AD Chapter 9
Sternberg's Theory of Love
• Different types of love involves combing 3 fundamental qualities of love in different ways A) Includes: • Passion o Involves physical attraction and sexual desire and emotions such as anxiety, delight, anger, and jealously • Intimacy o Feelings of closeness and emotional attachment. it includes mutual understanding, support, and open communication about issues not discussed with anyone else • Commitment o The pledge to love someone over the long run
Applying Sternberg to Adolescence
• In most adolescent love relationship, commitment is either missing or highly tentative • The absence of long-term commitment in adolescence means that there are 2 principal types of adolescent love: infatuation, romantic love • In industrialized countries, people are not likely to marry until they are in at least their mid to late 20s
3 Qualities of love combined into 7 different forms of LOVE
-Liking: is intimacy alone without passion or commitment. This is the type of love that characterizes most friendships and without commitment or passion, friends tend to come and go -Infatuation: is passion alone, without intimacy or commit. it involves a great deal of physiological and emotional arousal, and a heightened level of sexual desire, but without emotional closeness to the person -Empty Love: is commitment alone, with no passion or intimacy. could apply to a couple who have been married for years and lost the spark or early marriages that have been arranged by parents or even by the adolescent themselves. -Romantic Love: combines passion and intimacy without commit. Kind of love people mean when they talk about being in love, but rarely lasts long -Companionate love: combines intimacy and commit without passion. Could be applied to married or long term couples whose passion for each other has gradually waned but who have maintained the other qualities of their love. -Fatuous: Means silly and foolish, love involves passion and commitment without intimacy. tend to jump into serious discussions before really knowing the other person. -Consummate love: integrates all 3 aspects of love into the ultimate love relationship, The most ideal relationship love
Model of Adolescent Love
A) Initiation Phase • First tentative explorations of love, superficial, brief, and often fraught with anxiety, fear, and excitement B) Status Phase • Gain confidence in their interaction skills with potential romantic partners • Aware of friends/peers evaluations C) Affection Phase • Come to know each other better and express deeper feelings • Beginning to engage in more extensive sexual activity D) Bonding Phase (Usually occurs during emerging adulthood) • The romantic relationships becomes more enduring and serious - discuss possibly of a lifelong commitment
Dating Scripts
Proactive scripts • Males tend to follow this type of script A: Includes: o Initiating the date o Deciding where to go o Controlling the public domain o Initiating sexual contact Reactive Script • Females tend to follow this type of script B: Focuses on: • Private domain (grooming & dress) • Responding to the male's gestures in the public domain • Responding to his sexual initiatives
Contraceptive Use/Non-Use
o 2 types of countries have low rates of teenage pregnancy: • Those that are permissive about adolescent sex • Those that adamantly forbid adolescent sex oPermissive countries • Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands • They have explicit safe sex campaigns • Adolescents have easy access to contraception's oRestrictive countries • Japan, South Korea, Morocco • Adolescents are strongly discouraged from even dating • It is rare for boys and girls to spend time alone together
Attachment Styles
o Attachment styles between lovers have been found to resemble the parent-child attachment styles A) Secure • Characterized by emotional support and concern for their partners well-being B) Insecure • Excess of dependence on the partner • Excess of distance
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
o HIV/Aids • Inability to fight infections • Vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases • 90% of US cases of HIV = intercourse between homosexual or bisexual partners • Outside the US HIV/AIDS = between heterosexual • Has a long latency period (Asymptomatic up to 5 years) • Leading cause of death worldwide for 25-44 years of age • Morality rate is high
Cohabitation
o In the US as well as Northern Europe, cohabitation before marriage is now experienced by at least two-thirds of emerging adults o The percentage is highest in Sweden where nearly all young people cohabitate before marriage o In the US, cohabitation tends to be brief and unstable o In contrast, cohabiting couple in European countries tend to stay together as long as married couples
Developmental Course of Adolescent Love
o Love relationships among American adolescents tend to follow a developmental sequence of 4 steps • Same-gender groups go to places where they hope to find other-gender groups • Social gathering arranged by adults, such as parties • Mixed-gender groups arrange to go to some particular event together, such as a movie • Adolescent couples begin to date as pairs in activities such as movies, dinners, concerts, and so on
Sexuality in Emerging Adulthood
o Most American 18-24 year olds have had one partner in the past year o About 1/3 of the same group reported it was 2 or more partner o 50% of 18 year olds have had intercourse at least once o Sexual behavior takes place in a close romantic relationship o Emerging adults are more likely than other adults to engage in recreational care
Sexually Transmitted Infections
o One-half of STI's in the U.S. occur in people 15 to 24 o Rates of STI's are the highest in emerging adulthood o 2 important characteristics - Asymptomatic • No symptoms • Latency period oChlamydia • One of the most common STD's • Highest rates among 15 to 24 year olds • Leading cause of female infertility oHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) • Most common STD (1/3 of women infected by 24) • Infects cells on the surface of the body •2 categories: asymptomatic (80% of cases); and genital warts • Increased risks of developing cervical cancer oHerpes Simplex • Caused by a virus • 2 variations: herpes simplex 1 and herpes simplex II • Highly infectious (75% exposed will become infected) • No cure
Adolescent Sexual Activity
o The proportion of high school students in grades 9-12 who had intercourse is: • Lowest for white adolescents (44%) • Somewhat higher for Latino adolescents (52%) • Highest for African American adolescents (67%)
Choosing a Marriage Partner
o The study: 10,000 young people in 37 countries from all over the world o The findings: •Highest ranking • Mutual attraction •High rankings • Dependable character • Emotional stability & maturity • Pleasing Disposition •Lowest ranking • Religious & political • Backgrounds •Low rankings • Good financial prospects • Having a lot of money
Ethnicity; Restrictive, Semi-Restrictive & Permissive Cultures
oRestrictive cultures: • Strong prohibitions on adolescents sexual activities before marriage • Strict separation of boys and girls • May include the threat of physical punishment or public shaming for premarital sex • Usually more restrictive for girls than boys oSemi-restrictive cultures • Prohibitions not strongly enforces and easily evaded • If pregnancy results from premarital sex, adolescents often forced to marry •Permissive cultures • Encourage and expect adolescent sexuality
Teen Pregnancy (Mom, Dad, Baby)
➢What about a teen mom? o Twice as likely to drop out of school o Less likely to go to college or become employed o Less likely to get married o Do they catch up? A sample of 300 mothers • 5 years later, teenage mothers lagged behind peers in education, occupational, and economic ➢What about dad? o Being a teenage dad is related to a variety of negative outcomes • More likely to become divorced • Lower level of education • Lower paying job • More prone to drug and alcohol use • More likely to get in trouble with the law • More feelings of anxiety and depression o Like adolescent mothers, the problems of adolescent fathers often began prior to parenthood ➢What about the baby? o Children born to adolescent mothers face a higher likelihood of a variety of difficulties in life • Babies are more likely to be born premature • Lower birth rate • Premature and low birthrate are related to a variety of physical and intellectual problems • Greater likelihood of behavioral problems • School misbehavior, delinquency, and early sexual activity
