Class 1

Question 1

Our most intense emotional experiences tend to be centered

• Interpersonal (Relationship-focused)
• Independent (Self-focused)

Answer 1

Interdependent events also rated as having a stronger, longer-lasting emotional impact

Question 2

How can seemingly self-oriented,
independent events (e.g., achievement-
oriented stresses or successes) not
be truly “independent”?

Answer 2

Ex. graduation

Is it because your family helped?

Are you the first person to graduate?

Question 3

What is the need to belong?

Answer 3

Human beings have a fundamental need
to form and maintain at least a minimum
quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal bonds

• To satisfy this need, need regular contact
  in the context of mutual affective concern

Question 4

What does ”fundamental need” mean?

Answer 4

Fundamental = essential, indispensable, integral, intrinsic—something that
would have to come “programmed” in

• Suggests an evolutionary basic

Question 5

What is Natural selection?

Answer 5

process through which certain traits become more or less common in a population over time

Question 6

What are the three components of Natural selection?

Answer 6

Variation (eye colours / butterfly patterns)

Heredity (traits are passed down)

Differential fitness
- Adaptations = favourable traits better
suited to the environment that increase
chances of survival & reproduction

Question 7

The ancestral environment to which we adapted (environment of evolutionary
adaptedness) was harsh and dangerous, and we are simply not very impressive
physically

So how did we survive?

Answer 7

Help hunting large game & foraging
Sharing food
Defensive vigilance and greater strength against predators and hostile
outgroups
Help caring for offspring
Access to mates

(All about groups)

Question 8

What was the skeleton guy we talked about in class?

Answer 8

He was very injured

But we can see his skull injuries had time to heal

Why? His group took care of him

Question 9

Can a desire for social connection be considered an adaptation?

Answer 9

Those who were more motivated to belong
would be more likely to survive, passing on
those belonging-inclined genes

Question 10

For a need to be truly “fundamental”, it
must be…

(2 things)

Answer 10

pervasive and universal

Question 11

Relationships (All around the world) are…

(2 things)

Answer 11

… Easy to form
- Ppl form groups in every society
- It does not take much to form a connection to a group (e.g., minimal group
paradigm, Robber’s Cave study
- People form attachments even under adverse circumstances (e.g., war vet)

… Hard to break
- People all around the world experience profound distress when their
relationships are threatened or lost

Question 12

For a need to be truly “fundamental”, it
must be…

(3 things)

Answer 12

…pervasive and universal

…consequential

(important to us)

Question 14

How do relationships shape our longevity?

Answer 14

our psychological and physical health, and even our longevity
- Impacts our thoughts, feelings, etc