Love And Relationship Satisfaction 2.4

Question 1

Phases of a relationship

Answer 1

Inclusion - invitation to relate

Response - agreeing to relate

Care - concern for others welfare

Trust - support and care for each other

Affection - warmth and attachment

Playfulness - delight in each other

Genitality - decision to engage in sex

Question 2

Zenith

Answer 2

People in love have much lower activity in frontal cortex - area responsible for judgement and reasoning

Question 3

Chemicals

Answer 3

Cortisol levels - increase during emotional attachment

Oxytocin - deepens feelings of attachment

Vasopressin - linked to trust, empathy and sexual monogamy

Question 4

Love taxonomies

Answer 4

Sternberg
Realises love is hard to define, so created taxonomies of love

Triangular theory:
- passion - infatuation
- intimacy - liking
- commitment - empty love

Question 5

Fluid nature of love

Answer 5

Love styles are not stable traits, they are context dependant ideologies

Influenced by:
Cultural changes + societal changes -> influence our ideas and expectations of love and relationship

Question 6

Relationship satisfaction

Answer 6

1. Internal dispositions
   - forming an attachment
   - attachment style
2. Interpersonal processes
   - cost-benefit exchange models
   - eg social exchange theory, equity theory
3. Positive process
   - importance of intimacy
   - More important than equity?

Question 7

Love attachment styles

Answer 7

Secure
Easy to relate
Feels secure
Comfortable with depending
Relationship: Happiness, trust

Anxious
Desires closeness, but doesn’t believe other does
Fears abandonment
Overly dependant
Relationship: rollercoaster

Avoidant
Uncomfortable being with others
Believe love is transitional
Worries about becoming dependant or depended on
Relationship: emotional highs and lows, fears intimacy

Question 8

Interpersonal processes

Answer 8

Social exchange theory

Sampling - people look at costs vs benefits of a relationship and compare it with other relationships

Bargaining - partners give and receive rewards, tests if a deeper relationship is worthwhile

Commitment - predictability increases, they know each other better.

Equity theory
Outcomes = input of a relationship
Inequitable relationships lead to discomfort
Inequity loop:
Inequity <—> distress

Ao3 - positive process, role of intimacy
- exchange models cannot explain compassionate love.

Question 9

Role of intimacy and relationship satisfaction

Answer 9

Self disclosure
- more disclosure of intimate aspects of oneself leads to more trust, companionate love and relationship satisfaction
- Sanderson & cantor 2001

Overlapping selves
- the more your self-concept overlaps with your parters, the higher the RS, commitment and investment
- Smith, Coats & walling 1999

Adopting approach relationship goals
- focused on the pursuit of positive experiences.

Perception that we are being understood
- increases closeness, trust, RS

Question 10

Conflict in relationships

Answer 10

Canary et al 2005
Believes conflict and the way we manage it is the ultimate test of character in relationships.

Gottman
Argues it promotes intimacy and closeness

Fincham and beach 1999
Constructive conflict management determines if conflict will help the relationship grow.