Attraction Communication/ consolidation Buildup Ending Deterioration and decline Relationship continues Triggering factors: Proximity, Similarity, Erotic love etc… Social-exchange and equity: Communication, Self- disclosure, Communal concern, External supports Social-exchange and equity/inequity: Relative attractiveness of alternatives, Barriers to dissolution Important variables influencing attraction Emotion Low: Relationship in stable state High: Heady feeling of romantic love High: Upset of deterioration and trauma of disruption The life cycle of a relationship

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

Procedure? AttributionsMarital Satisfaction Causal attributions (what lead to an event) Responsibility attributions (blame, accountability) Or another non-attributional factor: Relationship expectations (unrealistic) Focus on attributions for negative events (Your spouse does not pay attention to what you are saying,” Your spouse criticizes something you do) Background

Overall Conclusions and Interpretations Attributions cause or lead to marital satisfaction levels Are attributional styles being used rather than ones based on specific behavior Role of wife’s attributions : 1) negative attribution for spouse behavior, 2) negative behavior toward spouse, 3) her behavior impacts her assessment of relationship satisfaction, 4) husband’s behavior affected by wife’s behavior Wives’s attributions may be the barometers of marital satisfaction. Their attributions may influence their marital satisfaction across time, whereas husbands’ attributions only reflect their marital satisfaction Husband’s attributions not related to later marital satisfaction attributional usage; (less?) ExpectationsAttributions Relationship Satisfaction

Costs (Inputs) Benefits (Outputs) Comparison Level (e.g., a standard) Comparison Level for Alternatives Loss of freedom, $, time restrictions, etc. Companionship, sexual fulfillment, security, etc. Other person in a relationship, yourself in the past, an ideal Evaluation of the value of other partners Social Equity Theory

Inequity (under-benefitting) Low satisfaction and commitment (breakups likely) High satisfaction and commitment Low Inequity (under-benefitting) Commitment of females Relationship stability Greater alternatives (man & women) Breakups Satisfaction (men & women) Stability Summary of Findings

LikingLove LikingLoving Separate constructs or along a continuum?

Sample Liking Scale Items When I am with _____, we are almost always in the same mood. I think that _____ is unusually well-adjusted. I would highly recommend _____ for a responsible job. In my opinion, _____ is an exceptionally mature person. I have great confidence in _____’s good judgment. I think that _____ is someone one of those people who quickly win your respect. _____ is one of the most likeable people I know. _____ is the sort of person whom I myself would like to be. I would vote for _____ in a class or group election.

Sample Love Scale Items I would do anything for _____. I feel responsible for _____’s well being. I feel very possessive toward _____. If I could never be with _____, I would feel miserable. If I were lonely, my first thought would be to seek _____ out. I would forgive _____ for practically anything. In would greatly enjoy being confided in by _____. When I am with _____, I spend a good deal of my time just looking at him/her. I would be hard for me to get along without _____.

Liking & Loving for Dating Partners and Same-Sex Friends Index Women Men Love for Partner Liking for Partner Love for Friend Liking for Friend

Interpersonal Relationship --- Newer Approaches 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 --- Newer Approaches (cont.)