Relationships Flashcards
What is anisogamy?
the difference between male and female sex cells
- male = small, mobile, vast numbers
- female = large, static, intervals
What is a consequence of anisogamy?
no shortage of fertile males but a fertile woman is a ‘rare’ resource
What are the 2 different mating strategies?
Intrasexual selection (mate competition)
Intersexual selection (mate choice)
What is intrasexual selection?
when members of one sex compete with eachother for access to members of the opposite sex
- preferred strategy for males
What is intersexual selection?
The preference for certain traits in the opposite sex
- preferred strategy for females
What is the importance for ‘good genes’ in intrasexual selection?
- to produce successful offspring
- to offer protection and support to offspring
Research support for evolutionary explanations for partner preferences
BUSS
- asked participants (over 100 over 37 cultures) to rate the importance of a number of characteristics in a sexual partner
- MEN ^ = youth/fertility
- WOMEN ^ = stability
I&D Evolutionary explanations of PP
REDUCTIONISM
- argue that strategies for choosing a mate are the result of genetic inheritance and a striving for reproductive success
- fail to account for homosexual relationships
What is self-disclosure?
Deliberate, significant information, not normally known by others
Risks of self-disclosure
- social rejection
- blackmail
- poorly time disclosure can cause problems
What is the Social Penetration Theory?
Reciprocal exchange
- when one person reveals personal information as a sign of trust, the other person must also reveal sensitive
– as they share more, they ‘penetrate’ more deeply into each-other’s lives
Breadth and depth of self-disclosure
Breadth –> how many topics r off limits (reduces as disclosure deepens)
Depth –> the gradual levels of disclosure
How can a reciprocal element develop a relationship?
- creates a balance of self-disclosure
– increased feelings of intimacy
Research support for self-disclosure
SPRECHER AND HENDRICK
- found strong correlations between several measures of satisfaction in couples and levels of self-disclosure
BUT
not causal
I&D Self-disclosure
CULTURE BIAS
- Imposed etic from western cultures
– In USA (individualistic) more sexual thoughts are disclosed than in China (collectivist)
CONCLUSIONS MAY BE OF LIMITED USE
What is the Matching Hypothesis theory?
That people choose romantic partners who are roughly of similar attractiveness to themselves
- to do this they must make a judgment about their own ‘value’
– they may compromise to avoid rejection
What is filter theory?
suggests that people develop relationships by applying a series of filters to narrow down the pool of available candidates.
What is the 1st level of the filter theory?
SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHY
- factors that influence the chance of meeting eachother (e.g geographical location, social class, ethnic group)
What is the 2nd level of the filter theory?
SIMILARITY IN ATTITUDES
- partners will often share important beliefs an values (partly due to the 1st filter)
What is the 3rd level of the filter theory?
COMPLEMENTARITY OF NEEDS
- the ability of romantic partners to meet eachother’s needs
(compliment eachother when they have what the latter lacks)
Why is social demography important?
- accessibility is a key benefit as it means less effort
- our realistic field of potential partners is narrowed by social circumstances
Why is similarity of attitudes important?
- encourages deeper communication and promotes self-disclosure in newer couples (less than 18 months)
- relationship is likely to fizzle out if there is a lack of similarities
Why is complementarity of needs important?
- gives long-term partners the feeling that together they form a whole, which adds depth to the relationship and makes it more likely to flourish