Human Relationships Vocab (Only Interpersonal Relationships)

Neurotransmitters and Hormones and how they impact human relationships/attraction

• Dopamine: Feel-good neurotransmitter released when thinking about lover

• Noradrenaline: Neurotransmitter that controls emotion/stress and stimulates adrenaline

• Serotonin: Neurohormone that increases when in love, which causes obsession and mood extremes in relationships

• Testosterone: Hormone that increases sex drive and aggression, increasing desire to pursue partner

• Vasopressin: Hormone that plays a role in long-term commitment

• Oxytocin: increases trust between mother and child and in others

Attachment Behaviors

The innate attachment system that consists of specific behaviors and physiological responses (ex. between mother and child). Attachment is fundamental for keeping individuals together once romantic love has vanished.

Similarity Attraction Model

We find those who we see as more similar to ourselves more attractive, the exception is that usually one person is more submissive and the other more dominating

This may be because it validates our own opinions and boosts self-esteem.

Internal Working Model

Motivation to form attachment is biological, but the process of forming attachment is formed by experience and our early schema of relationships

This schema is made of: ideas about attachment figures and what can be expected from them, ideas about the self, and ideas about how the self relates to others.

Halo Effect

The tendency for an impression in one area to influence our opinion of another area (ex. attractiveness on likability)

Evaluate cognitive theories of attraction

• Account for dispositional factors

• Higher ecological validity

• Constructs are difficult to operationalize/measure (ex. schema)

• Relationships are often influenced by factors we can’t control or constantly observe

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon where we tend to develop a preference for things because we are more familiar with them

What are the effects of culture on attraction?

• “Passionate” love is largely a western phenomenon

• Individualistic countries are more likely to rate love as essential for marriage and agree that marriages should end if there is a lack

• Preferences in partners seem to be universal because of evolutionary selection pressure on men

Distress-maintaining patterns of behavior

When partners blame each other for issues in the relationships and do not give each other credit for positive events in the relationships

Social Penetration Theory

Close relationships form by way of gradual self-disclosure. Self-disclosure leads to self-validation, which is part of the cost-benefit analysis of being in a relationship. Those who disclose more personal info tend to be more liked and people tend to disclose more info to those who they like.

What are the Different Levels of Disclosure?

1. Orientation stage: small talk, sharing simple info

2. Exploratory stage: revealing more about ones feelings and opinions

3. Affective stage: sharing private and personal information

4. Stable stage: having strong trust in one’s partner, being able to predict their emotions

Evaluation of the role of communication in relationships

• Extraneous variables: hard to separate communication with other factors that impact relationships, difficult to determine cause-and-effect

• Most research is western

• Reductionist: doesn’t discuss how men and women have different patterns of disclosure

Social Exchange Theory

Relationships are maintained through a cost-benefit analysis. The costs must not outweigh the benefits, and the more one invests, the more returns one expects from the relationship. A lack of balance is tolerated short term but must be restored for long-term stability.

Equity Theory

States that the perception of equality is what determines relationship stability. This may explain infidelity: if we think our partner is inadequate, we cheat to restore balance of obligation.

Those who feel deprived of equality and those who feel overbenefited are both least likely to think their relationship will last.

Fatal Attraction Theory

When what once attracted us to someone may end up being the reason for breaking up with them

Common patterns: fun → foolish, strong → domineering, spontaneous → unpredictable