Psychology of Human Relationships

Culture

Culture

Attitudes, behaviors, and symbols shared by a large group and passed down through generations.

Sociocultural Events

Events that shape individuals' preferences in forming relationships.

Attitudes

Beliefs and values that guide individuals' priorities and principles.

Behaviors

Norms that dictate acceptable actions within a society

Cunningham (1995)

Observed cultural variations in the perception of attractive bodies.

Swami (2006)

compared UK and Japanese perceptions of an attractive female body.

BMI

primary determinant of female physical attractiveness.

Buss (1994)

investigated factors in relationship formation across 37 cultures.

Goodwin (1995)

argues that the notion of passionate love as a primary reason for forming serious relationships is culturally specific

Social Cues

Visual or non-verbal characteristics in an environment that influence people's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

MHC Genes

control immunological self-self discrimination, tissue rejection, and immune recognition of infectious diseases.

Halo Effect

The false correlation of positive characteristics based on a few positive traits.

The Golden Ratio

 pleasing and harmonious proportions that adhere to a specific mathematical equation.

Ovulation

 believed to influence women's preferences in men

Ahmad and Reid (2008)

explored the connection between traditional roles, communication styles, and marital satisfaction.

No Fault Divorce

Couples were no longer required to prove fault; citing a broken-down marriage was sufficient

Inclusive Fitness

The ability of an individual organism to pass on its genes to the next generation.

Behavioral Adaptations

Individuals engage in behaviors benefiting their ingroup, even at personal cost.

Social identity theory (SIT)

Assumes a natural division of the social environment into ingroups and outgroups.

Assimilation

Individuals assimilate into their group by adopting the group's identity.

Prosocial Behavior

Actions that benefit others or have positive social consequences.

Altruism

Motivational state with the ultimate goal of increasing another's welfare.

Kin Selection Theory

Evolutionary theory focusing on biological reasons for altruistic behavior, assumes animals' behavior informs understanding of human behavior, and focus on extreme events threatening survival.

Discipline Styles

Harsh discipline is negatively related to prosocial behavior, while warmth, attachment, and responsiveness foster prosocial outcomes.

Negative Emotions

emotions that cause individual to be less likely to engage in prosocial behavior.

Cooperation

A prosocial process where individuals work together for mutual benefit.

Competion

The degree to which people merge their sense of self with the group.

Competition

The presence of socially comparative groups triggers competitive behavior

Social comparison theory

suggests individuals are driven to improve their performance and minimize discrepancies with others

Prejudice

Unjustified, usually negative thoughts and feelings based on perceived group membership.

The Stereotype Content Model (SCM)

identifies warmth and competence as fundamental dimensions in ingroup/outgroup perceptions.

Peace Psychology

is an academic field focused on understanding and addressing conflicts within groups, aiming to achieve sustainable peace through non-violent methods.

Ethnocentricity

Belief in the superiority of the ingroup over the outgroup.

Dehumanization

Treating the outgroup as less than human.

Legitimization of Violence

Acceptance of violence towards the outgroup.

Enemy Images

Promotion of negative perceptions of the outgroup.

Education System Influence

Presence of educational values promoting power differentials, authoritarianism, and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO)

Tyler and Blader (2001)

Measured the influence of identification on cooperation with groups using anonymous questionnaires.