Study Notes for Social Psychology: Relationships and Attraction
Relationships and Attraction
Key Readings
- Pluralistic Ignorance and Alcohol Use on Campus: Understand social norms and misperceptions.
- Development of Adult Attachment Styles: Learn how early attachment shapes future relationships.
Social Influence
Types of Social Influence:
- Conformity: Changing behavior based on group social norms.
- Compliance: Changing behavior due to direct requests.
- Obedience: Changing behavior because of commands from authority.
Factors affecting Social Influence:
- Group Size: Larger groups exert more influence.
- Unanimity: Agreement among the group increases conformity.
- Expertise and status: High-status individuals have a greater influence.
- Gender and cultural differences can also affect responses.
Conformity and Its Mechanisms
- Informational Social Influence: Conforming because you believe others' interpretation is correct (e.g., Sherif’s experiment).
- Normative Social Influence: Conforming to fit in or be accepted (e.g., Asch’s experiment).
- Example: A person moves to a new city and adjusts to public transportation based on others' behavior.
Compliance Techniques
- Norm of Reciprocity: Feeling obligated to return favors.
- Strategies:
- Door-in-the-Face Technique: Start with a large request followed by a smaller request.
- Foot-in-the-Door Technique: Start with a small request to ultimately increase compliance.
Obedience Studies
- Milgram Experiment: Participants administered shocks to others under authority pressure.
- Key factors: Proximity to the victim and authority figure influenced obedience levels.
Importance of Relationships
Biological and Evolutionary Needs:
- Basic Needs: Food, Safety, Belonging.
- Evolutionary motivations, such as romantic bonds for reproduction.
Need to Belong:
- Evidence shows this need is universal across cultures (Baumeister & Leary).
- Harlow’s Monkeys: Comfort versus food illustrates emotional bonds over basic needs.
Types of Relationships
- Exchange Relationships: Based on equity and reciprocity (short term).
- Communal Relationships: Based on care and mutual support (long term).
Social Exchange Theory
- Interactions are weighed for rewards vs. costs; people aim for maximum satisfaction in relationships.
Attachment Theory
- Origins: Early bonds shape relationships throughout life (Bowlby).
- Types of Attachment:
- Secure: Trusting and effective communication.
- Anxious-Ambivalent: Dependency and anxiety about relationships.
- Avoidant: Emotional distance and self-reliance.
Factors Affecting Attraction
- Proximity: Closeness and interaction opportunities facilitate relationships.
- Examples: Westgate West Study showing friendships formed in close living quarters.
- Similarity: People prefer those who share similar interests, values, and demographics.
- Hypotheses support that interaction promotes similarity over time.
- Physical Attractiveness: Harnesses the halo effect, where beauty is associated with positive traits.
- Evolutionary perspectives explain attraction to traits indicating reproductive fitness.
Gender Differences in Mate Preferences
- Differences exist, but they’re often rooted in cultural variations rather than inherent sex characteristics (e.g., resource provision).
Romantic Relationships
- Compassionate vs. Passionate Love: Understanding the types of love that define relationships.
- Investment Model of Commitment:
- Factors influencing commitment:
- Relationship satisfaction
- Quality of alternatives
- Investments made in the relationship.
Relationship Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction
- Factors leading to dissolution:
- Neuroticism, rejection sensitivity, age, low socioeconomic status.
- The Four Horsemen of Divorce:
- Contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling predict relationship breakdown.
Building Strong Relationships
- Techniques:
- Respond positively to good news.
- Incorporate playfulness.
- Maintain an optimistic outlook on your partner's shortcomings.