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Questions and Answers

What are the critical functions of friendship according to the outlined aspects?

  • Affective basis, shared enjoyment, sociability (correct)
  • Cognitive compatibility and competitiveness
  • Financial support and obligation
  • Conflict resolution and dominance

    • Which theory focuses on the motivational goals that drive social contact throughout different life stages?

  • Social Identity Theory
  • Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (correct)
  • Social Exchange Theory
  • Attachment Theory

    • What does Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love NOT include as a component?

  • Compatibility (correct)
  • Commitment
  • Intimacy
  • Passion

    • Which finding is associated with individuals who have a larger circle of friends?

    <p>They tend to be more physically active.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Assortative mating primarily refers to the process of selecting partners based on:

    <p>Similarities in values, goals, and interests</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the 2020 study by Walter et al., what preference do women typically have in partner selection?

    <p>Older partners with financial advantages and kindness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What communication style treats partners with disrespect and can be a predictor of divorce?

    <p>Contempt</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which response is characterized by making excuses and failing to take accountability during conflicts?

    <p>Defensiveness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the approximate ratio of positive to negative interactions in stable relationships during conflict?

    <p>5:1</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term describes the inability to 'let go' of the emotional impact after a divorce?

    <p>Divorce Hangover</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What trend in marriage rates occurred in Australia from 1970 to 2008?

    <p>Marriage rates steadily declined over the decades.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements is true regarding the contact between children and their grandparents as they age?

    <p>95% of children under 13 have at least some contact.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the average time divorced individuals wait before remarrying?

    <p>3.5 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which group is typically more vulnerable to the negative impacts of widowhood?

    <p>Younger people</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the crude divorce rate in Australia in 2008?

    <p>2.2 divorces per 1,000 Australians.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the most common form of elder abuse reported in Australia?

    <p>Emotional abuse</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How has the average size of households in Australia changed from 1966 to 2006?

    <p>Household size decreased from 3.5 to 2.6 members.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the fertility rate in Australia by 2001?

    <p>1.7 babies per woman.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which family structure consists of relatives beyond the nuclear family?

    <p>Extended families</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement accurately describes the development of women’s roles in childbearing and education by 2007?

    <p>Women started delaying marriage and motherhood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of couples were child-free according to 2021 data?

    <p>39%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What dimension of grandparenting includes engaging in fun-seeking activities?

    <p>Fun-Seeking</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the median age for sexual debut among young men in Australia as indicated by the Australian Study of Health and Relationships?

    <p>17</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor is associated with a higher likelihood of marital success according to the discussed concepts?

    <p>Similar socioeconomic backgrounds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements best reflects the trend in sexual activity among adolescents in Australia?

    <p>A significant percentage of younger Australians are sexually active.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of individuals aged 60 and above in Australia reported being sexually active in the previous year?

    <p>72%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following factors is NOT considered a risk factor for divorce?

    <p>Marrying after age 30</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of marital satisfaction over time, which stage often leads to decreased satisfaction?

    <p>When children are at home</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the reported median sexual satisfaction score for young adults according to the longitudinal study by Prendergast et al.?

    <p>6</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which attitude correlated with higher stress regarding condom use among adolescents?

    <p>Thinking using condoms is less stressful</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Friendships in Adulthood

    • Friendship progresses through five stages: Acquaintanceship, Buildup, Continuation, Deterioration, and Ending.
    • Critical functions of friendship are affective/emotional basis, shared/communal nature and sociability/compatibility
    • Three processes of friendship include: Formation, Sustainment and Dissolution.
    • Socioemotional Selectivity Theory suggests that social contact is driven by various goals: Information seeking, self-concept, and emotional regulation.
    • Friendship plays a role in promoting happiness and self-esteem.
    • A larger circle of friends is associated with greater physical activity.
    • Divorced or widowed individuals are more likely to smoke and drink heavily.
    • Single women are more likely to be heavy drinkers.
    • These associations are not fully explained by emotional support availability.

    Love and Sexual Relationships

    • Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love identifies three components of romantic relationships: Passion, Intimacy and Commitment.
    • Assortative mating describes individuals choosing partners based on similarities, including shared values, goals, and interests.
    • Cross-cultural mate preferences indicate men prefer younger partners for attractiveness while women typically seek older partners with better financial prospects, emphasizing kindness, intelligence, and good health.
    • Gender equality has led to both sexes tending to have mates closer to their own ages.

