Lecture Outline (1)
Psychology 137

Professor Marelich, Summer 2004

I. Overview of Relationships
	A. What is a relationship?  Multiple components:
		1. behavioral interdependence
		2. need fulfillment
		3. emotional attachment
		4. trust
		5. mutuality
		6. commitment

	B. Types of Relationships studied
		1. Friends
		2. Dating (casual/serious)
		3. Married
		4. Families
		5. Homosexual/bisexual
                                6. On-line

	C. Typical way of understanding relationships
 		- focus on Personality and Personal Dispositions
		  (e.g., Big 5 personality types)
		- function of attachment styles
		- gender/sex differences
		- evolutionary perspective (per Buss)

	D. Different way - more of a Systems Theory/Ecological Perspective (per Berscheid)
		1. Suggestion to interrelate social/behavioral fields such
		   as Psychology, Sociology, Communications, Family Studies. 
		2. Suggestion to adopt a multifaceted approach which
		   suggestions behavior as a function of Person and 
		   Environment factors (i.e., Lewin, 1951 B=PxE).
		   Systems approach not only includes the 
		   person, but also social relationships, family ties,
		   and larger cultural perspectives. 
	                3. Suggests more complicated research designs and analyses
                	   needed
		4. Problems with this orientation (per Marelich)                

II. State of our Culture
	A. Divorce and divorce rates (see also Sex Ratio's in TEXT)
	B. Cohabitation
	
III. Research Methods (Brief)
	A. Correlational vs. experimental designs
	B. Observational/Narratives/Qualitative Research
	C. Surveys/Questionnaires
	D. Longitudinal Designs and Diary Studies
	E. Ethics