The Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships

by Berscheid, Ellen S.; Regan, Pamela C.

• ISBN13: 9780131836129
• ISBN10: 0131836129
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-02-06
• Publisher: Rittenhouse Book Distributors

Summary

A comprehensive introduction that reflects the fact that relationship science has proved to be an intellectually cohesive and cumulative endeavor.Encompasses the relationship itself and the common descriptors of relationships, and defines and discusses the constructs critical to relationship science.Anyone interested in the historical and theoretical perspectives that are the basis of knowledge of interpersonal relationships.

Author Biography

Ellen S. Berscheid, Regents' Professor of Psychology Emerita, University of Minnesota

Pamela C. Regan, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Part 1 Relationships: The Web of Life	1	(62)
First Relationships	1	(30)
Introduction	1	(2)
The Human Infant's Social Inheritance	3	(1)
The Evolutionary Perspective	3	(3)
The Need to Belong	5	(1)
The Human Infant's Biological Inheritances Facilitative of Social Interaction	6	(18)
The Attachment Behavioral System	6	(10)
Other Innate Social Response Systems	16	(8)
Social Interaction and Brain Development	24	(4)
Nature vs. Nurture: A False Dichotomy	25	(2)
The Infant's Contributions to Relationship Initiation and Maintenance	27	(1)
Implications for Society	28	(2)
Summary	30	(1)
Relationships and Health	31	(32)
Introduction	31	(2)
Relationships and Mortality	33	(4)
Social Networks	36	(1)
Social Support	37	(15)
The Concept of Social Support	38	(7)
Social Support and Stress	45	(7)
Adverse Effects of Relationships on Health	52	(6)
Physical Aggression and Violence	52	(2)
Psychological Aggression	54	(2)
Bereavement	56	(2)
Relationships and Happiness	58	(4)
Loneliness	59	(3)
Summary	62	(1)
Part 2 Relationship Science	63	(96)
The Development of Relationship Science	63	(32)
Introduction	63	(1)
Obstacles to the Study of Relationships	64	(20)
Societal Taboos	64	(3)
Ethical Considerations	67	(1)
Methodological and Analytical Challenges	68	(16)
The Multidisciplinary Nature of Relationship Science	84	(2)
Disciplines Contributing to Relationship Science	86	(6)
Psychology	87	(2)
Marital and Family Therapy	89	(1)
Communication Studies	90	(1)
Sociology	90	(1)
Anthropology	91	(1)
Economics	91	(1)
Cultural Differences in Relationships	92	(2)
Summary	94	(1)
The Concept of Relationship	95	(36)
Introduction	95	(1)
Interaction: The Essence of a Relationship	96	(7)
Amount and Kind of Interaction	96	(2)
Lack of Interaction	98	(3)
Multiple Views of a Current Relationship	101	(1)
Symmetry of Influence	101	(2)
The Observational Base of Relationship Science	103	(10)
Establishing Interdependence	104	(7)
Interaction Patterns	111	(2)
The Aim of Relationship Science: Identifying Causal Conditions	113	(1)
Sources of Interaction Data	114	(5)
Self-Reports	115	(1)
Observation	116	(2)
Archives and Other Public Records	118	(1)
General Theories of Social Interaction	119	(10)
Social Learning Theory	119	(2)
Homans's Social Exchange Theory	121	(2)
Equity Theories	123	(1)
Interdependence Theory	124	(5)
Summary	129	(2)
Varieties of Relationship	131	(28)
Introduction	131	(1)
Family Relationships	131	(9)
Changes in the American Family	133	(7)
Close Relationships	140	(6)
Conceptualizations of Closeness	140	(3)
Comparisons of Closeness Measures	143	(3)
Intimate Relationships	146	(2)
Responsivity	147	(1)
Other Common Relationship Descriptors	148	(2)
Compatiable Relationships	148	(1)
Healthy Relationships	149	(1)
