ve attributes of online peer support that are valued by bereaved users