IB Psychology Topic Formation of Personal Relationships Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB Psychology Topic Formation of Personal Relationships Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Biological Theories

Evolutionary Explanations
1. Evolutionary psychology proposes that relationship formation is driven by the need to survive and reproduce.
2. Certain traits and behaviours have been naturally selected because they increase the likelihood of finding a mate and passing on genes.

Example

Buss (1989)
- Aim: To investigate cross-cultural differences in mate preferences.
- Procedure: Surveyed over 10,000 participants from 37 cultures, asking them to rank the importance of various traits in a potential mate.
- Results: Women prioritised financial prospects and ambition; men prioritised physical attractiveness and youth. This pattern was consistent across all 37 cultures.
- Conclusion: Mate preferences align with evolutionary theory — women seek resources for offspring; men seek indicators of fertility.

Note

Evolutionary explanations centre on reproductive success.
Physical attractiveness is interpreted as a cue to health and fertility, and is therefore subconsciously prioritised in mate selection.

Neurobiological Factors
1. The brain plays a direct role in relationship formation.
2. Neurotransmitters like dopamine (pleasure and reward) and oxytocin (bonding and trust) are released during attraction, reinforcing the desire to be close to another person.

Example

Fisher et al. (2005)
Aim: To explore the neural mechanisms of romantic love.
Procedure: Participants in romantic relationships viewed photos of their partners and neutral acquaintances during fMRI brain scanning.
Results: Viewing a partner's photo activated the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and caudate nucleus — regions associated with reward and motivation.
Conclusion: Romantic love activates the brain's reward system, explaining the intense emotions associated with early-stage relationships.

Note

Attraction is partly a brain chemistry process. Dopamine creates feelings of pleasure that reinforce the desire to seek out a specific person — explaining the compulsive quality of early romantic love.

Psychological Theories

Similarity-Attraction Hypothesis
1. People are more likely to form relationships with those who share similar attitudes, values, and interests.
2. Shared views reduce potential conflict and increase the likelihood of mutual understanding.

Example

Byrne (1971)
Aim: To test the similarity-attraction hypothesis.
Procedure: Participants completed attitude questionnaires, then were shown fake profiles with either similar or dissimilar attitudes.
Results: Participants rated similar profiles as significantly more likable and attractive.
Conclusion: Similarity in attitudes fosters attraction and increases the likelihood of forming relationships.

Nice try, unfortunately this paywall isn't as easy to bypass as you think. Want to help devleop the site? Join the team at https://revisiondojo.com/join-us. exercitation voluptate cillum ullamco excepteur sint officia do tempor Lorem irure minim Lorem elit id voluptate reprehenderit voluptate laboris in nostrud qui non Lorem nostrud laborum culpa sit occaecat reprehenderit

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit.

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Biological Theories

Evolutionary Explanations
1. Evolutionary psychology proposes that relationship formation is driven by the need to survive and reproduce.
2. Certain traits and behaviours have been naturally selected because they increase the likelihood of finding a mate and passing on genes.

Example

Buss (1989)
- Aim: To investigate cross-cultural differences in mate preferences.
- Procedure: Surveyed over 10,000 participants from 37 cultures, asking them to rank the importance of various traits in a potential mate.
- Results: Women prioritised financial prospects and ambition; men prioritised physical attractiveness and youth. This pattern was consistent across all 37 cultures.
- Conclusion: Mate preferences align with evolutionary theory — women seek resources for offspring; men seek indicators of fertility.

Note

Evolutionary explanations centre on reproductive success.
Physical attractiveness is interpreted as a cue to health and fertility, and is therefore subconsciously prioritised in mate selection.

Neurobiological Factors
1. The brain plays a direct role in relationship formation.
2. Neurotransmitters like dopamine (pleasure and reward) and oxytocin (bonding and trust) are released during attraction, reinforcing the desire to be close to another person.

Example

Fisher et al. (2005)
Aim: To explore the neural mechanisms of romantic love.
Procedure: Participants in romantic relationships viewed photos of their partners and neutral acquaintances during fMRI brain scanning.
Results: Viewing a partner's photo activated the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and caudate nucleus — regions associated with reward and motivation.
Conclusion: Romantic love activates the brain's reward system, explaining the intense emotions associated with early-stage relationships.

Note

Attraction is partly a brain chemistry process. Dopamine creates feelings of pleasure that reinforce the desire to seek out a specific person — explaining the compulsive quality of early romantic love.

Psychological Theories

Similarity-Attraction Hypothesis
1. People are more likely to form relationships with those who share similar attitudes, values, and interests.
2. Shared views reduce potential conflict and increase the likelihood of mutual understanding.

Example

Byrne (1971)
Aim: To test the similarity-attraction hypothesis.
Procedure: Participants completed attitude questionnaires, then were shown fake profiles with either similar or dissimilar attitudes.
Results: Participants rated similar profiles as significantly more likable and attractive.
Conclusion: Similarity in attitudes fosters attraction and increases the likelihood of forming relationships.

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Biological Approach4 subtopics

Cognitive Approach4 subtopics

Sociocultural Approach4 subtopics

Option 1: Abnormal Psychology3 subtopics

Option 2: Developmental Psychology3 subtopics

Option 3: Health Psychology3 subtopics

Option 4: Human Relationships3 subtopics

IB Psychology Formation of Personal Relationships Notes

Biological Approach4 subtopics

Cognitive Approach4 subtopics

Sociocultural Approach4 subtopics

Option 1: Abnormal Psychology3 subtopics

Option 2: Developmental Psychology3 subtopics

Option 3: Health Psychology3 subtopics

Option 4: Human Relationships3 subtopics

Biological Theories

Psychological Theories

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Biological Theories

Psychological Theories

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account