Relationships A01 content only

Question 1

What are the 4 phases of Duck’s model of relationship breakdown in order

Answer 1

Intra psychic phase
Dyadic phase
Social phase
Grave dressing phase

Question 2

Describe the intra psychics phrase and include the threshold

Answer 2

Threshold- “I can’t stand this anymore” indicates something must change

The individual feels underbenefitted . During this phase they may not say anything about their dissatisfaction to their partner they may express it in other ways such as writing it in a diary

Question 3

Describe the Dyadic Phase and include the threshold

Answer 3

Threshold- “i would be justified in withdrawing”
The individuals in the relationship cannot avoid talking about their relationship any longer. they confront each other and dissatisfactions are aired. These are characterised by anxiety and hostility.

Question 4

Describe the social phase and include the threshold

Answer 4

Threshold “I mean it”. The focus’s is is now on the couples social network. This makes it harder for the two partners to deny that there is a problem with their relationship. The breakup is made public and individuals seek support from mutual friends and family .

Question 5

Describe the Grace Dressing Phase and include the threshold

Answer 5

Threshold- “it’s now inevitable” The focus is now on the aftermath. Having left a relationship partners attempt to justify their actions. Each partner attempts to justify their actions and present themselves as being trust worthy and loyal-key attributes if they are to attract a new partner.

Question 6

Describe the reduced cues Theory

Answer 6

Virtual relationships lack non verbal cues to our emotional state such as our facial expressions and tone of voice. this leads to deindividuation because it reduces people’s sense of individual identity. This means virtual relationships are less effective than face to face ones as they lack many cues we depend on when interacting

Question 7

Describe the Hyperpersonal Model

Answer 7

Walther argues virtual relationships can be more personal and involve greater self disclosure than face to face ones.
2 features of hyperpersonal self disclosure:
1. Sender of a message has greater control over what to disclose and the cues they send than in face to face ones. The sender manipulates their self image to make themselves look better
2. the receiver of the message gains a positive impressions of the sender they give feedback that reinforced the senders selective presentation

Question 8

describe the effects of absence of gating in virtual relationships.

Answer 8

A gate is an obstacle to forming a relationship. face to face interactions are gated as they involve many features that can interfere in the early development of a relationship e.g physical appearance

Question 9

give some reasons why people may develop parasocial relationships

Answer 9

lack of real relationships in their own life
shyness and loneliness create a void in someone’s life which can be filled by a PSR
avoids risk of criticism and rejection

Question 10

what are the 3 levels of parasocial relationships

Answer 10

Entertainment social
Intense Personal
Borderline- Pathological

Question 11

Describe the entertainment social level of parasocial relationships

Answer 11

The least intense level of celebrity worship. Fans are attracted to a favourite celebrity and will watch and keep up with them for the purpose of entertainment

Question 12

Describe the intense personal level of parasocial relationships

Answer 12

this level involves a deeper level of involvement and reflects intensive and compulsive feelings about the celebrity e.g obsessive fans might have frequent thoughts and feelings towards their favourite celebrity

Question 13

Describe the borderline pathological level of parasocial relationships

Answer 13

This is the strongest level of celebrity worship. individuals identify with the celebrities success and failures

Question 14

Describe absorption as apart of the absorption addiction model

Answer 14

Individuals become preoccupied with the celebrity and identify with them. Fans may believe they have a special relationships with that celebrity motivating them to learn more about them. the motivation forces driving the absorption may lead to more extreme behaviours to sustain the parasocial relationship

Question 15

Describe addiction as apart of the absorption addiction model

Answer 15

the individual needs to increase their “dose” to gain satisfaction. at his may lead to more extreme behaviours and delusional thinking e.g stalking the celebrity as they believe the celebrity wants to reciprocate feelings

Question 16

explain proximity seeking as apart of the attachment theory explanation of parasocial relationships

Answer 16

Individuals attempt to reduce the distance between themselves and their attachment figure. E.g people like to stay informed about their favourite celebrities will rearrange schedules to see them on tv

Question 17

explain secure base as apart of the attachment theory explanation of parasocial relationships

