Interpersonal relationships (Sociocultural approach)

Sociocultural approach

explains behavior by focusing on how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by social groups, cultural norms, and the environment around them

Interpersonal relationships

ongoing, mutual connections between two or more people that involve emotional, social, or behavioral interactions (friendships, romantic relationships, or family bonds)

Strengths of sociocultural approach

Explains cross-cultural differences

• Accounts for why behaviors vary across cultures rather than assuming universality

Limitations of sociocultural approach:

Observer bias

• Cultural researchers may interpret behavior through their own cultural lens.

What studies support sociocultural approach?

• Moreland and Beach (1992)

• Gupta and singh (1982)

Aim of Moreland and Beach (1992)

To investigate whether repeated exposure to a person increases liking and attraction, supporting the mere exposure effect in a natural setting

Procedure of Moreland and Beach (1992)

• Four female confederates who looked similar in age and attractiveness were recruited

• each were assigned to attend a large university 0,5,10, or 15 times

• they did not interact with anyone they just came in sat, and left to keep behavior constant

• at the end of semester, students were shown photos of all four women

• students rated them on attractiveness, liking, similarity, and desire to get to know them and farmiliarty

Results of Moreland and Beach (1992)

• students gave higher ratings to women who had attended class more often

• liking and attractiveness ratings progressed with the number of visits

• most students did not consciously remember seeing the confederates, suggesting the effect happened without awareness

• demonstrated that simple exposure -even without interaction- boosts positive impressions

Strengths of Moreland and Beach (1992)

• Naturalistic environment → conducted in real classroom → better ecological validity

• High internal validity → the conditions were controlled (0,5,10 or 15)

Aim of Gupta and Singh (1982)

To compare marital satisfaction in arranged marriages vs. love marriages over time in India, and to see how the type of marriage influences long-term relationship quality

procedure of Gupta and Singh (1982)

• conducted in Jaipur, India with married couples from similar socioeconomic backgrounds

• researches selected for couples who had either arranged marriages or love marriages, matched for age and length of marriage

• participants completed questionnaires measuring marital satisfaction, love, conflict, and adjustment

• marriage duration ranges from newly married to 10+ years , allowing comparison across time

results of Gupta and Singh (1982)

• love marriages started with higher satisfaction, but decreases over years

• arranges marriages started lower, but increased over time

• about 10 years ago, arranges marriages showed higher marital satisfaction than love marriages

• researchers suggested that arranges marriages may build love gradually through family support, stability, and compatible values

Strengths of Gupta and Singh (1982)

• real couples → high ecological validity

• Cross-cultrual perspective on how relationships develop overtime (shows role of culture)

Limitations of Gupta and Singh (1982)

• Self-report questionnaire → risk of social desirability bias, especially in a culture valuing marriage stability

• only Indian partipaints → limits cultural generalizability

what is the mere-effect

where people tend to develop a preference or liking for something simply because they are exposed to it repeatedly