Relationships Flashcards
(81 cards)
How does human contact lead to human functioning?
Feral children suffer from social deficits
Isolation leads to ill-adjustment
What is a case study for human contact helping human functioning?
Victor, the wild boy of Aveyron
Who is Victor the wild boy of aveyron?
Feral child discovered in the late 18th century in France
Victor was non-verbal, appeared to have lived in isolation for much of his childhood, and displayed behaviours suggesting he had little to no human socialisation.
Victor made some progress—such as recognising basic words and forming emotional bonds—he never fully acquired speech or adapted to typical societal norms.
Who looked at attachment?
Harlow
What did Harlow do?
Harlow conducted a series of experiments in which infant rhesus monkeys were separated from their mothers and given surrogate mothers made of either:
Wire mesh that provided milk.
Soft cloth that provided no food but was warm and comforting.
What did Harlow find?
The monkeys consistently preferred the soft, cloth mother, seeking comfort from it even when the wire mother provided nourishment.
Contact comfort is essential for emotional development.
Lack of maternal care leads to severe social and emotional deficits
Early social deprivation has long-term consequences.
What are the implications from Harlow?
Shaped understanding of human attachment
Ethical applications
What are the statistics for the prevalence of loneliness?
11% of young people aged 16-24 felt lonely often or
always (ONS data from 20/21)
Adolescents and young adults report being loneliest
No direct R between contact time and feelings
of loneliness
Who looked at the fundamental human need to belong?
Baumeister & Leary, 1995
What did Baumeister & Leary, 1995, find?
An evolutionary basis for seeking relationships
Profound negative consequences if the need is not met
There are 3 needs to belong that are universal, guides social cog + satiable
Who looked at the types of social support?
Stroebe
What are the 4 social supports?
Emotional, evaluation, information + instrumental
Who looked at the reasons for affiliating?
Hill 1987
What are the reasons for affiliating?
Reduce uncertainty through comparing with others
Be positively stimulated
Obtain confirmation and recognition
Receive emotional support
What are the consequences to a lack of social support?
Mortality rates higher for single (divorced, unmarried,
and widowed) people
Psychological problems more common in divorced people
Suicide rates higher for divorced people
Who looked at lack of social support (the consequences)?
Cohen & Hoberman (1983)
What is the Cohen & Hoberman buffer effect of social support?
A graph: physical symptoms are higher for no support during high stress in comparison to having support
Who looked at seeking social support to deal with anxiety?
Schachter 1959
What did Schachter 1959 do?
Participants were told they would be administered
shocks
½ were told the shocks would be strong (high anxiety
condition), ½ were told the shocks would be weak (low
anxiety condition)
They were given the option of waiting alone or with
others
What did Schachter 1959 find?
More anxious people preferred to company of others
What are the factors that foster interpersonal attraction?
Proximity/ Exposure
Similarity
Reciprocal liking
Physical attractiveness
What are the effects of physical attractiveness?
Interpersonal liking
Judged to produce better work
Earn more
Lighter sentences in court
Judged to be happier
Attractive infants get more attention
When is the effect on liking more pronounced?
For women
Early on in relationship
What is the Halo effect?
Our overall impression of a person, brand, or thing influences how we perceive their specific traits or abilities. Essentially, if we see someone in a positive light, we’re more likely to assume they have other good qualities, even without evidence.