PSYC 215 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Social Exchange Theory, Attachment Theory, Physical Attractiveness

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 215
• Professor: Mark Baldwin

Document Summary

Human beings (and many other kinds of animals) have what appears to be a biological need for belonging in relationships: we have a need to be embedded in relationships, arguments for the need to belong. Relationships help individuals and offspring survive, thus increasing the likelihood of passing on one"s genes. If relationships have an evolutionary basis, then they could be expected to have many universal features. In western european cultures, college students tend to restrict their meaningful interactions to, on average six friends. o. It seems that we satisfy our need for friendship with a limited number of close friends, and once that need is satisfied, we don"t continue to seek other relationships: evidence for the need to belong. When the need to belong is not met over a long period of time, people tend to suffer profoundly negative consequences.