Interpersonal Attraction Flashcards
What 3 basic features do social animals tend to have in common?
1) They cannot defend themselves from predators easily, so rely on cooperative defence from predators and competitors
2) Tend to produce offspring that take a long-time to rear/raise and so rely on cooperative rearing of the young by the group
3) Tend not to be able to hunt effectively on their one and rely on cooperative foraging or hunting
Describe the Dilution Effect (Lethonen & Jaatinen, 2016)
Danger of a successful predator attack is divided among group members. This ‘dilutes’ the risk to any given individual, so that the probability of perishing in an attack decreases.
What is the Confusion Effect? (predators & prey)
Phenomenon of decreasing predator attack success with increasing prey group size - harder to target/monitor only one moving prey
Describe the process of natural selection and link this to humans as social beings.
1) Individuals with desirable traits/those more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce and pass those adaptive traits onto their offspring
2) Over time, these advantageous traits become more common in the population. Favourable/desirable traits are passed down through the generations
3) Individuals who formed close relationships with others were more likely to survive and share resources (water, warmth and food) and go on and reproduce. Also less likely to be eaten by predators as they are in a group.
Modern humans have a ____________ to belong and a _________ ____________ to form relationships with others
1) fundamental need
2) natural tendency
When are humans most happy (Berscheid & Reid, 1998) and when are they especially happy?
1) Humans and experience a more positive mood when around others
2) Especially when there is a certain level of closeness and intimacy
How did Larson (1990) explore whether we were happiest in groups?
1) Students given a pager and randomly paged throughout the day
2) Asked to record who they were with AND how they felt
3) Participants were most happy when with their friends and family
4) Least happy when they were alone or in a public space alone
How are death and health conditions affected by social isolation?
1) Individuals with the lowest level of involvement in social relationships are more likely to die than those with greater involvement.
2) Poor social networks = associated with many conditions, including the development and progression of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer and delayed cancer recovery.
What did Holt & Lewis (2010) find out about women with advanced metastatic breast cancer if they attended a support group?
They lived significantly longer!
What did Glaser eat al. (1992) find about medical students with good social networks and their immune response to the Hepatitis B vaccine?
They showed stronger immune response.
Happily married patients had _____ ________ chance 4 years after heart attack compared to single patients (Coyne et al., 2001)
higher survival
What did Tilvis et al. (2004) find about elderly people and the impact of loneliness on cognitive decline?
They measured the cognition of 75 to 85 year olds at 1, 5 and 10 year follow ups. Results at the 10 year follow up assessment revealed that
- loneliness independently predicted dementia
What did Easterlin (2003) find about the happiness of people in satisfying romantic relationships?
What is the limitation of this study?
People in satisfying romantic relationships are typically significantly happier than single people.
- they are only showing correlation NOT causation
- happier people may have a higher chance of being in long-term relationship
> may be more likely to meet people as they are more social
> people are more likely to date happy/positive people in the first place
What did Harker & Keltner (2001) find out about expressions in the year book and future marriage success?
Positive emotional expressions on pictures in college yearbook predicted marriage success 20 years later.
What did Harker and Keltner examine in their study?
among other properties:
1) the intensity of the smiles
2) Duchenne vs non-Duchenne smiles
Duchenne = natural smile
non-Duchenne = forced/fake smile
What muscle is used during both a Duchenne and non-Duchenne smile and which muscle is only used in a Duchenne smile?
Zygomatic Major Muscle is used in both smiles - lifts the corners of the mouth
Orbicularis Oculi is only used in natural (Duchenne) smiles - raises the cheeks which gives the ‘smiling eyes’ expression
What are the three key components of love according to Sternberg’s (1986) Triangular Theory of Love?
The three key components of love are:
1) intimacy
2) passion
3) commitment.
What is passion and what is the word that describes solely passionate love?
Passion is the physical/sexual attraction
Passion alone = INFACTUATION
What is commitment and what is the word that describes solely committed love?
Commitment is standing by a partner/remaining faithful even if there is no passion or intimacy.
Commitment alone = EMPTY LOVE
What is intimacy and what is the word that describes solely intimate love?
Intimacy is the sharing of details and intimate thoughts and emotions.
Intimacy alone = LIKING
What is consummate love?
intimacy + passion + commitment
What is romantic love?
intimacy + passion
What is fatuous love?
passion + commitment
What is companionate love?
intimacy + commitment
What is the Social Constructionist View of love?
The idea that the definition of love differs between cultures and time.
Part of the experience of love is its definition and when cultures have different definitions of love, they experience love differently (Beall & Sternberg , 1995, p.419).
How did Fisher, Aron, & Brown (2006) explore whether love is an addiction?
- They found participants who were madly in love
- Brain activity in brain scanner was measured while looking at a picture of their loved one
- Results: Dopamine system was activated = associated with anticipation of reward and focused attention; involved in pleasure and addiction. Rush of dopamine etc.
- Love as a strong, addictive craving to be with the other person
How do relationships (romantic or friendship) start? (3 key features)
Proximity: do they live near us?
Familiarity: do we feel that we know them?
Similarity: Are they people like us?
