Formation of a relationship in psychology (AS Level)
Positivist :
- According to the positive approach positive relationships (friendships ,relationships and family ties) contribute to a healthy well being. Because happiness thrives in good relationships they are very important to this approach. - As assumption 2 of the approach suggest feeling of love and kindness are thought to be authentic and this may explain why relationships are formed. Entering into and forming a relationship allows and individual to develop and express their 'signature strengths'. According to the approach we are conditioned to work hard to find and build relationships with others , when it is positive they contribute substantially to our happiness. -Positive psychology would indicate that individuals strive towards the good life which is a place of happiness, good relationships and work. -Seligman suggest that one of the elements of the good life is positive connection to others and this can explain relationship formation. Positive connection to others encompasses out ability to love, trust, enjoy happiness and forgive and theses are essential ingredients in healthy relationships formation and maintenance. - For Seligman happiness and the good life come form activities that engage and absorb us, for many people social and romantic relationships help achieve this. The absorbed and besotted feelings many experience at the start of a romantic relationship may lead to them to feel they are living a good life. - 43% of married people reported they were very happy, when compared to the 24% in unmarried people , Pew centre research (2005) -Friendships encourage emotions such as kindness and generosity. The reward from friendship acts as a buffer during difficult challenges in life preventing negative states such as depression and anxiety. -Therefore positive psychology would see friendship as one of the key ingredients to happiness, using our signature strengths to promote mutually useful and altruistic behaviour assures physical , mental and emotional well being. Howell et al (2009) discovered that people are happy when they engage in activities which bring he closer to friends.
Behaviourist:
- As behaviourists believe that all behaviour is learned form our environment, they would believe external factors will be most influential in the formation of our relationships. -In their REINFORCEMENT-AFFECT THEORY Byrne and Clore (1970) argue that both classical and operant conditioning help to forge friendships. -Classical conditioning involves learning by associations so the neutral stimulus produces an emotional response. In this way we like people with whom we associate enjoyment and satisfaction. -Pleasant circumstances also play a role if we meet someone regularly in a pub we are more likely to be attracted to them when compared to meeting in tedious committee meetings. -Byrne and Clove (1970) argue that we experience enjoyable activities with others thus creating a positive affect which strengthens our desire to be friends with those individuals. If this person has also enjoyed the experience the positive affect will also apply to them and the feeling will be mutual. -Operant conditioning explains the fact that we like people that reward us and dislike those who punish us. Rewards could be a cheery personality and a similarity between opinions a form of punishment could be a disproval of our values.
Cognitive:
- Assumption 3 of SCHEMAS influence how we act and feel about other people. -Dion et al(1972) demonstrated that physically attractive people have attractive personality traits as well. This is a schema known as the HALO EFFECT suggested that if we perceive someone to be physically attractive we are likely to find their personality traits attractive as well and would be more interested in forming a relationship with them. - Our self schemas are also important on how this interaction may play out. THE MATCHING HYPOTHESES would suggest that we do not over reach in fear of rejection, thus linking assumption 2 of INTERNAL MENTAL PROCESSES to a formation of a relationship as they are clearly important in how we perceive ourself and others. Our perception is key to if we want to meet a stranger again. - Memory is also important important in terms of forming a new relationship, if we have negative memories about a past relationship we may be less likely to form a new relationship even if we perceive someone to be attractive. - Schemas suggest why we have relationships with some but not with others, according to the matching hypotheses our self schemas are central to who we we wish to explore a relationship with based on how we perceive ourselves. Using the matching Hypotheses we look for a relationship with someone who most matches our own level of attractiveness. If our self concept is strong then we 'try our luck' with someone highly attractive, but if it is low we will not go for those we perceive to be highly attractive for fear of rejection.
Biological:
-Evolutionary explanations for behaviour may explain gender differences in same sex relationships. -Wright(1982) expressed the main gender differences in such friendships, as SIDE BY SIDE for males and FACE TO FACE for females. -Evolutionary theory suggest that there are sound reasons why evolution favours the selection of 'instrumental' relationships between men and 'emotionally expressive' for women. -De waal's (1983) work with chimpanzees suggests that in order to survive the men would hunt and fight and the women would need to establish a supporting nurturing network aimed at caring for infants. - the female primates were more connected and had more constant relationships to that of their male counterparts. As their goal is security not power they aim to create alliances with other female primates. - Taylor et al (2000) argues that due to differences in parental investments females may adopted a 'tend and befriend' stress response in order to protect themselves when they are pregnant or nursing. As the males 'flight or fight' response would not have been advantageous to female and their off spring as they would be unable to fight or flee during pregnancy. - Since a group is more likely to overcome a threat than an individual ,this response is a protective mechanism for females and their off spring. So befriending other females is inherently necessary for the protection off females and their of spring. -The same can be said in terms of protection from males, Taylor et al (2000) showed that females who emigrate and are unable to form a network are more likely to become a victim of abuse than women who can form these ties.
Psychodyanimc:
-For this approach we look at assumption 1 (the influence of childhood experiences) and assumption 3 (the structure of the psyche in order to explain the formation of a relationship between a parent and child. -Freud placed great emphasis on the developing relationship between a child and parent believing the quality of the parent-child relationship reflected how well the child progressed through each development stage and as adults we are unconscious influenced to respond to people according to the nature of the early relationship they remind us of. -For example if we do not get along with our mother we may find getting on with women difficult, this is called 'transference' because emotions directed at one relationship become transferred to new ones. -The Phallic stage was the most important of the psychosexual stages for Freud, during this stage the superego and ego-ideal are developing and it is possible that fixation may occur in this stage. Resulting in an adult who is not capable of loving another person or entering a relationship (Phallic personality type). -How a child passes through the phallic stage will effect them form their genital stage onwards, for boys the OEDIPUS COMPLEX must be resolved. The young boy feels sexually attracted to his mother, coupled with jealousy and rivalry for his father. The son comes to realise that the father must castrate him and when his CASTRATION ANXIETY becomes too intense he represses his feelings for his mother and identifies with the father in a process called IDENTIFYING WITH THE AGGRESSOR. - The boy begins to imitate his father and thus the superego is developed.However if the oedipus complex is not resolved the relationship problems can occur and it may lead to developing homosexuality.
