Summary
Summary AQA Psychology Paper 3: Relationships
- Course
- Institution
- Book
An in depth summary of Relationships in AQA Psychology for A Level Year 2. Includes detailed evaluation and AO3 points, with researches and studies.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
AQA Alevel Psychology Forensics Notes
-
Gender and Culture Bias AQA ExamPro Questions by Topic
-
Holism and Reductionism AQA ExamPro Questions by Topic
Seller
Follow
finnkeates
Content preview
RelationshipsEvolutionary Explanations for Partner Preferences
Sexual selection:
Sexual selection
- Genes selected that promote survival (natural selection), or successful reproduction (sexual
selection).
Anisogamy
- Male gametes are produced in large numbers, female gametes are relatively rare. This gives rise
to two mating strategies.
Inter-sexual selection
- Between (inter) the sexes. The preferred female strategy, select quality (e.g. genetic fitness).
- Females invest more in offspring so choosy (Trivers), choices determine features passed on e.g.
height, runaway process/sexy sons hypothesis (Fisher).
Intra-sexual selection
- Within (intra) the sexes. The preferred male strategy, seeks quantity (sperm plentiful).
- Males seek signs of fertility (e.g. youthfulness, narrow waist), compete for fertile females, pass
on ‘victorious’ genes (e.g. larger body, aggression).
Evaluation:
Research support for inter-sexual selection
- 75% of men agreed to sexual requests from women, 0% women agreed to men's requests (Clark
and Hatfield).
Counterpoint
- Sexual selection simplistic, male/female strategies similar when seeking long-term relationships
(Buss and Schmitt).
Research support for intra-sexual selection
- 10,000 adults questioned in 33 countries, men seek signs of reproductive capacity (e.g. youth),
women want resources (Buss).
Social and cultural influences underestimated
- Rapid changes in partner preferences due to changing social norms (e.g. contraception,
workplace roles) (Bereczkei et al.).
Sexual selection and homosexuality
- Some argue that sexual selection theory can’t explain preferences of homosexual men and
women, but homsexuals male/female stratagies differ just like heterosexuals (Lawson et al.).
Self-disclosure
The theory:
Social penetration theory
, - Partners penetrate more deeply into each other’s lives with self-disclosure, a sign of trust (Altman
and Taylor).
Breadth and depth of self-disclosure
- Layers of an onion metaphor, at start reveal lots of superficial information (breadth) but then
move deeper. Depenetration as well.
Reciprocity of self-disclosure
- Disclosure must be returned, not just depth and breadth (Reis and Shaver).
Evaluation:
Research support
- Positive correlation between satisfaction and self-disclosure (Sprecher and Hendrick), especially
when partners take turns (Sprecher et al.).
Counterpoint
- Correlation research does not show disclosure causes satisfaction (could be vice versa, or both
caused by time spent together).
Real-world application
- 57% of homsexual men and women said they use self-disclosure as a maintenance strategy, a
skill that can be learned (Haas and Stafford).
Cultural differences
- Less sexual self-disclosure in collectivist cultures about sexual thoughts, but experience same
satisfaction (Tang et al.).
Self-disclosure and breakdown
- Increased self-disclosure is part of relationship formation but also increases in relationship
breakdown (Duck).
Physical Attractiveness
The theory:
Explaining the importance of physical attractiveness
- Symmetrical face is attractive because it’s an honest sign of genetic fitness, neotenous female
faces trigger caring instinct (Shackelford and Larsen). Both naturally selected.
The halo effect
- We have positive stereotypes of physically attractive people and assume they possess other
positive characteristics (Dion et al.).
The matching hypothesis
- Computer dance study, no support - chose most physically attractive (Walster et al.) but support
from Berscheid et al.(chose a similar level of physical attractiveness).
Evaluation:
Research support for the halo effect
- Attractive people rated as more politically competent, implications for politics (Palmer and
Peterson).
Evolutionary explanation
- Some females (small nose, large eyes) are considered attractive across cultures, sexual
selection (Cunningham et al.).
Research challenging the matching hypothesis
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller finnkeates. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.09. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
78310 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now