PSYCH PAPER 3

Sexual Selection

evolutionary explanation for partner preference. Attributes for reproductive success are passed down

Anisogamy

difference in male and female gametes, sex cells

Males have more

sperm cells

Women have fewer

eggs

Anisogamy leads to

Many fertile men and fewer women

Intersexual selection

strategies between the sexes for getting mates

Trivers suggested that for intersexual selection

women make a greater investment of time and thus seek a genetically fit partner whom is able to provide resources

Intrasexual selection

mating strategies within each sex

Consequences of Intrasexual selection

aggressive behaviour, strong, large men

Clark and Hatfield

Uni students ask students to sleep with them

Clark and Hatfield male percentage

75%

Clark and Hatfield female percentage

0%

Evolutionary A03 - negative (simple)

reductionist

Evolutionary A03 - negative (gay)

doesn’t explain gay relationships

Buss (10,000 adults)

women value resources, men value beauty and youth

Evolutionary A03 - negative - birth control

Doesn’t account for social and cultural factors such as birth control

3 factors effecting attraction

Self disclosure, Physical attractiveness, Filter theory

Self disclosure

revealing information about self

Altman & Taylor Social penetration theory

Self disclosure is a reciprocal exchange and has two elements

2 elements of social penetration theory

breadth and width

Hendrick

found strong correlations between self disclosure and satisfaction

A03 self disclosure - positive RWA

Helps people better relationships

A03 self disclosure - Tang

sexual SD in America is good but bad in china so is culturally bound

Physical Attraction factors

halo effect, matching hypothesis, baby face

Shakelford & Larsen

baby face = attractive

Dion - Halo effect

pretty people are good people

A03 Physical Attraction - positive Murstein

99 couples pics v random couples and real are alike

A03 Physical Attraction - negative Walster

dance date, random but told it was matched, pretty people asked out again not matching

A03 Physical Attraction - negative subj

attraction is subjective

A03 Physical Attraction - positive Cunningham

female features ‘pretty’ rated as such across cultures

A03 Physical Attraction - other factors

Complex

Filter theory

Kerckoff and Davis

Filter 1

Social demography

Filter 2

Similar attitudes

Filter 3

Complimentary

A03 Filter theory - positive Kerckoff and Davis

longitudinal study, uni students, longer relationship is later stage

A03 Filter theory - postive use

Duck says it avoids us wasting time

A03 Filter theory - Kerckoff and Davis methodology

presumed long term is a deeper relationship

A03 Filter theory - temporal validity

online dating reduces the first stage

Social exchange Theory Thibault and kelley

rewards and costs

Comparison Level

amount of reward you think you should get based on experience

Comparison Level of alternatives

could i get a better relationship from someone else

Thibault and Kelley’s stages

sampling, bargaining, commitment and institutionalisation

A03 SET - vague

hard to test concepts decreases validity

A03 SET -keeping score

relationships shouldn’t be based on keeping score challenges central assumptions of theory

A03 SET - bad not good

shows a declining relationship not a good one

A03 SET - Kurdek

questionnaire found rewards high costs low in happy relationship

Equity Theory

Economic Theory of whether a relationship is fair

Happiness in equity theory

get what you give not more or less

Walster’s 4 principles

profit, distribution, dissatisfaction and realignment

A03 Equity Theory - negative

cause and effect

A03 Equity Theory - positive Uthe

118 married couples, equitable is happy

A03 Equity Theory - culture

not all cultures

A03 Equity Theory - individual differences

Some people don’t care

Rusbult’s Investment Model

ties that bind partners

RIM stages

satisfaction, quality of alternatives, investments, commitment and relationship stability

extrinsic investment

children and shared goods

intrinsic investment

personal bring in

A03 RIM - Le et al postive

good prediction so valid

A03 RIM - correlation

correlation not causation

A03 RIM - abuse

explains why abusive relationships last long

A03 RIM - complex

future plans are investments

A03 RIM - self report methods

subjective

Duck’s Phase Model

Relationship breakdown

Duck’s first stage

Intra-psychic

Duck’s second stage

dyadic

Duck’s third stage

social

duck’s 4th stage

grave-dressing

Intra-psychic stage meaning

think about relationship and tell friend

Dyadic stage meaning

cant avoid talks and can be fixed

Social stage meaning

tell others

grave dressing stage meaning

blame anyone but self

A03 Duck - under-explains

under explains early stage

A03 Duck - describe

description rather than an explanation

A03 Duck - Rollie incomplete model

added extra stage, learning from mistakes

A03 Duck - real world app

can help stop breakups

A03 Duck - cultural bias

culturally bound

Rubins strangers on a train phenomena

talk to people on trains

McKenna and Bargh

absence of gating

Gate examples

smell bad, lisp, holding bottle

virtual is less effective because

it lacks context cues

Anonymity

say things they cant in real life

Hyperpersonal model

hyper honest or hyper dishonest

A03 Virtual - temp val

lacks temporal validity constantly changing tech

A03 Virtual - access

allows access for people who would be lonely

A03 Virtual - social consequences

cant talk in real life

A03 Virtual - NVC missing but

there in other ways e.g. skype etc

Para social Relationships

one sided, heavily invested and other doesn’t know

McCutcheon and Maltby

Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS)

level one CAS

Entertainment

level two CAS

Intense personal

Level three CAS

Borderline pathological

McCutcheon

Absorption Addiction

Absorption Addiction is an

attempt to escape reality, absorb info and become a stalker

parasocial - Attachment

internal working model

Which attachment type is most likely to be in a PR

insecure resistent

A03 Parasocial - Maltby

CAS increase mental illness increases

A03 Parasocial - Culture

Tengco, Filipinos higher than Americans

A03 Parasocial - correlation

cause and effect not established

A03 Parasocial - pro

stops loneliness and helps people find friends they can talk to