Relationships

Question 1

define sexual selection

Answer 1

an evolutionary explanation of partner preference. attributes or behaviours that increase reproductive success and are passed on and may become exaggerated over future generations of offspring

Question 2

inter-sexual selection

Answer 2

preferred female strategy, women need to be choosy and pick the most genetically fit partner bc ova are rarer than sperm

Question 3

intra-sexual selection

Answer 3

mate selection, preferred male strategy, refers to competition between males to be able to mate w females

Question 4

anisogamy

Answer 4

the difference between male and female sex cells

Question 5

characteristics males sought through intersexual selection

Answer 5

young, hourglass shape, large eyes, rosy cheeks

Question 6

mens reproductive behaviour

Answer 6

promiscuity, maximises opportunity for mating success

Question 7

characteristics females sought through intersexual selection

Answer 7

faithful,committed,strong,able to gain resources with ease

Question 8

female reproductive behaviour

Answer 8

be choosy- select the best available mate as your baby needs the best genes

Question 9

self-disclosure

Answer 9

revealing personal information about yourself. romantic partners reveal more about their true selves as the relationship develops

Question 10

altman and taylor’s self-disclosure theory

Answer 10

believed it has 2 elements, breadth & depth , and as both of these increase, romantic partners become more committed to eachother.
we start by disclosing a high amount of info, but it’s low risk & superficial.
breadth of disclosure is narrow

Question 11

reish and shaver

Answer 11

for a relationship to develop, and increase in depth/breadth there needs to be a reciprocal element to disclosure

Question 12

factors affecting attraction

Answer 12

self disclosure, physical attractiveness, the filter model

Question 13

how does physical attractiveness affect attraction

Answer 13

neotenous features- wide set and large eyes, small nose etc. trigger a protective or caring instinct, a valuable resource for females wanting to reproduce

Question 14

Shackleford & Larsen

Answer 14

found that people with facial symmetry are rated as more attractive - may be an honest signal of genetics

Question 15

the halo effect

Answer 15

physical attractiveness stereotype suggests people who are attractive are consistently rated as kind, sociable & successful compared to unattractive people
-has a disproportionate influence on our judgements of a person’s other attributes e.g personality

Question 16

the matching hypothesis

Answer 16

-choose partners who’re roughly similarly attractive
-do this by making a rough judgement on our own ‘value’ to potential partners
-requires a balance of what we ideally like in a partner & what we’re prepared to settle for to avoid being rejected

Question 17

the filter theory- kercher and davis

Answer 17

argues a relationship develops in 3 stages. at each stage, people are filtered down until the individual is left with the most desirable partners (field of desirables)
-social/demographic
-similarity of attitudes
-complementarity of needs

Question 18

social demographic filter

Answer 18

live near to each other, same school/workplace, similar background/age

Question 19

similarity filter

Answer 19

similarity becomes important, sharing the same attitudes, interests & beliefs are easier to get along with
far
if there’s less in common, far less likely to want to continue to build a relationship w them

Question 20

complimentary of needs

Answer 20

helps us to distinguish the needs between someone who’ll meet our needs in the long term, and someone who won’t

Question 21

social exchange theory- thibaut & kelley

Answer 21

if the rewards in relationship outweigh the costs, the relationship is in ‘profit’

Question 22

comparison for alternatives

Answer 22

comparing current relationship with the other potential relationships on offer

Question 23

comparison level

Answer 23

comparing the current relationship with one’s views of what a relationship should be like

Question 24

minimax principle

Answer 24

SET- those in a relationship try to minimise loses and maximise rewards

Question 25

stages of relationship development

Answer 25

sampling, bargaining, commitment, institutionalisation,

Question 26

sampling stage

Answer 26

explore the rewards and costs of social exchange by experimenting with them in our own relationships/observing others do so

Question 27

bargaining stage

Answer 27

marks the beginning of the relationship, when partners start exchanging various rewards/costs, negotiating/identifying what is profitable

Question 28

commitment stage

Answer 28

sources of rewards/costs become more predictable and the relationship is more stable as rewards increase and costs lessen

Question 29

institutionalisation

Answer 29

partner’s now settled down because the norms of the relationship are firmly established

Question 30

equity theory-

Answer 30

maximising rewards, minimising costs but also the relationship being equitablee

Question 31

equity

Answer 31

the idea of fairness for each partner; emphasises the need for each partner to experience a balance between their cost/effort and their benefit/reward

Question 32

consequences of inequity

Answer 32

distress and dissatisfaction, perception of equity changes, greater inequity, greater dissatisfaction

Question 33

dealing with inequity

Answer 33

behaviour or cognitive shift

Question 34

behavioural shift

Answer 34

the more unfair a relationship is the harder they will work to restore equity, but the must believe change is possible

Question 35

cognitive shift

Answer 35

some partners change their perception on rewards and costs so that their relationship feels more equitable, even if nothing changes.
e.g what was once seen as a cost is normalised

Question 36

rusbults investment theory model components

Answer 36

satisfaction level
comparison w alternatives
investment size
=commitment level
=relationship maintenance mechanisms

Question 37

intrinsic investment

Answer 37

any resources put into a relationship. tangible: money, possessions. intangible: energy, emotion

Question 38

extrinsic investment

Answer 38

resources that previously did not feature in the relationship but are now closely associated with it.
tangible: possessions bought together.Intangible: shared memories

Question 39

relationship maintenance mechanisms

Answer 39

Forgiveness
Willingness to sacrifice
Accomodation
Ridiculing alternatives
Positive illusions

Question 40

duck’s phase model of relationship breakup stages

Answer 40

intra-psychic, dyadic, social, grave-dressing

Question 41

intra-psychic stage

Answer 41

cognitive process, privately mulling ideas over, weighs up pros/cons against alternatives (e.g being alone)

Question 42

dyadic stage

Answer 42

confrontations where dissatisfaction is aired. anxiety, hostility complaints over lack of equity
2 outcomes= renewed desire to repair/next phase

Question 43

social stage

Answer 43

gossip traded/ecouraged, focus now wider now breakup is public, usually point of no return, friends blame one partner/fasten breakup/help repair

Question 44

grave-dressing stage

Answer 44

focus on aftermath, creating a story to protect reputation, disatisfied partner concludes it’s time to get a new life

Question 45

social stage threshold

Answer 45

'’i cant stand this anymore’’, indicating a determination that something needs to change

Question 46

dyadic stage threshold

Answer 46

come to the conclusion ‘i would be justified in withdrawing’

Question 47

social phase threshold

Answer 47

disatisfied partner concludes ‘i mean it’