Relationships

Culture Relationships

Discuss Research into the influence of culture on romantic relationships ?

GRENADE

G > Fails to consider that men also have freedom of choice in Western culture
R > Simplistic, doesn't explore complexity of Romantic Relationships
E> Real life application - not replicable
N> Focuses more on Nurture & beliefs
A> Studies only carried out on humans
D > Deterministic - assumes couples in non-voluntary marriages can control marital satisfaction in a marriage they had no say in
E > American culture used to generalise Western cultures

Childhood & Adolescence

Discuss the influence of childhood and/or adolescent experiences on adult relationships ?

GRENADE

G> Equal focus on both Male and Female
R> Cognitive approach - fails to consider other approaches
E> Real life studies- more internal validity
N> Focus greater on Nurture
A> All studies carried out on humans
D> Deterministic fails to explain those who have bad relationships in their childhood but go on to have successful marriages
E> Many studies carried out on Western Cultures, cannot be generalised to Non Western

Formation

Outline and evaluate one theory of the formation of romantic relationships

GRENADE

G> Equal focus on both sexes
R> cognitive approach - fails to consider alternative
E> Some lab experiments = demand characteristics
N > Fails to consider nurture - e.g. parental influence/ peers
A > All human studies
D> Fails to consider free will; some individuals may choose a persons needs over rewards
E> doesn't account for other cultures, some cultures more focused on needs

Breakdown

Discuss research into the breakdown of romantic relationships

GRENADE

G > ignores gender differences - women stress unhappiness, men withhold sex, women want to stay friends - men don't
R> model stresses the importance of communication
E > Survey/Ratings - some participants may not be honest - lacks internal validity
N> focuses on nurture
A> Studies carried out on humans
D> Free will - some may choose to fix problems - CCET - Couples Coping Enhancement Training
E> Focus greater on Western

Sexual Selection/ Human Reproductive Behaviour

Discuss the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour

GRENADE

G> Woman equally have one night stands
R> considers elements of the evolutionary approach
E> larger samples sizes improve validity, harder to control extraneous variables
N> considers aspects of both Nature and Nurture but focus is greater on Nurture
A> All human studies - ecological validity
D> Fails to consider free will - do not base relationship on attractiveness/finance
E > High in population validity - 37 cultures

Maintenance

Outline and evaluate one theory of the maintenance of Romantic Relationships

GRENADE

G> men also in abusive relationships
R> Simplistic does not consider more complex factors e.g religion, race, counseling
E> lab experiments - demand characteristics - lacks validity
N> does not take into account evolution or biological therefore focus is on nurture
A> All studies carried out on humans
D> Deterministic - ignores social aspects
E> Focus on Western - cannot be generalised to Non - Western

Parental Investment

Discuss sex differences in parental investment

GRENADE

G> Single fathers
R> Reductionist - ignore personal and social conditions that determine investment
E> lab experiment - demand characteristics and extraneous variables - lacks external validity
N> Fails to consider nurture - e.g. peer influence
A> Human studies used - high in external validity
D> Deterministic - does not offer alternative explanations
E> US studieas - lacks generalization