FRHD 2100 Chapter 7: Chapter 7

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Family Relations and Human Development
• Course: FRHD 2100
• Professor: Tuuli Kukkonen

Document Summary

Romantic relationships, like people, undergo stages of development. Social-exchange theory: the view that a relationship"s development reflects the unfolding of social exchanges - that is, the rewards and costs of maintaining the relationships, as opposed to those of ending it. Abcde model: a model which conceptualizes romantic relationships in terms of five stages: attraction, building, continuation, deterioration, and ending. Attraction- when two people become aware of and find one another appealing or enticing. Factors that motivate us to build a relationship include similarity in level of physical attraction, similarity in attitudes and interests, and a generally positive evaluation of the partner. Factors that may deter us from trying to build a relationship include lack of physical appeal, dissimilarity in attitudes, and a mutually negative evaluation. Continuation- once a basic level of attachment and intimacy has been established a relationship typically enters a stage of continuation, during which established patterns of interaction remain relatively stable.