relationship evaluations

Question 1

discuss sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour

Answer 1

• research support for preferences related to anisogamy. buss- questions given. males: reproductive capacity valued. females: resource related characteristics. supports prediction
• research support for inter sexual selection. clark and hatfield: same question. no females agreed, 75% males agreed. supports females are choosier
• ignores social and cultural preferences. bereczkei: social change is a consequence for women’s preferences, no longer resource orientated and becoming funny

Question 2

discuss self disclosure theory

Answer 2

• several predictions about self disclosure from social penetration theory supported. spreacher and hendrick: strong correlation of hetero couples. both who used self disclosure are more satisfied. increases validity
• self disclosure helps improvement of communication. hass and stafford: 57% homosexual men and women- open and honest self disclosure maintained deep relationships. psychological insights valuable
• not true for all cultures. nu tang: concluded that women nomen in usa self disclose significantly more sexual thoughts than those in china. still similar levels of satisfaction. limited explanation as it is not generalisable

Question 3

discuss physical attractiveness for factors affecting attraction

Answer 3

• physical attractiveness associated with halo effect. palmer and peterson: physical attractive people more compotent and politically knowledgable. implication for political process and suggests danger for democracy
• matching hypothesis not supported by real wold research. taylor: studied activity of popular online dating sites. real world test of matching hypothesis. online daters sought meetings with partners of higher physical attractiveness. undermines validity of matching hypothesis
• role of physical attractiveness is research support for evolutionary processes. cunningham et al: women with large eyes and high eyebrows rated highly attractive by men. consistent across many cultures. can be generalised across different cultures

Question 4

discuss the filter theory in terms of factors affecting attraction

Answer 4

• support from kerchoff and davis’s original study. longitudinal study assessing two factors: similarity of attitudes and complementarity of needs. similarity of values: < 18 months. complementarity of needs: > 18 months. increases validity towards filter theory
• complementarity may not be central to long term relationships. markey and markey: lesbian couples of equal dominance are most satisfied- mean time of more than 4 1/2 years. similarity of needs associated with long term satisfaction.
• actual similarities matters less in a relationship. montoya et al: actual similarity affected only in short term interactions. partners may perceive greater similarities as they become more attracted. perceived similarity not predicted by filter model

Question 5

discuss the social exchange theory in terms of theories for romantic relationships

Answer 5

• support of SET from research studies. kurdek: asked all types of couples to complete questionnaires. partners most committed: most rewards and fewer costs. findings match predictions and provides a clear population validity
• studies of SET ignore equity which can be overwhelming. much more research support for role of equity in relationships. SET is a limited explanation and minimises effectiveness of maintaining relationships
• SET deals in concepts that are vague and hard to quantify. costs are subjective and harder to define, vary a lot from one person to another. concept of CL is problematic. reduced validity of SET as difficult to test the theory

Question 6

discuss the equity theory in terms of theories for romantic relationships

Answer 6

• evidence from real world relationships confirming equity theory as a more valid explanation. utne et al: survey of 118 couples, measuring equity. studies for individuals for more than two years. couples considered equitable: most satisfied. provides empirical evidence to support equity theory.
• theory may not apply to all cultures. aumer-ryan et al: couples from individualistic culture more satisfied in equitable relationships. collectivist culture most satisfied when over benefitting. demonstrates a lack of population validity
• not all partners concerned about achieving equity. huseman: some people less concerned and prepared to contribute more to relationship. individuals less concern about equity. desire for equity varies, theory requires further research

Question 7

discuss the investment model in terms of the theories for romantic relationships

Answer 7

• support of meta analysis. le and agnew: all three factors predicted commitment in relationships. commitment greatest for those most stable and lasted longest. high population validity
• model is an explanation that involves intimate partner violence. rusbult and martz: studied domestically abused women. those with abusive partners made greatest investment and had fewest alternatives. indicates that commitment and investment are vital in maintaining relationships
• model views investment in simplistic way. good friend and agnew: more to investment than just the resources. made very few investment in early stages and for future plans. original model is limited as it fails to recognise the true complexity of investment

Question 8

discuss duck’s phase model in terms of the theories for romantic relationships

Answer 8

• suggests ways in which relationship breakdowns reverse. duck: people in intra psychic stage encouraged to worry on positive aspects. features of dyadic phase is communication. important as insights can be used in relationship counselling
• original model is an incomplete explanation of breakdowns. duck added a fifth stage: resurrection stage. partner apply experiences gained to future relationships. original model does not account or complexities for breakdowns and is incomplete
• under explains early phases of breakdown. research is retrospective and in studies, report experiences some time after ending relationship: recall may not be reliable. partners can be in intra psychic stage can b particularly distorted. need for further research to explain complexities for terminating a relationship

Question 9

discuss virtual relationships in social media

Answer 9

• online non verbal cues are different rather than absent walther and tidwell: people in online interactions use other cues. taking too much time interpreted as snub. acronyms and emojis can be used as effective substitutes. undermines validity of theory as it can be hard for reduced cues theory to be explained
• hyper personal model is challenged by findings of meta analysis. ruppel et al: found that self report studied showed that frequency is greater in face to face relationships. experimental studies- no significant differences. contradicts hypersonic model and need for more research.
• strength is that shy and socially anxious people find virtual relationships valuable. mckenna and bargh: more able to express their true selves in virtual relationships. suggests that shy people does benefit online. provides practical applications to other groups with gates