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Social Psychology Reflection

In this course, we discussed various types of relationships, including romantic

relationships, and the factors that influence them. We learned about interpersonal attraction,

the social exchange theory and the costs and benefits of relationships, and the components of

intimacy and intimate relationships. All of these are concepts that I have learned about in

other classes taken at SLCC. Currently this semester, I am also taking Marriage and Family

Relationships 2400. In this class, weve discussed many of the costs and benefits of

relationships, as well as the role that intimacy plays in relationships. Specifically, we learned

that after meeting our physiological needs and needs for safety, our social needs for

intimacy and love are the most fundamental of human needs (Strong & Cohen, 2014. P.

146). In this course, we also learned the importance of relationships that provide intimacy,

and that a persons attachment style (which is partially formed based on the attachment that

the person forms with their first and primary caregiver) strongly influences the type of

relationships and levels of intimacy they will have. Taking these classes at the same time was

very beneficial, because there was a lot of overlap, specifically in reference to the

relationship points that I already discussed. It is very interesting to see how these psychology

concepts come into play in so many different facets of life, including in our various

relationships.

A few semesters ago I took a Psychology 1010 class that also discussed relationships, and

the need that humans have for intimate relationships, especially the need for companionate

love, which is an experience involving affection, trust, and concern for a partners

wellbeing (Schacter, et al, 2014. P. 524). In the same section, the class also looked at social
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exchange, and how people weight the costs and benefits of their relationships to determine if

they are worth the continued effort or not. Oftentimes whether or not a person will push for

divorce depends on their comparison level, or the cost-benefit ration that people believe

they deserve or could attain in another relationship (Schacter, et al, 2014. P. 525). In other

words, if they feel like they are putting in more effort than their partner and that they could

find another partner who could give them more, they might think that divorce is a better

choice for them. Because I took Psychology 1010 before taking Social Psychology, it

provided me with a basis of understanding for the things that we learned in this class,

including the concepts of social exchange and the costs and benefits of relationships.

In the Health 1010 class that I took last semester, we learned that relationships, especially

intimate relationships, such as marriage, have been proven to increase a persons health and

longevity. People in happy and healthy relationships tend to have fewer diseases and health

problems and live much longer than people who are unhappily married or single. This

doesnt surprise me because, as I referenced above, my psychology classes have taught me

that human beings truly need loving relationships, almost as much as they need food and

water.

My signature assignment is a piece I did discussing the costs and benefits of two different

relationships that I have had. I wanted to use it as my signature assignment because I think

that it illustrates my ability to apply what Im learning in a course to my own life and my

experiences. One of the ways that I learn best is through this type of personal application;

thinking about the concepts discussed in class in terms of myself and my own life help me to

understand and remember them much better than simply reading about them.
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References

Strong, B., & Cohen, T. F. (2017). The marriage and family experience: intimate relationships in
a changing society. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Schacter, D. L., Gilbert, D. T., Wegner, D. M., & Nock, M. (2014). Psychology. New York:
Worth