Relationships Flashcards

Question

what is comparison level?

Answer 1

Standard that our relationships are judged against. Our CL is a product of experience and general views of what we expect from this exchange could be based off of social norms, influenced by media. CL change with experience. If profit is less than cl, then we are dissatisfied with the relationship.

Answer 2

Weighing up potential increase in rewards from a different partner against costs associated with current relationship. New relationship can take place of current one if Profs level is higher.

Answer 3

Rewards are low, costs are high Profit is low, compared to comparison level Profit for alternatives is high.

Answer 4

+: supporting evidence for CLalt (sprecher) – longitudinal study of 101 dating couples at us uni. Strong negative correlation between presence of alternatives and satisfaction in relationship. High companion of alternatives = likely to breakdown relationship. X: criticism of social exchange theory – can’t infer cause + effect – people more likely to notice alternatives if they’re unhappy. Miller (1997) – people that rated themselves in a committed relationship spent less time looking at images of attractive people. X: invalid – theory suggests we must have way of measuring costs/ benefits E.g. We can’t compare benefit of seeing our child everyday with cost of arguing with our partner everyday X: reductionist - simplifies relationship to profit/losses. Ignores reproductive success/ equity

Answer 5

Developed in response to criticism of social exchange theory, which ignores equity fairness. Equity means fairness Both partners levels of profit should be similar, in order to have equity If one partner over-benefits (guilt) and the other under-benefits (humiliation) = lack of equity Satisfaction is about fairness

Answer 6

By changing the amount we put into and demand from the relationship Change our perceptions of inputs/ outputs to restore the appearance of equity The more unfair the relationship, the more we try to restore it The change could be cognitive (change what we perceive to be a cost and change it to a norm)

Answer 7

Surveyed 100 ‘ s of married couples of all ages Identified those who felt their marriages were inequitable, due to unfair division of domestic responsibilities During the child rearing years, wives often reported feeling under-benifited and husbands over-benifitted thus marital satisfaction dipped In contrast, during the honeymoon period and empty nest period (when child left home) husbands and wives more likely to perceive equity feel satisfaction

Answer 8

+: supporting research – Stafford and canary: 200+ married couples complete measures of equity and satisfaction. Satisfaction higher for those who perceived relationship as equitable. -: beta gender bias – females more concerned with equity than males. 1500 couples- if females sense being under-benefitted risk of divorce increases findings not same for men. -: theory not universal – some partners benevolent (willing to contribute more than they receive), some partners known as entitleds (they believe they deserve to be over- benefitted without feeling guilt)

Answer 9

Developed to explain why some people persist in relationships and others don’t. In response to limitations of SET. Rusbult et.al (2011)- commitment to a relationship depends on 3 factors:

Answer 10

-Concept of comparison level. -satisfying relationship = profitable (high reward/ low cost) -getting more out of a relationship than expected based off experience/ social norms. -comparing partner to alternatives- ‘could my needs be met better outside of this relationship’ (with another partner/ single)

Answer 11

2 types of investment- intrinsic/extrinsic: -intrinsic- resources we put directly into a relationship: tangible (money/possesions) or intangible (effort/ energy) -extrinsic- resources that didn’t initially feature, but we now associate with relationship. Tangible (car/house) or intangible (shared memories/ mutual friends)

Answer 12

-if partners experience high levels of satisfaction -the alternatives are less attractive -the size of investment is increasing Then we can predict partners will be committed in a relationship. Rusbult argued commitment is more important than satisfaction as commitment can explain why dissatisfied partners chose to remain in a relationship (made investments they don’t want to waste.)

Answer 13

+: supporting evidence from meta-analysis- 52 studies including 11,000 p’s from 5 countries to discover key variables in relationship satisfaction. Found satisfaction, CLalt and investment size predicted relationship commitment. Relationships were commitment was high, lasted longest and were most stable. Applied to males/females, heterosexual/ homosexual couples cross-culturally. X: difficult to measure- developed ‘investment model scale’ which is high in validity/realiability; however relies on self-report (social-desirability bias/ demand characteristics) +: recognises satisfaction isn’t only reason for maintaining relationship- study on abused women at shelter, found those most likely to return to relationship reported making greatest investment and had few attractive alternatives. X: oversimplifies idea of investment- fails to recognise complexity of investment, how planning for future affects commitment- reductionist.

Answer 14

Duck argued that the ending of a relationship is not a one off event, but a series of phases which take a long time to go through.

Answer 15

One of the partners becomes increasingly dissatisfied with the relationship; spend time dwelling on their unhappiness. Might talk to a friend; don’t yet discuss concerns with their partner, may show their dissatisfaction by socially withdrawing from their partner. threshold: I can’t stand it anymore

Answer 16

dissatisfied partner talk to their partner expressing dissatisfaction. may involve complaining about lack of equity, resentment over roles & a rethinking of the commitment to the relationship. Partners will then either begin to dissolve the relationship or attempt to repair it. Threshold: I’d be justified in withdrawing.