    Choosing a Partner

    • Choosing a partner is non-random, often guided by shared core values, goals, and beliefs.

    Sexual Debut

    • Australian Study of Health and Relationships found median ages for sexual debut were 18 for women and 17 for men.
    • 50% experienced sexual debut between 16-18.
    • Average age of sexual debut has remained relatively stable.
    • Use of protection has significantly increased from 20% in the 1950s to 90% in the 2000s.

    Sex in Adolescents

    • A 2021 survey reported 69.1% of young Australians aged 14-18 had been in a romantic or sexual relationship, with 60.6% indicating sexual activity.
    • 43% of Year 10s and 68.9% of Year 12s had ever had sex.
    • Most adolescents had positive attitudes towards condoms, with 75.2% favoring condom use over non-use.

    Sex in Emerging Adulthood

    • A longitudinal study found young adults reported a median of three sexual partners, with 72.4% not engaging in sexual activity outside of serious relationships.
    • Median sexual satisfaction score was 6, suggesting room for improvement in sexual fulfillment.

    Sex in Older Adulthood

    • Research revealed that 72% of individuals aged 60 and above were sexually active in the previous year.
    • 88% of men and 72% of women expressed hopes or plans to continue having sex in the future.
    • 46% of older adults reported being very or extremely satisfied with their sexual lives.
    • Many reported the need to normalise sexual expression and desire in later life.

    Sex, Health, and Relationships

    • Individuals with satisfactory sex lives are more likely to have excellent physical health, report happiness, and be more in love with, satisfied with, and committed to their partners.

    Singlehood

    • Singles face biases and discrimination.
    • In the US, 50% of households are headed by unmarried persons.
    • In Australia, 26% of households are occupied by one person.
    • This number increased from 18% in 1981.
    • 55% of singles are women and 45% are men.

    Cohabitation

    • Cohabitation involves committed, intimate, sexual relationships without marriage.
    • Couples cohabitate for a variety of reasons, including convenience, sharing expenses, and sexual accessibility (part-time or limited cohabitation).
    • Premarital cohabitation is a trial marriage with the intent of marrying.
    • Substitute marriage is long-term commitment that lacks official sanction.

    Marriage

    • Marital success encompasses various outcomes like separation/divorce rates and continuation of marriages.
    • Marital quality involves a subjective evaluation of the couple’s relationship.
    • Marital adjustment refers to the degree spouses accommodate each other.
    • Marital satisfaction is a global assessment of one's marriage.

    Factors Contributing to Marital Success

    • Homogamy: Similarity of a couple’s values and interests.
    • Feelings of equality: Exchange theory suggests each partner contributes something valuable to the relationship.
    • Equitable exchange in the relationship is crucial, as imbalances can create conflict .

    Marital Satisfaction over Time

    • Marital satisfaction is highest at the beginning of marriage and declines (somewhat) until children leave home.
    • The Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation Model asserts that marital quality is a dynamic process influenced by the couple's ability to handle stressful events.
    • Couples who effectively manage stress and maintain a positive outlook experience higher levels of marital quality.

    Keeping Marriages Happy

    • In the early years, couples have adoration for each other's qualities. Happier couples focus on positives rather than annoyances.
    • Marital satisfaction can improve at midlife when adult children leave home.
    • In older couples, satisfaction increases after retirement but decreases with health difficulties and ageing.

    Relationship Endings

    • Divorce is a significant life event with enduring effects on individuals and families.
    • Common predictors of divorce include poverty, marrying before age 18, having divorced parents, previous divorce, low education, and unemployment.
    • Early divorce (within 7 years) is often associated with the Four Horsemen of Divorce: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling.
    • Late divorce (around 16.2 years after the wedding) is associated with emotional withdrawal, absence of positive affect during conflict discussions, and an imbalance in positivity to negativity.

    Divorce Effects on the Couple

    • Divorce can impair well-being for several years following the separation.
    • Divorce hangover refers to the inability to let go of the relationship.
    • Middle-aged divorced women often face financial problems, particularly if they did not initiate the divorce.

    Remarriage

    • Despite adjustment problems, most divorced people remarry, typically waiting about 3.5 years.
    • Second marriages have a 25% higher risk of dissolution than first marriages.
    • Remarriage rates are lower for older divorced women.
    • Remarriage in later life tends to be happier, especially if the partners are widowed.

