Relationships Flashcards
Relationship
A continuing and often committed association between 2 or more people.
Natural selection - evolutionary explanations
The argument that genes which are advantageous for survival are naturally selected.
Sexual selection - evolutionary explanations
A form of natural selection which suggests that the characteristics that increase reproductive success are passed on and may become exaggerated through generations.
Anisogamy - evolutionary explanations
Refers to the sex differences between male and female sex cells (gametes).
What is the consequence of anisogamy?
No shortage of fertile males but there are of fertile females.
Rises 2 types.
Inter-sexual selection - evolutionary explanations
- Between sexes (female ‘choosiness’)
- Strategies used by one sex to attract the other sex
Intra-sexual selection - evolutionary explanations
- Within sexes (male competitiveness)
- Strategies between males to try and be the one that is selected
Inter-sexual selection - female strategy (x3) - evolutionary explanations
- Females are fertile for approximately 25 years and ovulate approximately 1 egg per month
- Females can always be sure of maternity, and so engage in monogamy (mate with only 1 male)
- Females are more selective with their mate selection
Inter-sexual selection - impact on partner preference (females) - evolutionary explanations
Females ‘look for’ males who display genetic fitness, which include strength, status and resources.
Intra-sexual selection - male strategy - evolutionary explanations
- Males produce around 110 million sperm per ejaculation and can fertilise many females, with very little cost to their reproductive potential
- Our ancestors could not be sure of paternity, and so had to have as much sex with fertile females as possible to maximise the number of potential pregnancies
Intra-sexual selection - impact on partner preference (males) - evolutionary explanations
Males ‘look for’ females who display signs of fertility, including: good health, youth and childbearing hips, as these females will enhance their chance of reproductive success.
Trivers (1972) - inter-sexual selection (x3) - evolutionary explanations
- Females make greater commitments before, during and after the birth of her offspring and so will be more selective than males.
- It is female preference that will determine which features are passed onto the offspring.
- Once a trait is passed down through several generations it gradually becomes exaggerated (a runaway process).
Fisher (1930) - sexy sons hypothesis (x3) - evolutionary explanations
- The genes we see today are those with enhanced reproductive success.
- A female who mates with a male with a certain ‘sexy’ trait will have sons with this trait.
- This son will then get selected by other females and the trait will get passed on and the ‘sexy’ trait is perpetuated.
Intra-sexual selection - evolutionists (x3) - evolutionary explanations
- Evolutionists would argue that males prefer quantity over quality and therefore intra-sexual selection is particularly important for them.
- ‘Winning’ males get their genes (and therefore characteristics) passed onto their offspring and this trait is likely to be perpetuated.
- Intra-sexual selection can also explain the physical differences in the body size and physical appearance between males and females (this is known as physical dimorphism) —> e,g men being larger to fight off competition and females looking more youthful.
Self-disclosure
Gradually revealing personal information that may not be shared with anyone else (e.g thoughts, feelings and experiences).
Types of self-disclosure (x2)
- Neutral = preferences, music, films etc
- Intense = disappointments, accomplishments and previous sexual relationships (intense is more influential on relationship satisfaction)
Norms for when to disclose
‘Optimal’
- Too personal = indiscriminate
- Too neutral = not facilitating
Social penetration theory (x6) - self-disclosure
- Altman and Taylor (1973)
- Revealing too much information straight away might be inappropriate
- In romantic relationships we give away our deepest thoughts and feelings in a reciprocal exchange
- By revealing information we are displaying trust
- For the relationship to go further, the other person must also reveal sensitive information, thereby penetrating more deeply into each other’s lives
- Onion analogy: breadth - self-disclosure is likely to cover a range of topics as you seek to explore the key facts about your new partner, depth - as the relationship develops, people tend to share more detailed and personal information
Self-disclosure - reciprocity
If one person shares more information than the other is willing to, there may be a breakdown of trust as one person establishes themselves as more invested than the other
Factors to consider in self-disclosure (x4)
- Appropriateness (being sensitive to social norms)
- Attributions (the reasons we believe someone is self-disclosing)
- Gender differences (more intimate self-disclosure by males may be seen as less appropriate than by females)
- Content of the disclosure (disclosure of highly intimate information may be seen as inappropriate)
Filter theory - field of availables and desirables
Kerckhoff and Davis (1962) argue that when choosing a partner, people start by looking at the options available to them (field of availables), and then apply 3 filters to narrow down to the field of desirables.
