1. 5
Your Social Health

2. Your Social Health The Importance of Communication Improve skills
Understand differences
Attributes of relationships
Health benefits
Science of love
Long-term relationship characteristics
Increasing use of online social networks

3. The Social Dimension of Health
Supportive relationships protect people from stress, distress and disease

4. The Social Dimension of Health (cont’d.)
Social Contagion
Process in which friends, friends of friends, acquaintances and social circle affect health
Is it real?
Health factors change in clusters
Obesity in one person made friends 57% more likely to become obese
Smoking in one person made friends 35% more likely to start smoking

5. Communicating 1. Learn to Listen 2. Be Agreeable, but Assertive
Try to understand feelings and motivation
Ask questions when you don’t understand
Prompt person to continue talking
2. Be Agreeable, but Assertive
Make needs and desires clear
Use non-provocative words

6. How Men and Women Communicate
Talk to demonstrate superiority
Interrupt to get information
Write brief and utilitarian s
More likely to include strong assertions, sarcasm, and disagreement with others online

7. How Men and Women Communicate (cont’d.)
Talk to draw people closer
Likely to wait rather than interrupt
Focuses mote on emotion-related words in writing
Writes in similar style to spoken word to build connection with audience

8. Forming Relationships
Friendships
Friends are a source of happiness, connection to larger world, and solace in times of trouble
Loneliness
Longer work hours, busy family schedules, frequent moves, high divorce rates all contribute to loneliness
Shyness and social anxiety disorder
Many people are shy; approximately 7% can be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, a mental disorder

9. Social Networking on Campus
Pros
Keep in touch with acquaintances
Support from acquaintances is meaningful
Maintain relationships, make new friend
Cons
Private events become public
Can be used to humiliate, bully, harass or stalk
Takes time and attention away from other responsibilities

10. Dating on Campus Friends with benefits Hooking up
Involves a range of sexual behaviors without expectation of relationship
60-80% of students report having hooked up
Friends with benefits
Involves an ongoing friendship that goes beyond a one-time sexual encounter
45-50% of students report engaging in a friends-with-benefits relationship

11. Loved and Being Loved Six Types Of Love Liking Infatuation
Romantic Love
Compassionate Love
Fatuous Love
Consummate Love

12. Psychological View of Love
Figure 5.1. Sternberg’s Love Triangle

13. Anthropological View of Love
A near universal experience for all cultures
Primitive, basic human emotion
Historically, it pulled people together for child-rearing
Four-year ‘itch’ is present across cultures

14. Biochemical View of Love
Love causes changes in the brain
Causes release of stimulants: Dopamine, norepinephrine, phenylethylamine
After initial infatuation, love causes release of endorphins
Endorphins and stimulants create the physical symptoms of love and the feelings of well-being, security and tranquility of longer-lasting relationships

15. Dysfunctional Relationships
Does not promote healthy communication, honesty and intimacy
Physical Symptoms
Headaches
Digestive Trouble
Difficulty Sleeping
It takes a lot of time and energy to change a dysfunctional relationship

16. Dysfunctional Relationships
Abuse
Behavior to control another person: fear, humiliation, verbal or physical assault
Emotional Abuse
Constant berating, belittling, or criticizing
Wears away at trust, self-worth, and belief in self
Reach out to your friends and family for help if you think you are in an abusive relationship

17. Codependency
Defined
Behavior learned by family members to survive great pain and stress of their loved one’s addiction or illness
Treatment
Individual and group therapy
Education
Codependents Anonymous

18. Partnering across the Life Span
Successful Transition Includes:
Completing school
Establishing independent household
Being employed full-time
Marriage and children (possibly)

19. Partnering across the Life Span (cont’d.)
Reasons couples decide to cohabitate: 
Economic
Social acceptance of cohabitation
More time together
‘Test’ relationship
Alternative to marriage

20. Long-Term Same-Sex Relationships
Relationship follows familiar stages
Intense passion and romantic love
Starting home together
Building trust and dependability
Establishing strong partnership
Experience more social isolation
Use more affection and humor during disagreements

21. Marriage Better physical and mental health Longer life Benefits
Less disease and common illnesses
Challenges
Requires preparation
Common challenges require effort
Money, sex and careers
Divorce rate remains 50%

22. Issues Couples Confront
Money
Sex
Extramarital Affairs
Two-Career Couples
Conflict

23. Saving Marriages Focus on friendship Remember the beginning
Show respect
Compliment your partner
Forgive one another
Keep positive interactions more frequent than negative interactions

24. Children are the exception, not the rule
Family Ties
Children are the exception, not the rule
Families are more diverse and blended
Unmarried parents lead to “fragile families”
Fragile families are on the rise

25. Chapter Review Identify Understand Discuss Compare Describe
Skills to increase communication and differences in communication across genders
Understand
How relationships impact health
Discuss
Types and views of love
Compare
Healthy and unhealthy relationships
Describe
Issues facing couples in long-term relationships