Social Relationships And Relationship Research

Superior Essays
The effect of social relationships on human development and behaviour has gained prominence of late, with many psychologists trying to unearth the relationship. Because the behaviour of individuals is contingent on the individual relationships with others, interpersonal relationships have formed the background and theme of human life. Psychologists are in the effort of developing a science and pattern of relationship based on the belief that human relationships are the main factor in shaping the behaviour of individuals and their pertinent development over their whole lifespan (Reis et al., 2000). Research shows that different individuals respond differently to different stimuli and that the meaning of stimuli does change dramatically with …show more content…
Much research has however wanted to identify the resemblances and disparities that exist in behaviour within the different settings and across cultures. Of particular interest are the multicultural inconsistency in nature and effects of the bond between self and relationship associates, which has for sure given rise to a new perspective to help people understand the self, social cognition and interpersonal behaviour (Kitayama & Cohen, 2010). Currently, there are two models of the self, one model conceiving the self in terms of relative self-directed, individualistic terms, while the other does state that individualism is “embedded in a mesh of relationships and roles.” Relationships between different individuals constitute a primary focus and are primarily focused on building a harmonious functioning of different social entities. Researchers have argued that relationships are quite detrimental in individualistic cultures, but it is possible that social activities, even those that are found in close relationships tend to focus on providing the satisfaction of individual needs and goals. In contrast, communal cultures advocate for attention, cognition, affect, and inspiration and they are all organised in terms of relationships and …show more content…
It has shown that cultures depend on the disposition of explanations for behaviour while people from collectivist cultures tend to make a more rational emphasis on the social context within which behaviour takes place (Kitayama & Cohen, 2010). Idiosyncratic westerners also tend to eye individual potentials, especially traits that provide a distinction from self, while social roles and relationships within this group figure more importantly in persons that originate from communal cultures (Kitayama & Cohen, 2010). It is of certainty that an acknowledgement of the cultural effects of basic psychological spectacles provides an understanding of the importance of relationships. Social relations and the interactive relationships provide a medium through which the cultural features are transferred to

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Socialization is the problem of learning the behaviors of a given society. During socialization one will be assigned a role, and be continuously expected to fulfill that role. Individuals will also form an identity based on their role, social norms, and other aspects about their life, and this identity will eventually lead to a personality. This personality will be a pattern of behaviors that someone constructs due to their identity. Functionalists view the point of socialization as the creation of cohesion through conformity.…

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The aim of this assignment is to discuss the long term effects of early social development, looking at two different theories of attachment (the evolutionary theory and the learning theory). Attachment as an infant refers to a unique relationship or bond that develops between the infant and a main caregiver (usually the mother) from a young age and beyond over time (Ainsworth, 1973; Bowlby, 1969). The ability to form attachment is said to be due to two things ‘nature or nurture’ (evolutionary and learning theory). Nature is described as an innate process present in both the infant and the mother which naturally and biologically aids the attachment process. Nurture on the other hand is said to be a learnt behaviour and the attachment is a necessary means to survival (due to the need of food)…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Considering that there are several consequences that may interrupt a group’s climate, this week the group discovered how the variables of culture may influences group climates. Alana, Latasha, and Deborah agreed that culture diversity within a group environment may limit the communication between group participants. In the event of Alana participating in virtual group environments she discovered how individuals of different cultures presented different forms of communication. Although, physical contact was not presented, Alana, realized how a group participant’s communication by the means of writing could be challenging, fun, and or interesting. Meanwhile, Latasha expresses how an individual’s belief is associated with their development, and this affect how members in society or groups communicate, since individuals are familiar with doing “things” their way.…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Most of the time, our own cultures are invisible to us (Greenfield, Raeff, & Quiroz, 1996; Philips, 1983), yet they are the context within which we operate and make sense of the world” (Pachecho, Trumbull 10). In other words, one’s culture always strongly informs the way one views others and the world. Although others believe that one’s culture and personal decisions are two opposite things, one culminates all of the ideas, values, and beliefs he or she is taught through his or her culture to form all of his or her own ideas, values, and beliefs. Equally, cultures can cause conflict between people of two different cultures. People do this because their cultures teach them to think in certain ways.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The most interesting part of Cooper-White’s book has to be the ‘Introduction to the Second Edition”. In it she outlines an interesting theory of identity as it relates to victimhood. Cooper-White refers to identity thusly, “I have increasingly come to the conviction that our subjectivity – our selfhood, or sense of self – is not unitary or monolithic, but multiple, fluid and contingent upon our relationships with family and friends, circles of community, and wider culture.” (Cooper-White 18) I also believe that selfhood is not archetypical, we don’t even exist on a spectrum. We exist on an array – we are the sum of disparate parts.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Erik Erikson’s Initiative vs. guilt period is a stage in where I began to blossom as an individual. I would dress myself in princess dresses and anything pink that I could find. As I was discovering myself my mother allowed me to do so by letting me dress myself for preschool. I feel as though I was very observant at this age and when I did everyday task I usually succeeded in them not because I was taught but I mimicked actions that I saw.…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    More recent definitions characterise social connection as social interactions, close as well as distant relationships (e.g. with relatives, friends, colleagues, or people from the community) and webs of connections. These relationships bring numerous gains and benefits to the individual, like the feeling of being appreciated, being important to someone or to society, and being cared for (Marsh, Watts, 2012; Quigley & Thornley, 2011; Ministry of Social Development of New Zeland, 2016). Social psychologists, sharing the views of developmentalists, agree that it is crucial to human survival to have positive relationships with others – it is a primary need, a physiological and safety requirement (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Maslow, 1943). It also gives a sense of identity to the individual and a sense of social belonging (Kohut, 1984). One study proposed the division of these social relationships, which are so necessary to the well-being of people, into three categories, based on the level of closeness of the relation: (1) personal (family, close friends, significant others), (2) connection to broader network of friends, and (3) general connection to the community (Kelly et al., 2012).…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    El Salvador Culture

