Ch. 1-4 Notes: Building Blocks of Relationships, Culture, Evolution, and Methods

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes.

Intimacy

The closeness in a relationship marked by seven components (knowledge, interdependence, caring, trust, responsiveness, mutuality, and commitment).

Knowledge (component of intimacy)

Partners share extensive personal information about each other.

Interdependence (component of intimacy)

Partners exert strong, diverse, and enduring influence on each other.

Caring (component of intimacy)

Feeling more affection for a partner than for most other people.

Trust (component of intimacy)

Belief that partners will treat you fairly and honorably.

Responsiveness (component of intimacy)

Being attentive to the partner’s needs and providing suitable support.

Mutuality (component of intimacy)

Seeing yourselves as a couple rather than two separate individuals.

Commitment (component of intimacy)

Expecting the relationship to continue and actively working to maintain it.

Cohabitation

Living together before marriage; associated with reduced enthusiasm for marriage in some contexts.

Marriage rate

The proportion of people who are married in a population; rates have declined in many cultures.

Divorce rate

The proportion of marriages that end in divorce (often cited around 40–50%).

Socioeconomic development

Increased economic development that expands cultural options and influences relationship norms.

Individualism

Cultural emphasis on personal fulfillment and self-reliance.

Technology in relationships

Technology influences how we interact and form/maintain relationships.

Technoference

Frequent interruptions of interactions caused by technological devices.

Phubbing

Snubbing someone by focusing on a phone instead of the person present.

Sex ratio

The number of men divided by the number of women in a culture; affects gender roles and mating behaviors.

Attachment styles

Patterns of expectations and behaviors that shape relationships (Secure, Anxious, Avoidant).

Secure attachment

Trusting and relaxed; comfortable with intimacy; low anxiety and low avoidance.

Anxious-ambivalent attachment

Nervous and clingy; preoccupied with fears of abandonment; high anxiety, low avoidance.

Avoidant attachment

Suspicious and withdrawn; discomfort with intimacy; tends to avoid closeness.

Fearful attachment

Subtype of avoidant characterized by fear of rejection and mistrust; high anxiety and high avoidance.

Dismissing attachment

Subtype of avoidant marked by self-reliance, low anxiety, and high avoidance.

Sex differences

Biological distinctions between men and women; typically small with overlap between sexes.

Gender roles

Patterns of behavior culturally considered normal for men and women.

Instrumental traits

Masculine traits such as assertiveness, self-reliance, decisiveness, and competitiveness.

Expressive traits

Feminine traits such as warmth, emotional expressiveness, and kindness.

Androgynous

Having both instrumental and expressive traits; flexible in behavior.

Agreeableness

A Big Five trait: cooperative and trusting.

Extraversion

A Big Five trait: outgoing and sociable.

Conscientiousness

A Big Five trait: dutiful and dependable.

Neuroticism

A Big Five trait: anxious and prone to negative emotions; high levels linked to less marital happiness.

Openness to experience

A Big Five trait: imaginative and unconventional.

Sociometer theory

Self-esteem acts as a gauge of relationship quality; higher self-esteem reflects better perceived social acceptance.

Sexual orientation

Enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attractions; same-sex couples often report strong relationship quality.

Sexual selection

Evolutionary process by which traits evolve because of mating advantages.

Parental investment

Minimum time and biological effort needed to raise offspring; influences mate choice.

Paternity uncertainty

Men may doubt whether a child is theirs; increases vigilance toward infidelity.

Convenience sample

Participants who are readily available; easy but may limit generalizability.

Volunteer bias

Participants who volunteer may differ in meaningful ways from those who refuse.