SP: Relationships and Love Flashcards
Why can studying love, relationships and attraction be difficult?
it is not always possible to make use of an experimental design
What has been utilised for a lot of research and where does this fall short?
speed dating sessions, but there is a lack of cross-cultural research.
What is attraction based on?
alluring face, a pleasant interaction or the perception of similarity.
What is the effect of a symmetrical face and body?
more attractive and likeable.
Name three more factors which are rated more attractive and give a reason for this
A clear rosy skin, average weight and shiny hair seem to signal good health
Outside of looks what else can elicit attraction?
People that look like they have access to adequate resources are deemed more attractive.
Who may find heavier women more attractive?
Men living in a culture with scarce resources find heavier women more attractive.
Why are there strong individual differences in what we deem attractive?
because judgements of attractiveness are influenced by our experience and expectations.
What is the relationship between liking and perceived physical attractiveness?
Liking increases perceived physical attractiveness and perceived physical attractiveness increases liking.
What factors effect the strength of liking someone similar?
It is greater if the qualities we share are important to us and salient.
Give four reasons why similarity helps us move from attraction to liking?
Valuing me and mine, Strive for mastery, familiarity and strive for connectedness
Why does ‘me and mine’ seem more attractive? (3)
People tend to view their own characteristics as desirable. Similarity is a significant cue to in- group membership. We also like people who like us.
How does similarity contribute to mastery?
Similarity is a key predictor of cooperation, trust and helping increases the rewards of interaction and again increases liking. People tend to interact with similar others
Give two reasons why physical proximity may increase liking
Mere exposure and positive interactions
Give three reasons why interaction can lead to increased liking
Familiarity, mastery (rewarding interactions) and connectedness (relatedness and interaction as a reward of interaction.)
When can interaction lead to disliking?
When it does not satisfy needs or is hurtful
When does acquaintanceship progress towards friendship?
Acquaintanceship will progress toward friendship when liking, attractiveness, similarity and interaction become mutually reinforcing processes.
What kind of interactions does friendship develop through?
Friendship develops through interactions that fulfil mastery and connectedness needs. The rewards that each partner gets from interaction are key in determining the course of the relationship
What do you call relationships which people offer rewards in order to receive benefits in return?
Exchange relationships
What can cloud both partners feelings about the transition?
Uncertainty and anxiety
What are meant by self disclosures?
facts about one’s life and situation, as well as inner thoughts, feelings and emotions
What are the effect of self disclosures?
Self-disclosure makes people like you more. Those who disclose more than is appropriate for the closeness of the relationship make people uncomfortable.
What is the effect of gender on self disclosure?
Women more than men
When is this s.d difference larger?
same sex relationships
How should one react to these disclosures and what effect does it have?
Reacting to disclosures with sympathetic concern is a crucial means of building greater intimacy and closeness in relationships.
Define a close relationship
A close relationship is a relationship involving strong and frequent interdependence in many domains of life
What is the effect of interdependence?
Interdependence in a relationship means that each partner’s thoughts, emotions and behaviours influence the other’s.
What is Love
Baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me no more
No really, define love
Love refers to thoughts, feelings, and actions that occur when a person wishes to enter or maintain a close relationship with a specific person.
Name three forms of interdependence involved in close relationships
Cognitive, affective and behavioural interdependence
What is cognitive interdependence?
Cognitive interdependence refers to thinking about the self and the partner as parts of a whole.
What is the effect of cognitive interdependence?
Partner knowledge becomes self-knowledge.
What effect does relationship closeness have on response time to a particular stimulus?
The closer the relationship, the slower the responses that require differentiation of the two partners.
What bias becomes applicable to the other partner as the relationship becomes closer?
The self-serving bias