Relationships, Intimacy, and Marriage: A Comprehensive Overview, Slides of Psychology

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GENDER AND

SEXUALITY

CHAPTER 12

MODULE 12. RELATIONSHIPS

Emerging Adulthood: A New Stage of Life? Young adults are increasingly likely to get a later start in life than older generations did

• Emerging adulthood encompasses period between 18 and the late twenties
• May be response to shifting cultural forces
• Involves sense of not knowing place in life and not quite fitting into adult role
• Brain region involving prefrontal cortex continues to grow and change into mid-twenties
• Some criticize stage is artifact of more lucrative society; true stages are not optional

Seeking Intimacy: Erikson's View of Young Adulthood Intimacy-versus-isolation stage

• Intimacy = Close, intimate relationship with others
• Isolation = Feelings of loneliness and fearful of relationships

The Combinations of Love

Over the course of a relationship, the three aspects of love—intimacy, passion, and decision/commitment—vary in strength. How do these change as a relationship develops? (Source: Sternberg, 1986 .) The Shape of Love

Filtering Models of Mate Selection

Attachment Styles and Romantic Relationships

• Attachment styles continue into adulthood and affect the nature of romantic relationships
• Secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment
• Dimensions of anxiety and avoidance

THE COURSE OF RELATIONSHIPS

Why Do People Choose Cohabitation Rather Than Marriage?

• Not ready for lifelong commitment
• “Practice” for marriage
• Reject institution of marriage
• The chances of divorce are somewhat higher for those who have previously cohabited

Why Do People Wait?

https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Evlenme-ve-Bosanma-Istatistikleri- 2021 - 45568

What Makes Marriage Work? Successful married partners:

• Show affection
• Communicate relatively little negativity
• Perceive themselves as interdependent
• Experience social homogamy, similarity in leisure activity. and role preferences
• Hold similar interests
• Agree on distribution of roles

Early Marital Conflict

• Nearly half of newly married couples experience a significant degree of conflict
• However;
• Most married couples view early years of marriage as deeply satisfying
• Find themselves more deeply in love than before marriage
• Report newlywed period as one of happiest in entire married life