Filter theory - Kerckhoff and Davis (1962) study
They studied couples (mainly in short term relationships of fewer than 18 months), and discovered the criteria (filters) to sift through potential partners to the field of desirables.
First filter of filter theory
- Sociodemographic characteristics (e.g physical proximity, level of education, social class, religion etc).
- These factors will determine the likelihood of individuals meeting and socialising which will in turn influence the likelihood of relationships being formed.
Second filter of filter theory
- Similarity of attitudes
- People tend to view others as more attractive if they share the same core beliefs and values (e.g career and family).
- Byrne (1997) noted that similarity of attitudes is especially important in earlier stages of relationships, for couples who have been together fewer than 18 months.
- The presence or absence of similarities is discovered through self-disclosure; if partners have very little in common then relationships rarely develop beyond the first few dates.
Third filter of filter theory
- Complementarity
- Plays a much more important role in long term relationships (more than 18 months).
- It refers to each of the partners having some traits that the other partner lacks and helping each other to fulfil their needs.
Which model is Rusbult’s investment model a development of?
Social exchange theory - developed as a result of the limitations of SET.
Commitment - Rusbult’s investment model
A romantic partner’s intention or desire to continue a relationship, reflecting a belief that the relationship has a viable long-term future.
3 factors that affect commitment levels - Rusbult’s investment model
- Satisfaction level
- Quality of alternatives
- Investment size
Factors affecting commitment: satisfaction level - Rusbult’s investment model
A satisfying relationship is when the outcome (rewards - costs) of a relationship surpasses the comparison level.
Factors affecting commitment: quality of alternatives - Rusbult’s investment model
In the social exchange model, this is coined the comparison level for alternatives (CLalt) and is a judgement about whether partner (or no partner) would bring more rewards and fewer costs.
“Could my needs be better met elsewhere?”
Factors affecting commitment: investment size - Rusbult’s investment model
- Investment size is the additional factors added to SET.
- Investment size is concerned with the resources associated with a romantic relationship which the partners would lose if the relationship were to end.
- Rusbult felt that weighing up costs and benefits did not always explain why people stayed in a relationship.
- She proposed that investment was the most important factor.
- The model proposes 2 types of investment: intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic investments - Rusbult’s investment model
Intrinsic investment compromises of the elements individuals put directly into the relationship, such as effort, money, possessions and self-disclosure.
Extrinsic investments - Rusbult’s investment model
Extrinsic investment refers to the things that are brought into people’s lives through the relationship, such as children, friends and shared memories.
How can commitment be strengthened? (x2) - Rusbult’s investment model
- Satisfaction
- Investment
How can commitment be weakened? - Rusbult’s investment model
Presence of alternatives to the relationship.
Shackleford and Larson (1967) (x2) - physical attractiveness
- Found that people with symmetrical faces are more attractive as they have an honest set of genetic fitness (it’s hard to fake facial symmetry).
- Neotenous faces (a baby face) with widely separated large eyes, a small chin and small nose is deemed to be attractive as it triggers a caring instinct.
Rosenthal and Jacobson study (1968) (x3) - physical attractiveness
- Discovered that teachers generally develop expectations for their students based not merely on the school record but also on their physical appearance
- In the experiment, the teachers were provided with objective information such as the child’s academic potential along with a photo of an attractive or unattractive girl / boy.
- The results indicated that the teachers’ expectations concerning the child’s academic future were significantly associated with the child’s attractiveness.
Halo effect - physical attractiveness
- Thorndike (1920)
- The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias whereby our perception of someone is positively influenced by our opinions of that person’s other related traits.