Exam 2: Influential Theories

A child's attachment figure is best defined as:

The chapter about theoretical perspectives on intimate relationships outlines three broad themes that capture the types of variables described by theories of intimate relationships.Identify these three themes and indicate which theories described in the chapter tend to focus on each of the themes.

In Hill's ABC-X model of how relationships react to stressful conditions,the C stands for:

Describe the strengths and limitations that social learning theory brings to the study of intimate relationships.

The actor Leonardo DiCaprio,considered by some to be one of the most desirable men on the planet,is not married.He has no trouble forming relationships,but he seems quite willing to leave them as soon as they stop working out for him.Social exchange theories of relationships would say that Leonardo has:

Which of the following is NOT a problem facing researchers taking an evolutionary perspective on intimate relationships?

Which of the following statements describes working models of attachment?

Social exchange theory and social learning theory are similar in that they both draw from behaviorist principles of reinforcement and punishment.A key difference between the two is that social exchange theory takes a more ________ approach to intimate relationships,whereas social learning theory takes a more ________ approach.

Tina and Jill have been married for 4 years.When experiencing conflict,they tend to respond to each other's negative effects and behaviors with further negativity.Although they feel somewhat less satisfied with each other and with the relationship after an argument,they generally maintain a high level of satisfaction.In the first few years of their marriage,they rarely argued;however,Jill's mother was recently diagnosed with cancer,and Jill has been spending more time with her mother and less time with Tina than Tina would like.This has created tension and has led to increased conflict between Tina and Jill.As a result,Tina and Jill find that their satisfaction with the relationship has been steadily decreasing.Your textbook describes five theoretical approaches to intimate relationships.Which of these approaches provide(s)the best explanation for Tina and Jill's declining relationship satisfaction? Why?

A fundamental assumption of social exchange theory is that people evaluate the rewards and costs of their relationships.Define "rewards" and "costs," and describe the two types of potential rewards of an intimate relationship.

One of the classic ecological models of intimate relationships is Hill's ABC-X model,developed after World War II.More recently,McCubbin and Patterson developed the double ABC-X model,which differs from the original model in that it:

Describe the strengths and limitations that social ecological models bring to the study of intimate relationships.

Which of the following is NOT an example of cross-cultural research?

Imagine that you are a social learning theorist studying communication patterns in intimate relationships.A couple has just arrived at the research lab,and you explain that they will be asked to discuss a problem they are trying to solve as well as share with each other a time when someone else (other than their partner)hurt their feelings.What types of data/information will you,as the researcher,collect based on these interactions? Assuming the couple is in a satisfied relationship,what would you observe about their interactions as compared to couples in unsatisfied relationships?

Describe the strengths and limitations that attachment theory brings to the study of intimate relationships.

In evaluating the evolutionary perspective,the textbook authors conclude that:

Twelve-month-old Joshua enters an unfamiliar laboratory playroom with his mother.When she leaves,he gets distressed.Joshua's distress is an example of a:

Farida recently moved from a very small town to a large city to pursue a college education.In high school she did not have a boyfriend,even though she would have liked to have been in a relationship.She did not get asked to go on dates because she was not considered one of the "popular" students.In one of her college courses,Farida met Sayid,who asked her out for coffee a few times and seems interested in pursuing a relationship with her.Farida wonders,however,whether Sayid is truly interested in dating her or whether he only wants to spend time with her because she is doing well in their college class.Because no other men have expressed interest,Farida decides to pursue a relationship with Sayid.Interpret Farida's situation from a social exchange theory perspective.

Who is most likely to agree with this statement? "Relationships deteriorate because partners have not acquired the skills needed to manage their conflicts and differences of opinion.Mismanaged conflict breeds further conflict or disengagement,to the point where partners conclude that the relationship is no longer satisfying and viable."

According to evolutionary psychologists,the preferences,capacities,responses,and strategies that characterize our species are called: