Human Relationships: Formation (SOCIO-CULT)

Question 1

STUDY 1 RESEARCHER & AIM

Answer 1

Festinger et al : investigate the idea that proximity is a factor in formation of human relationships

Question 2

S1 PROCEDURE

Answer 2

This was a naturalistic, non-participant, overt observation of the students at one university, and regular interviews of students (randomly assigned) who lived in rooms on 17 of the blocks on campus.
Participants were asked to say who their three closest friends were as part of the data collection.

Question 3

S1 FINDINGS

Answer 3

Friendships occurred more between students who lived on the same floor.

The students who lived closest to the staircases were more 20 likely to have made friends with those on a different floor compared to students whose rooms were away from the staircases.

65% of the participant friendship pairs lived in the same building with 44% living next door to each other; the expression of closeness to another student reduced as the distance between them increased - 41% expressed closeness when the distance was one door away, falling to 10% when the distance was four doors away.

Question 4

S1 CONCLUSION

Answer 4

This is because these participants lived in the vicinity of one and other and were therefore more likely to have regular contact with each other. This in turn, may have promoted familiarity towards that person, which led them to become more positive and comfortable. This may the had led them to choose this person as a close friend or a romantic partner

Question 5

STUDY 2 RESEARCHER & AIM

Answer 5

jones et al : investigate if social class plays a role in the formation of human relationships

Question 6

S2 PROCEDURE

Answer 6

• Female participants were shown pairs of male faces and asked to rate their attractiveness
• Later, they were shown the same pairs of faces again and asked to rate their attractiveness, but this time the face was presented with a female face staring at the man’s face
• The female face was shown staring at the man’s face with either a smile or a neutral expression.
• Participants were then asked to rate the attractiveness of the faces again.

Question 7

S2 FINDINGS

Answer 7

• the second round of ratings did not change for the face that was not accompanied by a female face staring at it
• ratings in the second round were higher for the pictures that have a smiling woman staring at the male face
• ratings were lower for pictures where the woman was staring at the man’s face with a neutral expression

Question 8

S2 CONCLUSION

Answer 8

when forming an attraction, people use social clues and mimic the attitudes of other people. In this case, the women mimicked a positive response to the men. As a result, attraction can be influenced by social factors.