Interpersonal Relationships: Bio Theories of Attraction

Question 1

What is oxytocin?

Answer 1

• released during touching and sex
• oxytocin may intensify feelings of attachment, making couples feel closer and more bonded (Ditzen et al)
• also released during childbirth - may secure mother to child bond
• suppresses the activity of the amygdala, lowering feelings of anxiety and aggression

Question 2

What theory do evolutionary psychologists use to explain the biological approach to attraction?

Answer 2

• natural selection - choosing a partner based on their ideal genetics to pass down the most superior genetics to the offspring
• an aspect of natural selection would be ensuring that the immune system of any offspring is as effective as possible (diverse MHC of parents)

Question 3

What is MHC and what does it influence?

Answer 3

• the MHC (major histocompatibility complex) influences human smell and could be an example of a human pheromone (supports the theory of natural selection)
• the more diverse the MHC of the parents, the stronger the offspring’s immune system (Wedekind)

Question 4

What are the limitations of evolutionary explanations of attraction?

Answer 4

• assumes that behaviors are inherited and universal in humans
• hypotheses are difficult to test - low ecological validity in studies
• much research is done through animal models - difficult to generalize animal studies to humans
• correlational in nature: no cause-and-effect relationship

Question 5

Ditzen et al - Aim

Answer 5

To investigate the effects of oxytocin on couple interaction and cortisol levels

Question 6

Ditzen et al - Procedure

Answer 6

• Sample: Heterosexual couples who were married or had been cohabiting for at least 1 year
• Couples were randomly assigned to 2 different conditions:
  1. Self-administered 5 puffs of oxytocin
  2. Placebo to each nostril
• A double-blind technique was used
• Couples then had to discuss an issue that they usually disagree on
• The discussion was videotaped
• Cortisol levels were measured from saliva samples
• The videotapes were coded for positive and negative verbal and non-verbal behavior

Question 7

Ditzen et al - Findings and Conclusion

Answer 7

Findings:
- Participants who received oxytocin condition showed improved communication behavior than participants in the placebo condition
- Sex difference found was not significant
- After the discussion, cortisol levels decreased more in the oxytocin group

Conclusion:
- Hormone oxytocin may have a beneficial effect on couple interaction and close relationships in humans
- Positive communication in a couple is a necessary factor in a strong relationship
- The results are in line with animal studies indicating that oxytocin facilitates approach and pair-bonding behavior
- However, Ditzen makes it clear that it is most likely not the oxytocin level alone that determines the strength of a relationship

Question 8

Ditzen et al - Evaluation

Answer 8

Strengths:
- Cause and effect relationship is established
- The study was ethical
- Both men and women were evaluated so the study is not gender biased

Limitations:
- Only heterosexual couples participated, reducing the study’s reliability
- Depending on the severity of the issue that each couple discussed, as well as their usual tendency to fight/bicker, the nature in which they discussed the topic may have been influenced by external factors
- Total control = impossible
- Low ecological validity - took place in a lab setting
- Level of oxytocin was artifically manipulated

Question 9

Wedekind - Evaluation

Answer 9

Strengths:
- The study has been successfully replicated and supported by animal studies
- double-blind experiment - minimize demand characteristics
- the study met ethical standards

Limitations:
- some argue that the theory is too reductionist – it over-simplifies the behavior of human mate selection by bringing it down to the MHC – ignoring cognitive and socio-cultural factors
- sample may not be considered representative as the participants were similar in age and culture