Formation and Maintenance of Relationship

Describe and evaluate the formation and maintenance of relationships In the field of psychology, the most common relationships are classified into 3 types:

• Romantic relationship
• Social relationships (Friendship)
• Family relationship

Romantic relationships

Formation: According to the Reward/ Need satisfaction theory of Bryne and Clore in the 1970s, some romantic relationship may develop due to their satisfaction and happiness they achieve when spending time with the other partner. Most people when being asked why they are attracted to their partners would reply back with answers like attentive, attractive, supporting, caring, etc.

This suggests that we are more likely to be attracted to people that we are satisfied or gratified to be with. Most stimuli in our lives can be classified into negative and rewarding ones. We tend to search for rewarding stimuli and avoid the negative stimuli. The things that we are most likely going to find rewarding tend to reflect our unsatisfied needs such as the need for company, financial security, an attractive partner and so on. Mutual attractions usually occurs when one meets the other’s needs although one might need company and the other in search for financial security. Maintenance:

What keeps relationships going? Some relationship never seem to last and have any passion in while some can be extremely long-lasting and may even last for a life-time. Maintaining relationships was never a one-way process, it involves and requires the interaction of both the participants, each with their own needs and expectations. The partners not only have to serve their own needs but also satisfy the needs of their partners. The social exchange theory by Thibaut and Kelley in 1959: In terms of profit and loss, individuals always attempt to maximise the profit and minimise the effort needed.

Rewards that may be received in a relationship can vary from care, money, companionship and sex. The effort needed that is the costs may vary from financial investments, time spent and attention given. The reward minus the costs is equal to the outcome or the profitability of the relationship. The stress of a relationship is dependent on the profitability of the relationship. Equilty theory of Walster et al. in 1978: This theory suggests that the most successful and longterm relationships are ones that have a balanced giving and receiving.

It had a central assumption that everyone long for fairness in their relationship and when one puts a lot of effort into the relationship but gets little in return, they would feel unfair and inequity would create stress in the relationship, The greater the unfairness and inequity is, the more distress it would create in the relationship. Other theories: Other theories such as the one put forward by Steil and Wletman in 1991 suggests that men and women may judge the equity of a relationship more differently.

Studies have shown that when the income is mainly from the male side, the career would become a more important priority and it is usually agreed by both sides. However, when the female earn more than the male, neither partner rated their career as priority.

Social relationships:

Friendship Interpersonal psychology research object: Psychological relationship between people, is something much deeper than behavior, the relevance and necessity of the law of the behavior of the individual exchanges.

Interpersonal theory of psychological research tasks: Is to fully reveal and clarify the general rules and mechanisms of interpersonal development, analyze the theoretical basis of interpersonal figure out individual and personal interaction of individuals and groups, and people in the system of interpersonal functioning explore interpersonal attitudes, social perception, self-perception, psychological control, interpersonal influence, interpersonal attraction, interpersonal conflict and group behavior, interpersonal.

To establish interpersonal psychology unique concepts, terminology, category system, to provide a basis for further improve interpersonal psychology scientific theoretical system, accumulation of material for the enrichment and development of psychological theory and methods, this is a long and arduous job. At the same time, but also the interpersonal psychology in China as soon as possible, that is suitable for China’s national conditions, after selection – intake – the Chinese way, to establish the actual interpersonal psychology system in line with China’s national conditions for reform and opening up.

Task of the interpersonal psychological research practice: (1) the right to deal with interpersonal relationships. (2) to adjust the interpersonal relationships. (3) continue to improve interpersonal relationships. (4) the development of new relationships. (5) correct deformity relationships. Interpersonal relations and social relations: (1) interpersonal and social relations are two different concepts, can not be confused.

Interpersonal relationships as a social relationship between the role and any other kind of social relations, is bound by the constraints of the relations of production, but also by other social relations, and thus should be examined in the interpersonal relationships within the social relations. At the same time, we should also see interpersonal relationships is the true reality of social relations phenomenon. 2) interpersonal and objective social relations is generated at the same time, interpersonal outset by the constraints impact of social relations, social relations exist in the relationships among Of course, social relations with the interpersonal concept of two-level has different theoretical generalization force. Emphasize the reality of the relationship between the overall aspects of non-personalized social relations, interpersonal relationships is more individual, personalized to show the reality aspect.

Relationships are formed on the basis of the social relations, but not the same thing. Social relations is the object of sociological research, which on the one hand to study the relationship of the human and material; the other hand, social relations, including the relationship between the ideological, legal relationship, the moral relationship. While interpersonal interpersonal direct psychological relations, it is constrained by social relations, is a reflection of social relations, but it has a certain relative independence.

Relationships are a product of social relations: (1) any kind of interpersonal is always social relations. (2) the fundamental nature of human relationships is determined by the nature of the social patterns of social relations of production. (3) changes in interpersonal relationships is determined by changes in social relations. (4) the complexity of the personal relationships is determined by the complexity of the social relations. Necessity of interpersonal Research:

Not exist in isolation, the links with the community, is bound to a variety of relationships, including family relationships, friend relationship, Jacky (students) relationship, the teacher-student relationship, employment relationship, comrades relations, colleagues and leadership and leadership relations. With the thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the process of interaction of these relationships, interaction and communication with others, these relations between different objects will point to different directions.

Healthy relationship is to attract and cooperation; but because of the environmental impact of personality factors, psychological factors and other reasons, many people deal with bad interpersonal relationships will inevitably be caught in the contradictions and pain, the relationship between the parties do not have enough wisdom to resolve resulting inner conflict, will be plunged into a crisis of human relationships, even interpersonal psychological barriers, thereby reducing their life happiness index.

Important links between interpersonal and psychological health, good interpersonal comes from a healthy state of mind, self-confident, optimistic, calm, fraternity, to help others, humility, tolerance, and so on, these good quality behavior in interpersonal play a very good role in promoting, healthy relationships can also make people relieve stress, calm down, people’s personal development, physical and mental health also played a positive role.

On the other hand, problems in interpersonal relationships, will be more or less there some psychological problems, even psychological barriers interpersonal, in the interaction between people, they express more conceited, self-esteem negative psychological interference of others, suspicious, sensitive, jealous, resulting interpersonal again and again thwarted. Therefore, to study the psychology of interpersonal relationships came into being.