Dimensions Underlying Relationships	150	(1)
Relationship Taxonomies	151	(2)
Neglected Types of Close Relationship	153	(5)
Friend Relationships	153	(1)
Relationships with Nonhumans	154	(4)
Summary	158	(1)
Part 3 Relationship Initiation and Development	159	(66)
Birth of a Relationship	159	(32)
Introduction	159	(1)
Voluntary and Involuntary Interaction: Closed vs. Open Interaction Fields	159	(3)
The Beginning: Attention to Another Person	162	(7)
Selective Attention	162	(4)
Attention and Attraction	166	(3)
Affiliation	169	(6)
Voluntary Affiliation and Attraction	169	(1)
Other Determinants of Voluntary Affiliation	170	(5)
Attraction in First Encounters	175	(15)
The Attraction Construct	176	(1)
Learning Theory Approaches to Attraction	177	(1)
General Principles of Attraction	177	(13)
Summary	190	(1)
Relationship Growth and Maintenance	191	(34)
Introduction	191	(1)
Causal Conditions Affecting Relationship Development and Stability	192	(1)
General Theories of Relationship Development	193	(4)
The Fundamental Assumption	193	(1)
Interdependence Theory	193	(2)
The Intersection Model	195	(1)
The Cohesiveness Model	196	(1)
Romantic Relationship Development	197	(6)
Romantic Relationship Development: Theory	197	(3)
Romantic Relationship Progression: Research	200	(3)
Friendship Development	203	(3)
Processes Associated with Relationship Development and Maintenance	206	(14)
Self-Disclosure: Altman and Taylor's Social Penetration Theory	206	(2)
Trust	208	(2)
Commitment	210	(9)
Conflict	219	(1)
Environmental Factors Influencing Relationship Growth and Maintenance	220	(4)
Social Environmental Factors	221	(1)
Physical Environmental Factors	222	(1)
Reasons for the Neglect of Environmental Factors	223	(1)
Summary	224	(1)
Part 4 Relationship Processes	225	(97)
Cognitive Processes	225	(34)
Introduction	225	(1)
Knowing Another Person	225	(5)
Expectancies	226	(2)
Consciousness and the Mind's Activities	228	(1)
Social Cognitive Psychology	228	(2)
Processing Social Information	230	(6)
Automatic/Associative Information Processing	230	(1)
The Associative Memory System and Regularities in the Social Environment	231	(3)
Controlled/Rule-Based Information Processing	234	(2)
First Impressions	236	(8)
Social Categorization	236	(3)
Principles of Social Categorization	239	(4)
New Models of Cognition	243	(1)
Relationship Schemas	244	(4)
Interaction Scripts	246	(2)
Memory for Relationship Events	248	(3)
Account Narratives	250	(1)
Major Theories of Social Cognition: Implications for Relationship Phenomena	251	(7)
Theories of Cognitive Consistency	252	(3)
The Attribution Theories	255	(3)
Summary	258	(1)
Affective Processes	259	(34)
Introduction	259	(1)
The Social Context of Human Emotion	259	(2)
Facial Expressions of Emotion	261	(7)
The Universality of Emotional Expression Hypothesis	262	(3)
Theories of Basic Emotions	265	(1)
Observing Emotion in Social Interaction	266	(1)
The Social Interactional View of Facial Expression	267	(1)
Physiological Arousal and Emotion	268	(8)
The James-Lange Theory	268	(1)
Schachter's Two-Component Theory	269	(6)
Physiological Arousal in Social Interaction	275	(1)
Cognition and Emotion	276	(15)
The Concept of Emotion	278	(1)
Affect	279	(4)
Preferences	283	(1)
Mood	284	(2)
Cognitive Theories of Emotion	286	(5)
Summary	291	(2)
Dispositional Influences	293	(29)
Introduction	293	(1)
Maleness and Femaleness	294	(8)
Biological Sex	294	(4)
Theoretical Explanations for Sex Differences	298	(3)
Psychological Gender or Sex-Role Orientation	301	(1)
Personality	302	(11)
Supertraits	302	(4)
Personal Motives	306	(4)
