HECOL 210 | Relationships Across the Lifespan

What is a key conclusion of relationship science about the stability of relationships overtime

A key conclsuion is that happy relationships remain happy overtime

True or false: even though happy relationships remain stable and happy across time, that is not to say things don't change as we grow and develop

True, for example, if you have been in a happy relationship with your partner since high school and you are now an adult, you may have remained consistently happy but thing will have inevitably changed throughout your relationship

Life course theoretical perspective

theory that focuses on human development as a lifelong process and studies the way in which early experiences influence future well-being

What is a core concept of Life Course theory regarding the historical context of individual lives

life Course theory states that Individual lives are embedded in a historical context, highlighting cohort effects

According to Life Course theory, how is the course of ones life structured

It is structured by transitions and their timing

According to Life Course theory, what are our life trajectories interconnected with

Life trajectories are interconnected with the lives of close others

What role does human agency play in the Life Course Perspective

Humans construct their own life trajectories, but within the constraints of history and social circumstances

The Edmonton Transition Study (ETS) found that those who have decreases in depression and anger and increases in self-esteem
between ages 18 to 25 have ______ quality intimate ties at age 43

The ETS study found that those who have decreases in depression and anger and increases in self-esteem between ages 18 to 25 have higher quality intimate ties at age 43

The Edmonton Transition Study (ETS) found that those who marry on-time or late are _____ depressed in midlife compared to those who marry early

The ETS study found that those who marry on-time or late
are less depressed in midlife compared to those who marry early

What did the Edmonton Transition Study (ETS) find with regard to the importance of timing vs making the transition

The ETS study found that timing is less important than
making the transition

What finding from the ETS study showcases that making the transition is more important than timing

The ETS study found that those who get married have higher
well-being compared to those who don't - and this effect is more robust than timing

True or false: children often don't recognize when their parents are in conflict until later in life

False, young children are attuned to adult conflicts

True or false: because children are so attuned to adult conflicts, even if the conflict is resolved at the end they are just as distressed

False, children generally become less distressed if the conflict is resolved at the end

Do kids become desensitized to adult conflict the more they are exposed to it

No, they become sensitized

In the study that examined whether children become desensitized or sensitized to adult conflict the more they are exposed to it, what were the findings for the control group where in the background of child play, assistants engaged in pro-social behaviour with each other

In this control group, even though the pro-social behaviour wasn't directed towards the children, being exposed to consistent pro-social behaviour had positive effects on the children

In the study that examined whether children become desensitized or sensitized to adult conflict the more they are exposed to it, what were the findings for the exposure 1 group where in the background of child play, assistants engage in one instance of arguing

In exposure 1 group, the children showed an increase in aggressive behaviour after the adults left

In the study that examined whether children become desensitized or sensitized to adult conflict the more they are exposed to it, what were the findings for the multiple exposure group where in the background of child play, assistants argued which was them replicated time and time again

In this multiple exposure group children displayed a huge spike in aggressive behaviour showcasing that kids get sensitized and more reactive to conflict the more they are exposed to it

Which relationships are typically the longest lasting human relationships

Sibling relationships

Sibling relationships are characterized by ____ levels of conflict especially in early age

Sibling relationships are characterized by high levels of conflict especially in early age

What is a possible reason to explain sibling rivalry

Evolutionary biologists suggest that competition between siblings is no coincidence at all; it's a logical product of natural selection, additionally their interests are not identical, and when the benefits of competition are great (i.e., when competition promotes survival), natural selection should favor sibling rivalry over cooperation

Emotions are discussed ____ often with siblings than parents

Emotions are discussed more often with siblings than with parents

Sibling relationships are fertile ground to develop what

Sibling relationships are fertile ground to develop theory of mind

Theory of mind

an awareness that other people's behavior may be influenced by beliefs, desires, and emotions that differ from one's own

What is the Sally-Anne task and how does it work?

