CH 1: Intro

Question 1

subjective well-being

Answer 1

how happy we are with life in general

Question 2

what is the significance of relationship quality?

Answer 2

how good or bad people judge their relationship to be can impact subjective wellbeing

Question 3

relationship transitions

Answer 3

people tend to take a financial hit when a relationship ends; children who are exposed to more transitions tend to show more behavior problems

Question 4

selection effects

Answer 4

happiness is said to “select” people into certain types of relationships; initial happiness makes for better relationships and not the other way around

–> not entirely true, because of protection effects

Question 5

protection effects

Answer 5

something about being in a committed relationship provides some measure of protection that is not otherwise available to single or cohabitating individuals

Question 6

social control theory

Answer 6

relationships limit on how individuals behave, therefore weaker relationships increase deviant behavior

–> related to “protection effects”

Question 7

pair bonds

Answer 7

two individuals who have some degree of emotional and practical investment in each other

–> found in all human societies; supports the universality of intimate relationships

Question 8

natural selection

Answer 8

random changes in genes will enhance fitness

Question 9

fitness

Answer 9

the chances that the offspring will survive and reproduce

Question 10

interdependence

Answer 10

the mutual influence that two people have over each other

• -> defining feature of intimate relationships
• -> bidirectional, must extend over time, with later exchanges gaining meaning from earlier ones
• -> not sufficient alone

Question 11

impersonal relationships

Answer 11

formal and task-oriented relationships

Question 12

personal relationships

Answer 12

informal and engage us at a deeper emotional level

Question 13

closeness

Answer 13

strong, frequent, and diverse interdependence that lasts over a considerable period of time

Question 14

intimate relationship

Answer 14

strong, sustained, mutual influence over a broad range of interactions, with the possibility of sexual involvement

Question 15

passion

Answer 15

magical “love at first sight” aspect of love
–> longing, tinged with obsession and an intense preoccupation with the partner, often arousing a strong desire for sexual fulfillment

Question 16

intimacy

Answer 16

the “sharing and caring” element of love
–> warm and comfortable feelings of attachment, trust, and authentic friendship, as well as a sense of mutual caring/respect

Question 17

commitment

Answer 17

the “through thick and thin” element of love
–> demonstrated by the decision to be in a relationship and a willingness to remain in it, involves dedication to maintaining the partnership

Question 18

romantic love

Answer 18

high passion, high intimacy, low commitment

example: summer flings

Question 19

fatuous love

Answer 19

high passion, high commitment, low intimacy

example: vegas weddings

Question 20

companionate love

Answer 20

high intimacy, high commitment, low passion

example: older couples with low sex drive

Question 21

consummate love

Answer 21

high in all components (intimacy, commitment, and passion)

–> although this is the ideal, it is very difficult to reach and sustain

Question 22

what are the three components of love in intimate relationships?

Answer 22

passion, intimacy, and commitment

Question 23

how do intensities of intimacy, passion, and commitment shift over time?

Answer 23

intimacy: grows rapidly, then levels off after a few years
commitment: comes slightly later in the relationship, but then grows at constant rate
passion: grows most rapidly at beginning, levels off a few months in, then steadily declines after a few years