Social Affiliation Flashcards
How does Baumeister & Leary (1995) explain why we need reltionships?
Humans have a fundamental need to form + maintain the minimum quantity of lasting, pos. and significant interpersonal relationships.
Survive + thrive
How does the evolutionary perspective explain why we need relationships?
Early humans = small groups in harsh environments
To be adaptive to the environments = social + caring to increase survival, maturation + reproduction.
As a consequence = species evolved + characterised people by were social, caring + sought acceptance from others.
What is a limitation of the evolutionary perspective?
It is speculative. We cannot go back in time and test this perspective.
What are the four premises that support the theory of fundamental need?
- Relationships = easy to form + hard to break
- W/out connections = we suffer
- The need to belong = can be satiated
- The need to belong = universal
Describe the evidence supporting that relationships are easy to form and hard to break (underpinning the fundamental need perspective)
Bowlby (1969) found babies instantly formed attachments and found it difficult to end relationships.
Before, babies developed cognitive awareness/ can calculate the usefulness of the parents. Seems like an innate tendency.
Describe the evidence supporting that w/out close connections, we suffer (underpinning the fundamental need perspective)
DeWall & Bushmann (2011) = rejection hurts (pain, reduced well-being + intellectual function, reduced overall functioning).
Holt-Lunstad et al. (2010) + Coyne et al. (2001) = lack of social network is a strong predictor of illness + mortality. Important that the connection is truly satisfying.
What happened in Holt-Lunstad et al.’s study (2010)?
Meta-analysis
Aspects of social relationships = social integration + support + connection were stronger at predicting mortality compared to other well-established factors, e.g. smoking + obesity.
People’s reports = subjective. How they felt was more important than if they were married/ single.
What happened in Coyne et al. (2001)?
Followed Ps diagnosed with heart failure for 48 moths.
Assessed if they were in relationships = was is happy/ unhappy?
People who were happy = were reported to survive the heart failure diagnosis.
Describe the evidence supporting that the need to belong is satiated (underpinning the fundamental need perspective)
Western countries, Wheeler & Nezlek (1997) = limited no. of friends ~6
People spend less time w/ friends in a romantic relationship = use this to fulfil the need to belong instead.
Describe the evidence supporting that the need to belong is universal (underpinning the fundamental need perspective)
Baumeister & Leary (1995) + Hazan & Shaver (1994) = Reviewed evidence + found no culture-spec differences in how relationships everywhere are easy for + diff. to break. This supports Bowlby (1969)
Universality = belonging is a basic need worldwide
What are the effects of the quality of relationships?
Sun et al. (2020) = pleasant daily social interactions associated w/ ↑ life satisfaction
Diener & Seligman (2002) = top 10% happiest people (vs average + unhappy people) = ↑ social + have the strongest, most satisfying + fulfilling relationships
What are weak ties?
Interactions w/ people we don’t know or barely know. Untapped resource for wellbeing.
What does Sandstrom & Dunn’s work (2014) show about weak ties?
Ps told to engage w/ barista (vs efficient interaction) = felt happier bc felt ↑ sense of belonging
Strangers we meet = contribute to belonging + wellbeing
How does Gunaydin et al.’s replication study (2021) support Sandstrom & Dunn’s work 2014)?
Ps engage w/ bus driver (greet, expressing thanks) vs no instructions = felt happier.
Being kind to others benefit wellbeing as well.
Why does weak ties affect us?
Algoe (2012) = Positive interactions, means we recognise value of others, feel connected.
Others feel happy + respond pos. too
