Relationships

Question 1

define self-disclosure

Answer 1

describes the action of revealing personal information about oneself

Question 2

describe the difference between inter-sexual selection and intra-sexual selection

Answer 2

inter-sexual selection describes the strategies which members of one sex may use to select another sex
intra- same sexes

Question 3

list all the stages of Duck’s phase model and explain them

Answer 3

• intar-psychic phase= weigh up pros and cons of relationship
• dyadic phase= confrontation either ending with break up or desire to repair it
  -social phase= break up made public and momentum of it increases due to social forces
• grave- dressing phase= aftermath of break up and creating a story they can live with
• resurrection phase= using experience of ex experience to build future relationships

Question 4

describe a limitation of research into Duck’s phase mode

Answer 4

• the research can be ethically sensitive. people may not want to be reminded of the stressful, emotional times of their previous break ups.
• recall issues
• cultural bias- individualist cultures are more likely to volunteer than collectivist cultures
• more of a description rather than explanation of why break ups occur

Question 5

define a parasocial relationship

Answer 5

a one sided relationship between a person and a prominent, well known individual, usually a celebrity who is unaware of the other’s existence

Question 6

outline the absorption- addiction model of parasocial relationships

Answer 6

this model explain the formation of parasocial relationships. absorption refers to the act of seeking fulfilment through celebrity, which motivates an individual to focus their time and energy on the celebrity. addiction results from the sense of fulfilment the fan get from the relationship, which encourages them to deepen their relationship with the celebrity in order to increase this feeling. this often leads to extreme behaviour such as stalking.

Question 7

list the different levels of parasocial relationships

Answer 7

entertainment social
intense personal
borderline pathological

Question 8

which childhood attachment type is most likely to form a parasocial relationship

Answer 8

insecure resistant as they are concerned that others will not reciprocate their desire for intimacy, therefore they instead seek out distant individuals who will not reject them

Question 9

how does absence of gating affect virtual relationships

Answer 9

a gate refers to any obstacle which prevents a relationship from forming or progressing in face to face relationships. McKenna and Bargh propose that the absence of these barriers in virtual relationships allows there to be more focus on self disclosure rather than distracting superficial features. this also allows shy or unattractive people to have a chance at developing relationships

Question 10

identify the features of Rusbult’s investment model

Answer 10

satisfaction level
comparison with alternatives
investment size

Question 11

what application does Rusbult’s investment model have to society

Answer 11

can explain why partners choose to stay in abusive relationships. Rusbult and Martz asked refugees why they stayed with abusive partners. they said they feel great commitment to these relationships as their investment was great and the economic alternatives were poor. therefore it have good explanatory power for abusive relationships

Question 12

identify the stages that social exchange theory proposes relationships develop through

Answer 12

sampling stage
bargaining stage
commitment stage
institutionalisation

Question 13

what are the different factors that influence a person’s attraction to their partner

Answer 13

self disclosure
physical attractiveness
social demographics

Question 14

describe commitment

Answer 14

this refers to a romantic partner’s intention to stay in a relationship because they feel it has a long term future. the factor’s that influence it are satisfaction level, comparison with alternatives and their size of investment in the relationship

Question 15

what are the different levels of the filter theory

Answer 15

social demography
similarity in attitudes
complementarity

Question 16

give one limitation of the social exchange theory

Answer 16

the theory ignores that some partners desire equity. Hatfield et al found that couples in more equitable relationships were more satisfied than ones where a partner felt either under or over bearing. this suggests that the equity theory may be more valid in explaining relationships

Question 17

what the various way of dealing with inequity in a relationship

Answer 17

dealing with inequity is known as realignment. there are two ways of doing this: behavioural and cognitive

Question 18

describe the matching hypothesis

Answer 18

proposed by Walster et al. it states that we form relationships with individuals of similar social value. this includes physical attractiveness. They choose partner who is of similar level of attractiveness in order to avoid rejection

Question 19

explain the difference between depth and breadth in terms of self disclosure

Answer 19

breadth describes the range of topics that can be discussed. as trust deepens, breadth and depth both deepen

Question 20

describe the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic resources

Answer 20

intrinsic resources refer to the resources you put directly into a relationship whereas extrinsic resources are the resources which evolve as the relationship develops

Question 21

reduced cues theory

Answer 21

virtual relationships are less effective than face to face because they lack many cues that we normally depend on

Question 22

hyperpersonal mode

Answer 22

argues that online relationships are more personal and involve greater self disclosure than face to face

Question 23

attachment theory

Answer 23

there is a tendency to form parasocial relationships in adolescence and adulthood because of attachment difficulties in early childhood

Question 24

self disclosure

Answer 24

Self disclosure is an important part of initial attraction however there is caution at the beginning but it can help the relationship run smoothly

Question 25

social penetration theory

Answer 25

main part of social penetration theory of how a relationship develops since it is the gradual process of revealing oneself to the other person

Question 26

evolutionary explanation

Answer 26

people with symmetrical faces are rated as more attractive because it is seemed as sign of genetic fitness

Question 27

the halo effect

Answer 27

attractiveness can also be important because we have preconceived ideas about the personality traits attractive people must have they are almost universally positive

Question 28

Filter theory

Answer 28

1st level of filter- proximity
2nd level of filter- similarity in attitudes
3rd level of filter- complementarity

Question 29

anisogamy

Answer 29

refers to the difference between male and female sex cells