Relational Influences Flashcards
What types of relationships do we form?
Familial
Friendships
Romantic
Acquaintances
What is the factor that influences a person’s ability to form a relationship with others?
Proximity
What are the three factors of closeness?
Familiarity
Availability
Expectation of continued social interaction
What is familiarity?
It is getting to know people more after meeting them several times. You become comfortable with them, which leads to openness.
What is availability?
This is where people are easily accessed by living near each other, or through work, school, sports, and religious communities. It enhances the development of friendships.
What is Expectation of continued interaction?
If people live, work, play near each other, and there is interest between people, then there is an expectation that they will see each other often.
How is similarity important?
Require communication between people, in order to identify commonalities between people.
This openness leads to mutual attraction between people.
Similarities help connect people and it makes us comfortable and welcoming with others.
What is the Social Exchange Theory - Thibaut & Kelly (1959)
Considers how people exchange rewards based on the level of their relationships.
What is theory is the Social Exchange Theory link with?
It’s linked to the economic theory which is ‘If I am in a relationship. what will it cost me? And what can I get from it?’
Seeks to maximise rewards for least cost
What are the four stages of relationship development are suggested by Thibaut & Kelly (1959)?
Sampling
- checking cost/benefits and comparing them to others.
Bargaining
- Give and take of rewards to test true value.
Commitment
- When we focus on the other. Cost of relationships drops and enters a more predictable stage.
Institutionalisation
- Development of norms that recognise legitimacy of the relationship
What are peers?
They are a group of familiar people in a close friendly relationship who want to be engaged activities together.
What is family?
Very close relationship bonds that can usually weather any “disagreements and rebellion” shown by teenage.
Provides boundaries for teenagers to push against.
What are the three levels of peer groups?
Dyads - pairs of close friends or lovers
Cliques - small groups which interact frequently
Crowds - larger groups of adolescents with similar identities and/or affiliations.
What is the outline of Dunphy’s Observation experiment?
1960, Dexter Dunphy conducted a series of ‘Participant Observations’ by following participants within their own environments and contexts for 6 months.
What did Dunphy find?
Developed a 5 stage changing structure of changing structure of adolescent groups.
- Reflects the changing levels of maturity and development in individuals.