1
Q
interdependency
A
- exists when we need others and they need us in order to obtain valuable interpersonal rewards
- “i need you and you need me”
2
Q
social exchange theory
A
- we’re all seeking the most fulfilling relationships that are available to us
- relationships begin when two people offer each other rewards that entice them to begin social exchange in which they each provide benefits and rewards that the other wants
- mutual exchange of desirable rewards
- people want the BEST POSSIBLE outcomes
3
Q
codependency
A
- extreme form of dependence
- unhealthy reliance on someone
- basing your happiness and functioning on someone else
- zero self-worth without them
- tends to be a learned behaviour
4
Q
rewards of interactions
A
- the gratifying experiences and commodities we obtain through our contact with others
- can be:
1. impersonal benefits –> ex. directions you get from strangers when you’re lost
2. personal intimacies –> ex. acceptance and support from someone you love
5
Q
rewards
A
anything within an interaction that is desirable and welcome and that brings enjoyment or fulfillment to the recipient
6
Q
costs
A
punishing, undesirable experiences
7
Q
outcome
A
- the net profit or loss a person encounters
- adds up all the rewards and costs involved
outcomes = rewards - costs
8
Q
comparison level
A
- the value of the outcomes that we’ve come to expect and believe that we deserve in our dealings with others
- based on our past experiences
- represents someone’s neutral point on a continuum that ranges all the way from misery to delight
- CLs are the standards by which our satisfaction with a relationship is measured
9
Q
how is satisfaction derived in close relationships
A
-satisfaction is based on how our outcomes are measured against our comparison levels
outcomes - CL = satisfaction or dissatisfaction
10
Q
comparison level for alternatives
A
- determines whether we could be doing better somewhere else
- describes the outcomes you’d receive by leaving your current relationship and moving to the best alternative partnership or situation you have available
- CLalts are the lowest levels of outcomes we will tolerate from our present partners
- determines our dependence on our relationships
11
Q
investments
A
- the things one would lose if the relationship were to end
- important influence on one’s decision to stay or go in a relationship
- can be tangible goods or psychological benefits
12
Q
what factors influence a person’s CLalt
A
- self esteem -> if people don’t like themselves, they doubt their desirability
- access to information –> someone who stays at home may not know of their options
- satisfaction with existing partnerships lower CLalts because they’re not interested in looking to see how they could be doing elsewhere
13
Q
how is dependence in a relationship measured
A
outcomes - CLalt = dependence or independence
14
Q
three key elements of social exchange
A
- outcomes –> based on costs and rewards
- comparison levels –> determines satisfaction based on outcomes and CLs
- comparison levels for alternatives –> determines dependence based on outcomes and CLalts
15
Q
four types of relationships
A
- happy and stable
- unhappy but stable
- happy but unstable
- unhappy and unstable
16
Q
happy and stable relationship
A
current outcomes are higher than both CL and CLalt and doesn’t matter if CLalt is higher than CL or vice versa
17
Q
unhappy but stable relationship
A
where the outcome is lower than CL but higher than CLalt
18
Q
happy but unstable
A
where the outcome is higher than CL but lower than CLalt
19
Q
unhappy and unstable
A
where the outcome is lower than both CL and CLalt and does not matter if CL is higher than CLalt or vice versa
20
Q
how does time and our experiences affect our comparison levels
A
- because CLs are based on our experiences, they fluctuate along with the outcomes we receive
- rewarding relationships can gradually become less satisfying even though nothing but our expectations have changed
21
Q
how have sociocultural and cultural factors influenced our CLs
A
- sociocultural influences have caused our expectations to increase
- cultural changes have also increased our CLalts –> women entering workforce has provided them both interesting coworkers and financial resources
- less social barriers against divorce
22
Q
principle of lesser interest
A
the partner who depends less on a relationship has more power in that relationship
23
Q
interdependency in relationships
A
- interdependence theory takes an unromantic view of relationships –> cost + benefits
- emphasis on the outcomes is important because adding up the costs and rewards tells us about:
1. the current state of a relationships
2. potentially about the future of the relationship –> couples who are nice to each other more likely to stay together - desirable relationships are much more rewarding than punishing overall
- bad experiences tend to carry more weight than our good experiences
- for a relationship to thrive, there needs to be far more positive experiences than negative ones
24
Q
approach motivation
A
we pursue pleasure and our motivations for doing something is to feel good, and when we draw near to desired experiences, we feel positive emotions
25
avoidance motivation
our desire to avoid costs
