Formation of relationships :)

- People tend to think that the formation of relationships to be based on deep feelings and similiraties 

- However scientific study has show that the initial stages at least have little to with emotions are more to do with self interest 

(That is a pretty depressing really! haha)    

- Sociobiology is the study of social behaviours in terms of evolutionary factors

- They beleive that the behaviours that we present now are due to adaptive pressures that our ancestors experienced

- what guides mate choice?  ... Parental investment! 

- Sociobiology is the study of social behaviours in terms of evolutionary factors

- They beleive that the behaviours that we present now are due to adaptive pressures that our ancestors experienced

- what guides mate choice?  ... Parental investment! 

- Parental investment refers to the time, care annd work to make offspring

- Women = high parental investment ----> pregnant fo 9 months, intensive care for 18+

- Desirable for women to have few babies for successful reproduction

- Men = low parental investment -----> only really need to be there for 5 minutes or so ;) haha 

- Desirable for men to have many babies for successful reproduction 

- These lead to predictions of mate choice:

* Women want men who can provide, so older mates

* Men want a fertile mate, so youger mates 

- Buss (1989) did a study with approx 10,000 people in 37 countries

- They found that women want "good fincancial prospects" and men want "youthfulness" ect 

- Significant because they all have different cultures, religioins ect but still want the same in mates

- Dunbar (1995) studied news paper ads, seeking column

- Found that men show off their economic stautus and sought for youthfulness in 42% of cases 

- The social exchange thory (SET) proposed by Kelly and Thibaut, like society it is profit (comfort)  and loss (energy) in a relationship

- Four stages of a forming relationship: 

* Sampling: considering the potential profits and losses. we judge this new relationship with our comparison level of our previous relationships.

* Bargaining: As the relationshis develops, partners give an recieve rewards

* Committment: Predictability increases, we know how to illicit rewards from a partner

*Institutionalisation: Norms are developed

- Has been successfull applied in abusive relationships ( Rusbult and Martz), Women stay becuase the profits such as kids and finicial security is worth the "cost" of abuse

- Criticised for focusing too much on the individulas perspective and not the social aspect of relationships

-Duck and Sants (1983) call it "selfish"

- In conclusion these theories do give  perfectly good explanations of some relationships however they fail to cover thee formation of all relations as human we have.

- For example the evolutionary adaptive pressures do not give an explanation to same sex relationships and the SET does not give an explanation for a mother and child relationship that for a long time is just “costs” to the mother.