Week 7 Reading

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to love, commitment, and interpersonal relationships as discussed in the lecture.

Love

An emotion that promotes commitment and motivates approach towards intimate partners

Love as a Commitment Device

The experience of love promotes approach-related states and is expressed through specific nonverbal behaviour, and that these processes strengthen long term bonds

Commitment Device

A psychological mechanism that helps seek romantic partners bonded to one another despite alternatives and threats

Human’s Commitment Problems

Partners must stay dedicated even when alternative are tempting

Commitment Problem Solutions

Motivating Approach, Communicating Commitment, and Enhancing Commitment Processes

Motivating Approach

The experience of love directs attention and behaviour toward the partner, crowing out interest in alternatives

Communicating Commitment

Outward expression of love signal devotion, which builds mutual trust, dependence, and affection

Enhancing Commitment Processes

Love correlates with constructive conflict resolution, perceived trust, and relationship-protective behaviour when the bond is threatened

Hypothesis 1

Love experience correlates with approach-related states (desire, sympathy), NOT with negative emotions

Hypothesis 2

Love has four nonverbal signal: four affiliation cues

Four Affiliation Cues

Head nods, Duchenne smiles, gesticulation, and forward leans

Duchenne Smiles

Genuine smiles that involve both the mouth and eyes, reflecting true enjoyment or happiness

Gesticulation

The act of using hand movements to express ideas or emotions, often accompanying speech

Approach-Related States

Emotional states that motivate individuals to engage positively with another person, such as desire and sympathy

Constructive Conflict Resolution

Interactions during conflicts that promote positive outcomes and strengthen relationships, as opposed to adversarial behaviors

Trust

A perception in a relationship that promotes commitment and cooperative behaviors between partners.

Intimate friendships

Close, emotionally supportive relationships often involving personal disclosures and mutual affection

Romantic Partners Study

Self-reported love correlated with desire and sympathy, partners who displayed more affiliation cues reported more love and vice verse

Naive Obervers Study

Observer accurately decoded affiliation cues as love, not desire, or attraction - confirming that love has a recognizable, distinct nonverbal signal

Opposite-Sex Friends Study

Friends who experienced and displayed more love-related behaviour received great emotional support, has higher relationship equality, and disclosed more-all markers of strong commitment

Overall Study Findings

Love was unrelated to negative emotions (hurt, sadness, anxiety), love only predicted positive commitment outcomes (constructive conflict resolution), not the reduction of negatives ones (fewer hostile statements)

Distinctive Positive Emotion

Oriented towards closeness and approach, distinct from amusement, joy, or desire

Limitations

• Lab setting may constrain natural expression of love (no touching)

• Affiliation cues (ex. leaning, head nods) can appear in non-love contexts too

• Relies on brief interaction, long-term effects of love on commitment were not directly tested