Self-Monitoring	310	(1)
Locus of Control	311	(1)
Sociosexual Orientation	312	(1)
Dispositional Affect	313	(2)
Interpersonal Belief Systems	315	(6)
Adult Attachment Style	316	(3)
Rejection Sensitivity	319	(2)
Summary	321	(1)
Part 5 Mating Relationships	322	(69)
Love	322	(31)
Introduction	322	(1)
Taxonomies of Love	323	(3)
Psychometric Approaches to Love	326	(4)
Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love	326	(2)
Lee's Colors of Love Taxonomy	328	(1)
The Measurement of Love	329	(1)
The Prototype Approach to Love	330	(3)
Passionate (Romantic) Love	333	(13)
Early Theoretical Discourse on Passionate Love	333	(4)
Social Psychological Theories of Passionate Love	337	(2)
The Measurement of Passionate Love	339	(1)
Research on the Nature of Passionate Love	339	(3)
The Biochemistry of Passion	342	(4)
Companionate Love	346	(2)
The Biochemistry of Affection	347	(1)
Problematic Aspects of Love	348	(4)
Unrequited Passionate Love	348	(1)
Obsession	349	(2)
Mismatched Love Styles	351	(1)
Summary	352	(1)
Mate Selection and Sex	353	(38)
Introduction	353	(1)
Theoretical Approaches to Mating Relationships	354	(3)
Social Context Theories	354	(1)
Evolutionary Theories	355	(2)
Mate Preferences	357	(5)
Self-Perception and Compromise	361	(1)
Mate Attraction and Courtship	362	(3)
Communicating Romantic Attraction in Initial Encounters	363	(1)
The First Date	364	(1)
Beyond the First Date	364	(1)
Mate Selection	365	(4)
Monogamy	367	(1)
Divorce	368	(1)
Relational Sex	369	(1)
Sexual Attitudes	370	(3)
Beliefs About the Role of Sex in Dating Relationships	370	(2)
Beliefs About the Role of Sex In Marital Relationships	372	(1)
Sexual Attraction	373	(3)
Sex Appeal	374	(1)
Sexual History	375	(1)
Sexuality in Beginning Relationships	376	(2)
The First Sexual Encounter	376	(2)
Sexual Influence	378	(1)
Sexuality in Established Relationships	378	(4)
Sexual Frequency and Its Decline Over Time	378	(2)
Sexual Satisfaction	380	(1)
Sexual Communication	381	(1)
Problematic Aspects of Relational Sex	382	(8)
Sexual Disinterest	382	(1)
Sexual Aggression	383	(1)
Sexual Infidelity	384	(3)
Sexual Jealousy	387	(3)
Summary	390	(1)
Part 6 Relationships Over Time	391	(64)
Satisfaction and Stability	391	(34)
Introduction	391	(1)
Measuring Relationship Satisfaction and Stability	392	(6)
Marital Stability	393	(1)
Marital Satisfaction	393	(2)
Problems in Identifying Determinants of Satisfaction	395	(3)
Marital Satisfaction Over Time	398	(6)
Cross-Sectional Studies of Satisfaction	399	(1)
Longitudinal Studies of Satisfaction and Stability	399	(5)
Factors Associated with Satisfaction	404	(18)
Person Conditions	404	(4)
Environmental Conditions	408	(7)
Relational Characteristics	415	(7)
The Contribution of Satisfaction to Stability	422	(2)
Dissatisfied Stable Marriages	423	(1)
Summary	424	(1)
Intervention and Dissolution	425	(30)
Introduction	425	(1)
Happy and Unhappy Marriages	426	(4)
Happy Marriages	427	(1)
Unhappy Marriages	428	(2)
The Clinical Research Approach to Distressed Relationships	430	(10)
Growth of the Field of Relationship Therapy	430	(2)
The Research Paradigm	432	(2)
Communication Patterns of Distressed Couples	434	(4)
Limitations of the Observational Research Paradigm	438	(2)
Therapeutic Interventions for Distressed Relationships	440	(8)
Contraindications for Therapy	440	(1)
Therapeutic Approaches	441	(4)
Intervention Effectiveness	445	(2)
Preventive Intervention	447	(1)
Paths to Divorce and Separation	448	(2)
Bereavement	450	(4)
Summary	454	(1)
Glossary	455	(16)
References	471	(60)
Credits	531	(2)
Index	533	(12)
Name Index	545