- we seek to escape punishment and pain so we strive to avoid undesired experiences and to reduce negative feelings such as anxiety and fear
26
rewards and costs are different
- our approach and avoidance motives do not cancel each other out
- we try to obtain rewards and avoid costs
- pleasure and pain are different processes and thus they can coexist
27
four types of approach and avoidance processes in relationships
1. precarious
2. flourishing
3. boring
4. distressed
28
precarious
- approach goals are fulfilled and avoidance goals are not
| - lots of rewards but lots of costs too
29
flourishing
- approach goals are fulfilled and avoidance goals are too
| - lots of rewards, few costs
30
boring
- approach goals unfulfilled, avoidance goals fulfilled
| - few rewards, few costs
31
distressed
- approach goals unfulfilled, avoidance goals unfulfilled
| - few rewards, lots of costs
32
self-expansion model
- we are attracted to partnerships that expand the range of our interests, skills, and experiences
- however, self-expansions usually slows once a new partner becomes familiar
33
relational turbulence
- we should expect a period of adjustment and turmoil as new partners become accustomed to their increasing interdependence
- as partners spend more time together, they disrupt each other's routines
- there is an unsettled period of adjustment and reevaluation that often occurs at moderate levels of intimacy in a developing relationship as the partners learn to coordinate their needs and to accommodate each other
34
exchange relationships
- people do favours for others expecting to be repaid by receiving comparable benefits in return
- these people do not like to be in another's debt
- typically superficial, often brief, relatively task-oriented encounters between strangers or acquaintances
35
communal relationships
- the partners feel a special concern for the other's well-being and provide favours and support to one another without expecting repayment
- people make small sacrifices for their partners and enjoy higher quality relationships as a result
36
communal strength
the motivation to be responsive to a particular partner's needs
-increasing communal strength increases people's enjoyment of making small sacrifices
37
equitable relationships
- equity theorists believe that people are most satisfied in relationships where there is proportional justice --> each partner gains benefits from the relationship that are proportional to his or her contributions to it
- a relationships is equitable when the ratio of your outcomes to your contributions is similar to that of your partner
38
overbenefited
when one partner receives better outcomes than they deserve
39
underbenefited
when one partner receives less than they deserve
40
is being treated fairly or excellent outcomes more important?
- the overall amount of reward that people receive is better predictor of their satisfaction than the level of equity they encounter
- equity may be more important in some domains than others :
1. household tasks
2. child care
-outcome level matters more than inequity does
41
commitment
-a desire for the relationship to continue and the willingness to work to maintain it
42
three themes in committed relationships
1. committed partners expect their relationship to continue
2. partners hold a long-term view, foreseeing a future that involves their partner
3. they are psychologically attached to each other so that they are happy when their partners are happy
43
investment model
-model that suggests commitment emerges from all the elements of social exchange that are associated with peoples CLs and CLalts
- impacted by 3 factors:
1. satisfaction increases commitment
2. alternatives of high quality decrease commitment
3. the size of one's investments in the existing relationship impact commitment
- suggests that people will remain with their present partners when they're happy, or when there's no other desirable place for them to go, or when they're investments are too high
44
three types of commitment
1. personal commitment
2. constraint commitment
3. moral commitment
45
personal commitment
occurs when people want to continue a relationship because they are attracted to their partners and the relationship is satisfying
- strongest of the three
46
constraint commitment
occurs when people feel they have to continue a relationship because it would be too costly to leave
47
moral commitment
derived from a sense of moral obligation to one's partner or relationship
- often have social or religious responsibility
48
accommodation
where people refrain from responding to provocation from their partners with similar ire of their own
- tolerating destructive behaviour from their partners without fighting back
- motivated by efforts to protect the relationship
49
willingness to sacrifice
-sacrificing their own self-interests for the good of the relationship
FMST 314
flashcards
Decks in class (13)
# Cards
-
Ch1: Building Blocks of Relationships36
-
Ch3: Attraction32
-
Ch4: Social Cognition39
-
Ch5: Communication44
-
Ch6: Interdependency49
-
Ch7: Friendship31
-
Ch8: Love16
-
Ch9: Sexuality30
-
Ch10: Stress and Strains38
-
Ch11: Conflict30
-
Ch12: Power and Violence33
-
Ch13: Dissolution and Loss of a Relationship25
-
Ch14: Maintaining and Repairing Relationships23