- A test aimed at assesing whether a child has developed theory of mind
-Sally places a marble in her basket and Anne moves it without Sally's knowledge - then ask a child whether Sally will check for her marble in the basket or box, if the child says basket they have developed theory of mind, whereas if they say box they haven't

What are the first voluntary relationships for humans

Friendships

What are two ways in which friendships are unique from family relationships

1) there is reciprocity—both people must participate for there to be a relationship
2) there is equal status

What do friendships pave the way for

Friendships pave the way for intimacy

How do friendships pave the way for intimacy

We develop empathy in friendships which it's important for intimacy

What is a key part of children relationships that has been linked to the development of empathy

Shared imaginative play has been linked to the development of empathy

Which three components of a friend group foreshadows partnership characteristics

1) size of friend group
2) composition of friend group
3) quality of friendships

What is adolescence a key time for

First experiences with love

Adolescent relationship are characterized by ______ emotional connections

Adolescent relationship are characterized by strong emotional

Adolescent relationship are characterized by ___ dependence

Adolescent relationship are characterized by low dependence

Adolescent relationship are characterized by ___ barriers to breaking up

Adolescent relationship are characterized by few barriers to breaking up

Adolescent relationship are characterized by ______ available alternatives

Adolescent relationship are characterized by many available alternatives

When do first sexual encounters often happen

First sexual encounters often happen in committed adolescent relationships

True or false: adolescent relationships provide clues about future
intimate ties

True

What trends are we seeing in the western world with regard to the age in which people are getting into their first relationship

Across the western world people are getting into relationships later and later

Data from 2015 showcased that __% of high schoolers have never been in a romantic relationship

Data from 2015 showcased that 64% of high schoolers have never been in a romantic relationship

5 major relationship transitions in adulthood

1) cohabitation
2) marriage
3) parenthood
4) divorce
5) remarriage

What is the most common reason for cohabitation

Most commonly people treat cohabitation as a precursor to marriage

Which purpose for cohabitation has the worst relationship outcomes

Using cohabitation as a trial marriage has poor outcomes because if you feel as though you need a trial this is a clear indicator that this might not be a relationship fit for marriage

True or false: living together before engagement or marriage is a risk factor for lower quality post-marital relations

True

Is it a good or bad idea to live together before marriage

This is complicated to answer, although there are risk factors the major key is decide don't slide

True or false: marriage is becoming a rare experience

False, marriage is still a very common part of life—Most people plan to and do eventually marry (90%)

Parenthood is a powerful __________ force

Parenthood is a powerful socializing force

How does the birth of a first child impact division of labour

Data indicates that there is a more traditional division of labor after
birth of first child, even if division of labor was non traditional before the child

Having children generally _________ the stability of a relationship

Having children generally increases the stability of a relationship through constraints i.e. those with children are less likely to be divorced

True or false: most new parent s maintain the quality of their relationship

True, although some studies show decreased satisfaction, on average, most new parents maintain quality because those couples who are happy are likely to attribute the stress of a child to the child and not their partner

In the couples who did show notable decline in satisfaction post having children, what was the reason

notable declines were observed in couples who had not expected to have kids

True or false: In Canada, more than half of relationships end in divorce

False, this is the case for the untitled states but not in Canada

What is Canada's 30 year risk of divorce

22.5%

Divorce has been ______ in Canada post baby boomer divorce rates

Divorce has been falling in Canada post baby boomer divorce rates

True or false: the majority of those who are divorced go on to remarry

True

__% of women and __% of men remarry after divorce

70% of women and 80% of men remarry after divorce

True or false: second marriages are more likely to work out than first marriages

False, second marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first
marriages

3 reasons why second marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages

1) Individuals bring the same problems into remarriages
2) Once a divorce has happened, it's psychologically easier to divorce again
3) Remarriages may be harder to maintain (e.g., step-children)

What are two major transitions in later life relationships

1) Transitions to retirement
2) Transitions to widowhood

True or false: After the divorce or death of a spouse most older adults remarry

False, many older adults are dating (14%) and cohabiting rather than
remarry after divorce or death of a spouse

Are women or men more likely to be married later in life and why

Men are more likely to be married later in life because men die earlier than women which skewed the data

Do older adults report a drop in the quality of intimacy

No, older adults actually report more satisfying relationships

What is the socioemotional selectivity theory?

Because of their shrinking time horizon, older adults increasingly value emotional goals/meaning (feeling good) over informational goals (exploration), and this leads to maintained or even increased levels of positive emotion

True or false: older adults are still having lots of sex

True, having sex weekly is still common for those in late adulthood

Do older males or females report having more sex and why

Older males report having more sex because men die sooner than females and their partners (if female) are having less sex once their spouse is dead