Outline and Evaluate One or More Theories of the Formation of Romantic Relationships

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The reward/need satisfaction theory suggests that people form romantic relationships because they feel they are rewarded by being with that person. The things we find rewarding tend to reflect our unmet needs, for example the need for company or financial security. Mutual attraction occurs when each partner meets the other person’s needs. One person might have the need for financial security, while another craves company. Stimuli that is rewarding produces positive feelings in us, and stimuli that is punishing produces negative feelings. As some of the stimuli are other people it follows that some people make us happy, while others do not. According to the principles of operant conditioning, we are likely to repeat any behaviour that leads to a desirable outcome and avoid behaviour that leads to an undesirable outcome. This theory suggests that we enter into relationships because the presence of some individuals in directly associated with reinforcement – they produce a positive feeling for us – which makes them more attractive to us. As well as being attracted to someone who directly makes us happy, we also like people who we associate with a pleasant experience. For example, if we meet someone while we are at a party and feeling happy, we may associate them with the happy feeling. We are more likely to be attracted to this person than if we met when we were unhappy. This theory is supported by Griffitt and Guay’s study. Their participants were evaluated on a creative task by an experimenter and then asked to rate how much they liked the experimenter. The highest ratings were given when the experimenter had given them a positive evaluation (they felt rewarded). This study also supports the claim that we like people who are associated with pleasant events. The participants were also asked to rate an onlooker, and the ratings were higher when they had received a

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