Answer 17

The presence of the attachment figure provides a sense of security for the individual. A “safe base” that allows them to explore the world. With a PSR there is little or no chance of rejection from the attachment figure

Question 18

Describe protest at disruption as apart of the attachment theory explanation of parasocial relationships

Answer 18

a clear maker of an attachment may be the presence of distress following separation or loss of the attachment figure

Question 19

describe the insecure resistant attachment type as apart of the attachment theory explanation of parasocial relationships

Answer 19

This is for individuals who hold a negative view of themselves. They have a need for close emotional relationships but ones with a reduced risk of rejection. They turn to tv characters as a means of satisfying their unmet relational needs

Question 20

describe the insecure avoidant attachment type as apart of the attachment theory explanation of parasocial relationships

Answer 20

These individuals are less likely to enter parasocial relationships as they find it difficult to develop intimate relationships and therefore are less likely to seek real relationships or parasocial ones

Question 21

Describe the secure attachment type as apart of the attachment theory explanation of parasocial relationships

Answer 21

individuals who report happy childhood would have positive relationships with friends. They would also be less interested in celebrators because they do not have unfulfilled need for attachment.

Question 22

Define reproductive behaviour

Answer 22

refers to any behaviours which relate to opportunities to produce and thereby increase the survival of our genes

Question 23

Define Sexual Selection

Answer 23

any evolutionary explanation of partner preference. Attributes or behaviours that increase reproductive success are passed onto next generation and may become exaggerated over succeeding generations of offspring

Question 24

define anisogamy

Answer 24

this refers to the difference between male and female and sex cells

Question 25

what is intersexual selection

Answer 25

selection between the sexes, it refers to the strategies that makes use to select females or that females use to select males

Question 26

what is the preferred strategy of a female regarding inter sexual selection

Answer 26

quality over quantity is the preferred strategy of the female. Women make a greater investment in time, commitment and other resources during pregnancy after giving birth to her offspring

Question 27

in inter sexual selection what do women seek

Answer 27

women seek indicators of socioeconomic status and are sensitive to cues from a male that he has the resources necessary for her survival and the survival of her offspring

Question 28

in regards to inter sexual selection what do males prioritise

Answer 28

men prioritise physical appearance and have evolved to be responsive to females who are young and attractive as this are cues that a woman is able to reproduce which makes her more likely to pass on his genes

Question 29

in regards to inter sexual selection what did singh find

Answer 29

Singh studied waist-hip ratio and found that what matters in male preference is not female body size as such, but the ratio of waist to hip sizes. Up to a point makes find any waist and hip ratio sizes attractive as long as the ratio is 0.7

Question 30

why do men find the waist-hip ratio size of 0.7 attractive

Answer 30

This combination of wider hips and narrower waist is attar give as it is a “honest signal” that the woman is fertile and not currently pregnant

Question 31

Describe Fisher’s “sexy son’s hypothesis”

Answer 31

The genes we see today are those that enhanced reproductive success. A female who mates with a male who has a certain characteristic then will have sons with this “sexy” trait. Then her sons are also more likely to be selected by successive generations of females who will mate with her offspring

Question 32

Define Intra sexual selection

Answer 32

Intra selection is within each sex- such as the strategies amongst males to be selected. It is the preferred strategy of the male quantity over quality.

Question 33

regarding intra sexual selection talk about competition within males

Answer 33

The winner of the competition gets to reproduce and the characteristics that contributed to his victory are passed on

Question 34

How does competition lead to dimorphism in intra sexual selection.

Answer 34

Males and females end up looking very different due to intra sexual selection. As males are the ones competing, larger males are at an advantage. Whereas females do not compete and therefore do not have to be larger ( human males are on average 15% larger than females)

Question 35

Define Parental investment

Answer 35

Any investment by a parent in an offspring that increases the chance that the offspring will survive at the expense of the parent ability to invest in any other offspring

Question 36

Why do males have low parental investment

Answer 36

Because they have low paternity confidence and they can produce a vast number of offspring in their lifetime

Question 37

why do females have high parental investment

Answer 37

Because they are 100% certain that the child is theirs, they carry the child for 9 months and most women can only have a maximum of 12 pregnancies in their lifetime