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Culture of El Salvador There are 195 countries currently in the entire world. With countless countries in the world, it also brings different backgrounds. Being raised in a part of the globe, much of their population can grow accustomed to their norms. The perspective on their way of life can be very odd or disquieting to other countries.…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Attachment Theory

    • 1328 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Discussion: The role of culture in human relationships with considerations of the implications for attachment theory. Bowbly (1959) explains the child’s emotional regulation and attachment to the primary caretaker, as a result of the caretaker’s continues responsiveness and a strategy of the child to keep the primary caretaker close to ensure survival during evolutionary times. It adapts to fit into the appropriate evolutionary niche. This internal working model creates the four main types of attachment: the insecure-avoidant (A) attachment, most prominently the secure (B) attachment, and insecure-ambivalent (C) attachment or in rare cases a disorganizes (D) attachment, which are measured with the Strange Situation Protocol, which assesses…

    • 1328 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Strong Relationships are a lot to ask for now a days, cause there's not really a lot of people you can trust, everyone lies they say there your friend but next thing you know they talking bad about you. Like family will even do the same thing to you. There's still people in the world you can trust it just takes time for you to trust someone, Like for instance I lost one of my close best friends last year from drama, I started to be friends with another girl and we got close so we became best friends and just this year we stopped being best friends cause of drama, and jealousy and my best friend from last year ended up being my closest friend still.…

    • 604 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Child Development

    • 1688 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In recent years, the study of the role of partners has gained importance within the field of psychology of development (Paulus & Moore, 2014). There are two issues of particular relevance. The first is how the child relates to other children, that is to say, the partners as objects or goals of the social behaviors of children. Secondly, the interaction of peers influence…

    • 1688 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The behaviour of an individual and the relationships they have – whether it’s platonic, romantic or familial – can be traced back to early childhood - as early as infancy even. Bowlby (1977) defines attachment as; “an enduring emotional bond which an individual forms to another person.” In other words, attachment is a strong tie an individual has with special figures in their lives, in whom they place great trust in. When they interact with these special figures, they feel joy and experience pleasure, likewise, in times of distress, they turn to them to seek comfort.…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are four different types of social bonds that create connections for people to their society. The first is attachment that measures the connections made between people. People generally care about others opinions especially when they have close relationship. “People conform to society’s norms in order to gain approval (and prevent disproval)” The second type is commitment and this type relates to the investments that society makes towards others. Having a…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the individualistic societies, they highlight more on personal achievements and individual rights where people will stand up for their own self. On the other hand, collectivism represents a preference for a tightly knit framework in the society whereby individuals can count on their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them, in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. In the collectivist society, individuals act as members of a lifelong and cohesive group. Most people have large extended families that are used as a protection in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. This dimension is reflected in whether the society’s self-image is defined in terms of “we” or “I” (The Hofstede Centre…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Collectivism/embeddedness vs. Individualism/autonomy Malaysia is a highly collectivistic country where self-transcendence is highly valued; Malays are interdependent and the group’s welfare takes precedence over that of the individual. In a work context, belonging to a team as well as being accepted by the referent group take precedence over individual work. On the other hand, Germany (67) and Italy (76) are highly individualistic cultures where individuals define themselves in terms of “I”. Individual self-interest prevails over that of the group;…

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays