 The research says:  Married people are happier and healthier than singles.  Happily married people have more effective immune systems than people in difficult marriages.  The chances of surviving for more than a year after a heart attack are more than twice as high among elderly people who have at least 2 people for emotional support than those who have fewer.  Chronic loneliness increases gene activity linked to inflammation (associated with heart disease) and reduced gene activity associated with antiviral responses.

 Definition: A relationship involving strong and frequent interdependence in many domains in life. Interdependence means that each partner’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior influence the other’s.

A couple’s type of love is based on certain combinations of 3 ingredients: 1. passion (butterflies, euphoria, sexual arousal) 2. intimacy (warmth, closeness and sharing) 3. commitment (intent to maintain relationships despite costs)

 Romantic love = high intimacy and passion without commitment.  Companionate love = intimacy and commitment without passion.  Infatuation = only passion.  Consummate love = intimacy, passion and commitment.

 Found that for ages 17-69:  Intimacy and commitment increase over time  Passion decreases over time  Is supported by other researchers who say his ingredients are consistent with what people think generally about the nature of love regardless of culture, age, and sexual orientation (Fehr, 1993).  Does not explain why there are different forms of love.

LO: Explain the role culture plays in the formation and maintenance of relationships.

 The idea of passionate love is arguably a largely Western phenomenon (Goodwin, 1995).  In Western cultures, people get married based on love with the primary intent lifelong companionship.  Believe that disappearance of love is a sufficient reason to end the marriage (Researchers speculate whether this is the cause of divorce rates of up to 50% in some Western countries).

 Marriage is more likely to be viewed as a partnership formed to have children and for economic and social support.  Marriage is viewed as a union and alliance of two families (Dion & Dion, 1993).  Romantic love is less valued in traditional cultures with strong, extended family ties.  Divorce rates are low and almost nonexistent in some collectivist cultures like China.

 The role of cultural norms is important.  Much of the theory and research on relationships has a western bias toward passionate love that is not necessarily found in other parts of the world.

“You Americans marry the person you love; we love the person we marry.” -Response of study participant from India.

 Couples in India who married for love reported diminished feelings of love if they had been married for more than 5 years. Those in arranged marriages reported higher levels of love (Gupta & Singh, 1992)  Couples in Indian arranged marriages were were more satisfied than people from Indian and American love-based marriages (Yelsma & Athappily, 1990).

 10,000 respondents from 37 different cultures were given two questionaires on heterosexual mate selection.  There were some trends of commonality and some clear cultural differences in his findings.

 Men prefer younger mates, women prefer older mates (in all 37 cultures!)  Women rated financial prospects in a mate as more important than men (in 36 out of 37).  Men rated chastity as more important than women (in 23 out of 37).

 USA: ranked love 1st.  Iran: ranked love 3 rd. Ranked high: education, intelligence, ambition, chastity.  Nigeria: Love ranked 4 th. Ranked high: good health, neatness, desire for home and children.  China: Love ranked 6 th. Ranked high: good health, chastity, domestic skills.  South Africa: Love ranked 7 th. Ranked high: emotional stability, maturity, dependability.