Answer 17

If attempts at negotiation are unsuccessful the intention to break up is made public. both partners will confide to friends & family. Some take sides whilst others try to help the couple get back together. Threshold: I mean it

Answer 18

begin organising their new lives and they will both publicise own accounts of breakdown. want to present an image of themselves that defends their reputation & gives them credit to go into another relationship. want to convince a new partner that they are a reasonable bet & also maintain own self esteem. Threshold: it’s now inevitable

Answer 19

+: real life applications, helps couples in counselling by identifying stage -: reductionist- not all realtionships break down in same phase -:culturally biased- american married couples, relationship breakdown different across cultures -lack internal validity- most of research is retrospective, recall may not be accurate

Answer 20

encompasses a wide variety of electronic communication methods through which relationships can be formed e.g., social media. -25% of relationships are now thought to start online.

Answer 21

Reduced amount of non-verbal cues (e.g., facial expressions, body language), leads to less SD -argues that CMC relationships are less successful than ftf relationships, due to lack of emotional cues (facial expressions) as were less aware of peoples emotional state. -also argues CMC can lead to deindividuation- we don’t see the other person as an individual, thus our communication is more likely to become blunt/aggressive. -we wouldn’t disclose our innermost feelings to someone that is ‘impersonal’.

Answer 22

X: non-verbal cues aren’t entirely missing- they are just different. Some people use other cues such as timing/style of messages (too much time before reply= snub, not enough time= no thought in reply) ignores importance of non-verbal cues. X: Tamir and Mitchell- SD may be high on social media- increased MRI activity in 2 brain regions associated with reward (strongly active when p’s talking about themselves and when sharing their thoughts) SD is rewarding, thus humans have tendency to share personal experiences online.

Answer 23

More factors they may find off-putting (looks) don’t exist in virtual world, thus more SD. -refocuses attention on SD and away from distracting features. In CMC, relationship SD is deeper and more frequent- the relationship forms quicker. Online people aren’t as interested in looks. -people use CMC to present images of themselves they can’t ftf (introvert appearing as extrovert)

Answer 24

+:supporting evidence- McKenna and bargh- shy people able to express true selves more than in ftf situations. Of romantic relationships formed online, 70% of them survived over 2 years (higher than in real world) +:Relationships formed online have + consequences on offline lives- individuals can create an online identity that is appreciated by others, enhancing overall self image and quality of ftf relationships.

Answer 25

X: doesn’t consider difference between males/females- evo. Theory states females more concerned with their looks to attract males, whereas males want to appear resourceful (beta- gender bias) X: CMC is single construct, thus can’t be valid- on social media, people tend to have relationship on outside world, thus more SD. On dating sites SD reduces as partners intend to meet each other in the future, this doesn’t exist in online games/chatrooms where people are less inhibited.

Answer 26

1: entertainment-social- celebrities are viewed as entertainment and fuel for social interaction 2: intense-personal- greater personal involvement in a parasocial relationship with celebrity (a fan may have frequent obsessive thoughts of a celebrity) 3: borderline pathological- uncontrollable fantasies and extreme behaviours- can become stalking.

Answer 27

people pursue parasocial relationships due to deficits in their own life (lack of fulfilment). allows them to escape from reality/ find fulfilment they can’t find in own relationships. Those with poor psychological adjustment may absorb themselves into celebrity’s life to gain sense of identity, triggered by personal crisis. Association between poor psychological health and strength of parasocial relationship. Absorption- focus attention on celebrity, and identify with them Addiction- sustain involvement by becoming more involved, leads to extreme behaviour like stalking

Answer 28

+: supporting evidence (Maltby et.al)- investigated link betweeen parasocial relationship and personality by giving p’s Eysenck personality questionare. Entertainment-social level linked to extra version. Intense-personal level linked to neuroticism (related to anxiety/ depression). Borderline pathological linked to psychotic personality type. High levels of parasocial relationship linked to poor psychological functioning.

Answer 29

Tendency to form parasocial relationships originates from early childhood relationships with caregiver. Those with insecure-resistant attatchment types as adults are more likely to become attached to celebrities than those with secure attachment types. 2 types of attachment associated with unhealthy emotional development: Insecure-resistant- more likely to form parasocial relationships as adults, as they have unfulfilled needs, that is not accompanied by threat of rejection, break-up that real life relationships bring. Insecure-avoidant- not likely to form parasocial relationships, prefer to avoid pain/rejection of relationships altogether.

Answer 30

+: Supporting evidence- Cole and Leets (1999). 115 students completed parasocial scale and two attachment style questionnaires. Found a person’s willingness to form parasocial bond with favourite TV personality was related to attachment beliefs. Insecure-resistant types were the most likely to form parasocial bonds. Avoidant types were the least likely to develop such relationships, and Secures were in the middle. X: other research evidence contradicts these findings- McCutcheon et al (2006) measured attachment type and celebrity related attitudes in 299 participants. found those with insecure-resistant attachment were no more likely than participants with secure attachment to form parasocial relationships. doubts on the validity of the explanation.

Answer 31

X: methodological limitation- correlational data; strong correlations found between celebrity worship and psychological functioning/attachment type. However, cause and effect cannot be inferred. It could be that rather than psychological functioning/attachment type causing parasocial relationships to form, having a parasocial relationship in the first place may affect your psychological functioning/attachment type. +: generalised cross-culturally- studies identified a tendency for somepeople to form a parasocial relationship with Harry Potter, an entirely fictional character. Schmid and Klimmt (2011) report that this tendency is not culturally specific. Using an online questionnaire, they found similar levels of parasocial attachment to Harry Potter in an individualist culture (Germany) and a collectivist culture (Mexico). Therefore, suggesting that the research has cross-cultural validity.

Relationships Flashcards

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