the “bridge” study misattribution of emotional arousal tilted, swayed (6 ft.), wobbled low...
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The “Bridge” StudyMisattribution of Emotional Arousal
• Tilted, swayed (6 ft.), wobbled
• Low handrails (3 feet)• 230 foot drop to rocks and rapids
Procedure and Results?
versus
Results
Shortcoming of First Study?
Results of 1st study confirmed:
TAT Scores:
Exp. Group –---- 2.99Control Group – 1.92
Called Back:
Exp. Group –--- 13/20Control Group – 9/20
• Grater attraction ratings when subjects expected receiving a strong vs. weak shock
•TAT scores were significantly higher when both the male and female were expecting the strong shock
• Perceived Costs
• Comparison Level
• Comparison Level for Alternatives
Loss of freedom, $, time, effort, annoying habits, etc.
What we expect the outcomes of a relationship to be in terms of costs and rewards (e.g., a standard)
Expectations about the level of rewards (benefits) and punishments (costs) they would receive in an alternative relationship
Social Exchange Theory [We “buy” the best relationship we can get, one that gives us the
best value for our emotional dollar – From Aronson et al. Social Psychology, 2010, p. 299]
Outcome
(Rewards minus Costs)
When outcomes (rewards – costs) match one’s comparison level, satisfaction and commitment are higher – Alternatives are viewed as less desirable
• Perceived Rewards
Companionship, sexual fulfillment, status, greater income, friendships, etc.
Budget Study --- Procedure and Results?
Study 2 Procedure and Results?
40
30
20
10
0
40
30
20
10
0
Men
Women
High Budget
Low Budget
Physical attractivene
ss
Social status
Physical attractivene
ss
Social status
% Monet spent
% Monet spent
Gender Differences in Mate Preferences
Relationship-Enhancing and Distress-Maintaining Attributions
Positive Event
Relationship-Enhancing Attribution
Distress-Maintaining Attribution
My partner takes me out to an expensive dinner
My partner is sweet and thoughtful
My partner took me out to write the cost off on
taxes
Internal, stable, global
Negative Event
My partner forgot my birthday
External, unstable, specific
Something unexpected must have come up
External, unstable, specific
My partner is always uncaring and selfish
Internal, stable, global
Misattributions of Friendly Behavior
Routine Conversation
Female
Male
Observers
Female
Male
Viewed female as promiscuous; were attracted to the female; saw themselves
as flirtatious and seductive
Viewed males as behaving in a sexual manner; females as
promiscuous
Sexuallens
Interaction
Long-Term Relationships
1 2 3 54 6 7 8 9 10
Years of marriage
Ratin
gs o
f mar
ital q
ualit
y
Wife Husband
Marital Satisfaction over Time
In a longitudinal study that spanned ten years, married couples rated the quality of their marriages. On average, these ratings were high, but they declined among both husbands and wives. As you can see, there were two steep drops, occurring during the first and eighth years of marriage. (Kurdek, 1999.)
Health & Longevity
Low
High
Marriage, Health and Longevity
Men Women
Happily married
Unhappily married
Unmarried
Years of marriage
0-1 1-2 2-5 5-10 10+
90
80
70
60
50
40
Love marriages
Arranged marriages
“No man or woman really knows what love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.” --- Mark Twain
Changes in Life Satisfaction Before and After Divorce
In this study, 817 men and women who were divorced at some point rated how satisfied they were with life on a scale of 0 to 10 every year for eighteen years. Overall, divorcees were less satisfied than their married counterparts-a common result. On the question of whether time heals the wound, you can see that satisfaction levels dipped before divorce, rebounded afterward, but did not return to original levels. It appears that people adapt but do not fully recover from this experience. (Lucas, 2005.)
0.00
-0.50
-1.00
2 4-8 0-2 6-6 -4
Life
Sati
sfac
tion
Ratin
gs
Years Before and After Divorce
Divorce
Relationship Conflict --- Some Issues
• Jealousy ---
Men Sexual infidelity (60%)
Women Emotional infidelity (83%)
• Communication ---
Demand-withdraw interaction pattern (Females wish to discuss problems, men avoid/withdraw from such discussions)
• Sex
• Children
• Money
• Different expectations
Interpersonal Relationships (Dynamic Approach)
Relationships
• Individual subjective reactions to cues in an interaction
• Active search/detection process for cues
• Timing and sequencing of cues (e.g., baking a cake example)
Thoughts about interpersonal interactions
Evaluation of interaction as good, average, poor
• Future possibilities
• Strategies
Narratives/stories about relationships
• Who is told? When they are told? What is said? Why they are told?
• Difference in perceptions; memory for facts
Interpersonal Relationship