PSYC 304 1st Edition Lecture 16Outline of Last Lecture I. Relationships Across the LifespanII. What do Interpersonal Relationships Serve?III. MarriageOutline of Current LectureI. Empty Nest Syndrome: True or False?II. Marriage: The Later YearsIII. Psychological Perspectives on Long-Term RelationshipsIV. DivorceV. Relationships with Adult ChildrenCurrent LectureI. Empty Nest Syndrome: True or False?a. It is a negative experience when…i. Deep sense of lossii. Parent defines self in maternal roleiii. Parent lives for childreniv. Don’t focus on own accomplishmentsb. It is a positive experience when…i. Well-defined self concept/identityThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.ii. Maintained career/hobbiesiii. Upswing Hypothesis: Marital Satisfaction IncreasesII. Marriage: The Later Yearsa. Retirement Issuesb. Dual-Career Couples: Marital Satisfaction Increases vs. Traditional Couplesc. Dealing with conflict – show more affection/less negative emotionsd. Secret to long-term marriage?i. Adapt to changeii. Willingness to work at relationship (“Tough it out”)e. Implications:i. Older adults prefer to spend time with partnerii. They get along betteriii. Affection does not fadeIII. Psychological Perspectives on Long-Term Relationshipsa. Socioemotional Selectivity Theory – Older couples experience more positive affect with each otherb. Social Exchange Theory – Relationships are evaluated according to costs and benefitsc. Equity Theory – Balance is sought between what each contributes to the relationshipd. Marital Similarity – Couples who are similar are happiere. Need Complementarity – Couples who are different are happierf. Marriage: Loss of Spouse = Loss of Attachment Bond – Emotional Isolationg. Better adjusted to loss of spouse: Women & Older Adultsh. Widowed men show a lower survival rate as long as 6-7 years after death of spousei. Marriage Remarriagei. Higher Marital Satisfaction if occurs later in lifeii. Cite fear of violating/betraying spouseiii. May encounter resistance from adult childrenIV. Divorcea. Time of emotional adjustmentb. Lower levels of psychological well-being and healthc. The odds of a current marriage ending in divorce are about 45%d. The probability of a first marriage ending in divorce decreases from over 50% in 80s to 32% in 60s.e. Psychological Effects of a divorce:i. Practical Consequencesii. Child Custodyiii. Lower Psychological Healthiv. Poorer Healthv. Problems with Substance Abusevi. More Negative Life EffectsV. Relationships with Adult Childrena. Conflict with adult children contributes to poor physical/mental healthb. Adult daughters interact most with aging parentsc. As social networks shrink, relationships with adult children becomes more importantd. Children usually continue to provide love, compatibility & stimulatione. Types of adult parent-child relationshipsi. Tight-knitii. Sociableiii. Obligatoryiv. Intimate but distantv.
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