Excerpts

Just a little over two decades ago, at a conference addressed to interpersonal relationship phenomena, our host related to some of us that he had submitted a course proposal to the dean of his college suggesting that the psychology department offer a relationships course. His proposal was summarily rejected. At that time, his dean was not the only one who viewed the study of interpersonal relationships as fragmented empirically, immature conceptually, uncohesive theoretically, and lacking in the methodological rigor that characterized established lines of inquiry. Many, both inside and outside of psychology, believed the relationship field to have the potential to yield only an inchoate collection of "interesting" findings and "how to" advice to college students about their romantic relationships. Even within social psychology, the study of interpersonal relationships was regarded as teetering dangerously on the brink of the outer "edge of "soft psychology." Today, no major research university can afford not to have a relationship course in its psychology curriculum. Scholars in virtually all of the traditional areas of psychological inquiry have come to recognize that human behavior end development take place in the context of relationships with other people, and thus, in order to accomplish psychology''s aim of understanding and predicting human behavior, it is necessary to incorporate the relationship context into psychological theory and research. "Contextualism" is in ascendance in psychology, and no context is more omnipresent and omnipotent than the relationships in which people are embedded from the time they are born to the time they die. The growing recognition of the critical role that relationships play in human behavior and development is partly due to the fact that the relationship field has confronted and successfully overcome many of its conceptual and methodological obstacles and currently is drawing on and contributing to virtually all areas of psychology--including clinical, counseling, educational, industrial and organizational, developmental, and social and personality psychology, as well as behavior genetics, cognitive and affective neuroscience, and psychoimmunology, to name just a few. As a consequence, increasing numbers of upper-division undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and many of the other social, behavioral, biological, and health sciences are seeking a brief but comprehensive introduction to the field that will inform their own specialized pursuits within psychology and other disciplines. This textbook is intended to provide an integrated and organized foundation for such students. It emphasizes the relationship field''s intellectual themes, roots, and milestones; discusses its key constructs and their conceptualizations; describes its methodologies and classic studies; and, most important, presents the theories that have guided relationship scholars and produced the field''s major research themes. This text is intended to reflect the fact that relationship science has proved to be an intellectually cohesive and cumulative endeavor, one with vast potential to advance progress in most areas of psychological inquiry as well as many other disciplines. Although relationship science is multidisciplinary, this text is titled The Psychology of Interpersonal Relationshipsfor a number of reasons: Psychology has been and continues to be a major contributor to the field; psychology is likely to be the major beneficiary of the advancement of relationship science; the authors are psychologists; and, finally, mast relationship courses at present are taught within academic departments of psychology. It is not difficult to foresee that there will someday be departments of relationship science that will bring together scholars from all the contributing disciplines, but such developments must await a loosening of the financial constraints that currently afflict higher education. As a multidisciplinary field, relationship science covers vast terrain and presents a challenge to instructors who generally are themselves interested in only certain subsets of relationship phenomena. By providing the student with a broad and comprehensive foundation in relationship science in the course text, we hoped to free instructors (including ourselves) from the necessity of presenting this foundation in lecture or through supplementary readings, thereby affording them the opportunity to emphasize their own disciplines. Finally, we should note that although this text assumes that the reader has had an introductory course in psychology, it does not assume a strong background. Many students currently earning degrees in other disciplines have taken only an introductory psychology course (sometimes in the distant past). Students in relationship courses are, we have discovered, nothing if not eclectic. It is not unusual to have students from psychology and sociology alongside those from business, nursing, pharmacy, mortuary science, theater, family practice, social work, and anthropology. We have tried to make relationship science accessible to interested and motivated students in these disciplines as well as to upper-division undergraduates and graduate students in psychology.