Relationships

A. Friendships

Female-Female Friends

• The importance of female friendships.Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry

and you crywith your girlfriends.  - Laurie Kuslansky  

• Intimacy between friends.– Face to face versus side to side distinction.– Women disclose more to their same sex

friends, but this is a small effect. – Women are more likely to be the recipient of

disclosure. – Women tend to have smaller circles of friends.

Female-Female Friends (cont.)

• African American friendships.– Less relational aggression?

• Lesbian friendships. – “Family of Choice”

Male-Female Friends

• Have more obstacles.– Attraction. – Misunderstood by others.

• These friendships don’t tend to be as intimate.

• Varies as a function of sex role identity.

Relationships

B. Romantic Relationships

Attraction

• Reciprocal liking.

• Similarity.

• Physical attractiveness.

• Familiarity.

Dating Scripts

• Script is a standard set of expectations for what will happen during an event.

• Most people continue to have fairly traditional dating scripts.

• Online scripts.

• Gay and lesbian scripts.

• Older singles.

Types of Love (Robert Sternberg)

• Components.– Intimacy = Feelings that promote

closeness & connectedness.– Passion = "State of intense longing for"– Commitment = Dedication to maintaining

the relationship.

• Seven Kinds of love.

Relationships

C. Motherhood

The phrase "working mother" is redundant.  - Jane Sellman

Motherhood

• The motherhood mystique.1. Fulfillment as a woman depends on being a

mom.

2. All jobs assigned to moms fit logically together.

3. A woman must like being a mom at all times.

4. A mom’s Intense, exclusive devotion to her kids is a good thing.

Motherhood cont…

• Is pregnancy stigmatizing?– Helping behaviors.– Attitudes toward pregnant women. 

• The “Pregnant  Brain”  – Henry & Rendell, 2007– Kinsley, 2008