relationships Flashcards
according to the evolutionary approach, what are partner preferences driven by
sexual selection
what do males and females choose their partners for
to maximise their chances of reproductive success
how do male gamete’s work
reproduce quickly with little energy expenditure
how do female gametes work
-less plentiful and require lots of energy to produce
what is the difference in m and f reproduction called
anisogamy
what type of partner selection do males use
intra sexual selection
what type of partner selection do females use
inter sexual selection
what is intra sexual selection
where members of one sex (usually male) compete with one another for access to the other sex
what is male-female dimorphism
the accentuation of secondary sexual characteristics in those with greater reproductive fitness
what is the male’s best evolutionary strategy
- have as many partners as possible
- compete with other males to present themselves as most attractive mate to fertile females
what is mate guarding
when males guard their female partner to prevent them from mating with anyone else
what is cuckoldry
when a man raises another man’s child
what is inter sexual selection
where members of one sex (usually female) choose from available prospective mates according to attractiveness
what does anisogamy suggest about women
their best strategy is to be selective when choosing partner
what do females tend to seek for in a male and why
- physical health, high status, resources
- so male can protect them and provide for children
what do women look for in modern society
occupation, social class, wealth
what are the strengths of evolutionary explanations of partner preferences
+BUSS conducted survey of over 10,000 adults in 33 countries. found that females reported valuing resource based characterises. men preferred young, and good looks
+study: students asked to approach opposite sex students and ask them to either: go on date, go to their apartment or go to bed with them. 50% both agreed to date, 75% men agreed to bed. 0% women agreed to bed
what are the limitations of evolutionary explanations of partner preferences
- determinist, we have little free will in partner choice.
- socially sensitive and promote sexist views. women are now more career driven and do not look for resources as much. availability of contraception means that evolutionary pressures are less relevant.
- doesn’t explain other type of relationships: homosexual, arranged marriage
what is self disclosure
revealing personal information such as thoughts, feelings and experiences to another person
what is the self disclosure a central concept of
social penetration theory
what is social penetration theory
by gradually revealing emotions and experiences to partner, couples gain greater understand of each other and display trust
as a relationship develops, how does self disclosure vary
- superficial at first (hobbies and interests)
- gradually reveal more (family values, experiences)
- self disclosing too quickly can reduce attraction
what is reciprocal self disclosure
when people give the same amount of self disclosure as received
what are the strengths of self disclosure
+research:self disclosure on first date didn’t increase attraction. person who disclosed was seen as maladjusted
+TAL-OR: analysis of reality shows like big brother. showed that viewers did not like contestants who self disclosed early on.
+KITO: found evidence to support it in other cultures. SD high for japanese and american hetero couples
what are the limitations of self disclosure
- SPRECHER:level of self disclosure received is best predictor of liking and loving, rather than amount of SD given
- unlikely that attraction is based on SD alone. might be important element, but other factors needed too (physical attraction, similarity of attitudes, complimentary of needs)
how is physical attractiveness important for males
equally very important in short term and long term relationships
how is physical attractiveness important for females
- equally as important as males for short term
- less important in long term
what is the halo effect
when the general impression of a person is incorrectly formed from one characteristic alone
how are physically attractive people seen as (according to halo effect)
sociable, optimistic, successful, trustworthy
how do people interact with attractive people and what does this create
- behave positively towards them
- creates self fulfilling prophecy
- attractive person behaves more positively bc of the positive attention they receive
what is the strength of the halo effect
+PALMER PETERSON:found attractive people were rated as more politically knowledgeable.
+halo effect was so powerful that it persisted even when pps found out that they had no expertise in politics
what is the limitation of the halo effect
- pps completed MACHO scale (measures sexist attitudes). found that pps who scored high on MACHO were more influenced by attractiveness.
- those who scored low did not value it.
- influence of physical attractiveness is moderated by other factors
what is the matching hypothesis
- that individuals seek partners that have the same social desirability as themselves
- in order to not be rejected, people approach the most attractive people they CAN
- usually similar level of attractiveness
what is the strength of the matching hypothesis
+FANGOLD meta analysis of 17 studies. strong positive correlation between partners rating of physical attractiveness
what are rhe limitations of the matching hypothesis
- students were randomly marched to partner. they were secretly judged by a panel in terms of physical attractiveness. students expressed higher appreciation of partner if they were attractive regardless of how attractive they themselves were
- rebalance of traits. ugly and pretty person but ugly person has other traits to make up for it. (COMPLEX MATCHING)
what is the filter theory
KERCHOFF DAVID proposed we use filtering to reduce the field of available partners down to a field of desirable partners.
what are the three levels of filtering
social demography, similarity in attitude, complementarity of needs
what is social demography
- from the outset we screen out people based on age, sex, education, social background
- we are more attracted to people with similar backgrounds
what are similarity of attitudes
- choosing people with similar attitudes to our own.
- in long term we choose people who complement our traits
what are the strengths of filter theory
+85% of americans who got married in 2008 married someone from own ethnic group
+perceived attitude similarity can predict attraction more than actual attitude similarity
what are the weaknesses of filter theory
- longitudinal study of cohabiting partners: become more similar in attitudes and emotional responses over time. (emotional convergence)
- online dating: reduction in social demographic variables. easier to meet someone who lives far away
what is social exchange theory
- relationships are like business. we monitor costs and rewards
- we want max rewards and minimum costs
- we aim to gain more rewards than our partner to earn profit
what is the comparison level
comparing current partner to previous partners
what is the comparison level for alternatives
- comparing partner to people who we could potentially have a relationship with
- we look for a better deal if we’re not satisfied
what are the strengths of social exchange theory
+people in unsuccessful marriages report lack of positive exchanges and excess of neg. ratio of pos to neg exchanges in good marriages is 5:1 but in bad is 1:1
+integrated couples therapy helps partners break neg patterns of behaviours to decrease neg exchanges. 66% couples reported significant improvements
+accounts for individual differences as everyone perceives rewards and costs differently
what are the limitations of m social exchange theory
- more applicable to individualistic cultures. family values and compatibility impo for collectivist. partner buying expensive stuff for individualistic
- people only monitor rewards and costs if relationship is dissatisfying. comparison levels are looked at if we are dissatisfied
- rooted in behaviourist approach and focus on operant conditioning. doesnr account for abusive relationships
