PYC 2. Interpersonal Dynamics p. 139-144

Psychology in Society

Interpersonal relationships: interpersonal dynamics 1. Interpersonal dynamics (p. 139-144) 

Inherently we are social beings

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Basic need that drives social affiliation is the need to belong

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Reasons for this need:

a) For survival survival – living living with others others increase increase our our chance chance of survival survival + opportunit opportunities ies for reproduction b) Become Become anxio anxious us if isola isolated ted from from othe others rs

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e will go through great lengths to remain in a group

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e will accept the group norms! act compliantly and obey authority

$vert an and co covert be behaviour

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In our interaction psychologists distinguish between overt and covert interactions

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$vert interactions refers to people%s visible behaviour

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&overt behaviour ' refers to patterns in overt behaviour

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(ersonality theorist see covert behaviour as expressions of people%s characters

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aren *orney identified 3 covert patterns underlying individual interactions: a) movi moving ng towa toward rdss peo peopl ple e b) movi moving ng aga again inst st peop people le c) movi moving ng awa awayy for form m peo peopl ple e

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(ros (rosoc ocia iall and and aggr aggres esssive ive beh behaviou viourr

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$ne way of loo,ing at overt behaviour is to explain it as a continuum

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$ne end represents prosocial behaviour

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$ther end aggressive behaviour is represented

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-iddle is neutral

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(rosocial behaviour ' behaviour where one person benefits form another%s actions

.ggressive behaviour ' behaviour with the intention to harm

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somebody else

"#+#" (rosocial behaviour  

Includes doing favours! offering assistance! paying compliments or simply being pleasant and co/operative

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0ast number of theories to give the reasons why we act prosocially

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1ome say that people are altruistic – offer help without expecting something bac,

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$thers say we have selfish reasons – it is for future benefit

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(ayoffs can also be personal ' feel better about yourself if I help someone

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(ayoffs can also be social ' help because it improves my social i mage

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 &an also be an innate tendency

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distress and offer comfort comfort if they see others cry Example: Example: infants become distress

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$ffering help also has a social component 2see research p# "34)

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Research findings offers 4 major reasons for prosocial ehavio!r: ehavio!r : ") diffusion of responsibility ' if in a group we tend to ta,e less responsibility ) Identifiability ' people in a group will help less if than if  you were not anonymous anonymous 5) 1ocial ambiguous  '  ' when people are afraid they will ma,e a fool of themselves 3) &ost versus benefit  –  – less li,ely to help if they can suffer harm themselves or if they will not benefit form helping

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-odel according to 6atane 7 8arley the process of helpin" others involve 4 steps: a) noting a person! situation or event that may re9uire help ) interpreting the event as one re9uiring help c) assuming responsibility for ta,ing action d) deciding and implementing the form of assistance

"#+#+ .ggressive behaviour  

(hysical aggression common in animal and child behaviour not with adults

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.dult aggression normally involves words or actions meant to threaten! intimidate or hurt

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uestion remains if aggression is innate or product of psycho social s ocial environment

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3 main approaches to !nderstand a""ression: ") inst instin inct ct app appro roac ache hess ) frustr frustrati ation/ on/agg aggres ressio sionn approa approache chess 5) observ observati ationa onall learnin learningg approach approaches es

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6oren; one of ma