    Widowhood

    • Experiencing the death of a spouse is traumatic, but it is a common event.
    • Reactions to widowhood depend on the quality of the marriage.
    • Widowed individuals are vulnerable to losing couples-based friendships.
    • Older people fare better than younger people in widowhood.
    • Younger people are more likely to consider remarriage.
    • Richer people are more likely to remarry.

    Gender Differences in Widowhood

    • Widowhood is more common among women because they tend to marry older men and women live longer.
    • Widowed men are typically older than widowed women.
    • Men are more likely to die soon after their spouses.

    Families

    • Nuclear families consist of parent(s) and their child(ren), considered the traditional family unit.
    • Extended families include relatives beyond the nuclear family, often providing additional support and resources.

    Parenthood

    • Deciding to become a parent is complex.
    • Increasingly, couples are choosing to be child-free.
    • Couples are delaying childbirth to focus on careers and personal goals.

    Grandparents

    • Grandparenting is generally a positive experience.
    • Grandparents pass on skills, values, and keep a connection with youth.
    • Increasingly, children live with (or are cared for by) their grandparents.
    • Maternal depression negatively impacts children, but this is buffered by emotional closeness with grandparents.

    Grandparent Carers/Grandfamilies

    • Co-resident grandparents are more prevalent when the parent is single, young, less educated, or from a non-English-speaking background.
    • Grandparents provide childcare, housing, and financial support.
    • Contact with grandparents declines as children age, but children with happy childhoods are likelier to have regular contact.

    Family Characteristics in Australia

    • Marriage rates have been declining since the 1980s, while cohabitation rates are rising.
    • The average household size has fallen.
    • The proportion of families with dependent children has decreased, while the proportion of couples living with no children has increased.
    • Lone-parent families have increased.

    Having Children

    • Women are delaying marriage and childbirth, choosing to focus on education and careers.
    • In the 1980s, women typically had their first child in their early twenties.
    • By 2007, most new moms were in their late twenties.
    • Fertility rates have fallen to 1.7 babies per woman in 2001, but have since increased to just under 2.0 babies per woman.
    • The proportion of women who have had three or more children has decreased since the 1980s.
    • The number of women who have had no children or only one or two children has increased.
    • Two-child families now predominate.

    Developmental Transitions Overview

    • This chapter focuses on how individuals experience various transitions during adulthood.
    • It explores key theories on adult development, highlighting the role of life events in shaping personal identity.

    Theories of Adult Development

    • Erik Erikson's psychosocial stages suggest we navigate different challenges and find balance in various aspects of life throughout adulthood.
    • Daniel Levinson's Seasons of a Man's Life highlights how men experience midlife transitions and the significance of mentorship.

    Midlife Crisis

    • The concept of "midlife crisis" is popularized by media, though research suggests not everyone goes through it dramatically.
    • This perception is influenced by societal expectations and individual differences.

    Role Transitions in Adulthood

    • The chapter examines how adult roles change due to life events, bringing new responsibilities and altering social identities.
    • These transitions can include becoming a parent, changing careers, and entering retirement.

    Retirement and Aging

    • Retirement is experienced differently by individuals.
    • For some, it's a new chapter of freedom, while others experience it as a loss of purpose.

    Gender and Cultural Differences

    • Gender and culture shape the experience of adulthood.
    • Women's roles in caregiving and work are examined, as well as cultural approaches to aging.

    Changes in Cognitive Function

    • Cognitive abilities change with age.
    • Some skills may decline (e.g., problem-solving and memory), while others improve (e.g., wisdom and emotional regulation).

    Social and Emotional Changes

    • Social relationships evolve over time.
    • Many older adults report high levels of satisfaction with their emotional well-being.

    Health and Well-being

    • Physical health becomes increasingly important in middle and late adulthood.
    • Maintaining physical fitness, mental health, and social connections contributes to overall well-being.

    Lifespan Development Perspective

    • Development continues throughout the lifespan, not just in childhood and adolescence.
    • Adults face various transitions, including marriage, career changes, and retirement.
    • Adulthood is marked by ongoing psychological growth and adaptation to changing roles.

    Theories of Adult Development

    • Erikson's psychosocial theory proposes stages of development with specific conflicts to resolve.
    • "Integrity vs. Despair" is the stage in older adulthood, where individuals reflect on their lives.
    • Levinson's theory emphasizes life transitions and their impact on personal development.

    Midlife Crisis

    • Midlife crisis is not a universal experience, but societal expectations and external stressors can contribute to it.
    • Individuals in their 40s and 50s may experience feelings of failure or a desire for change, but it's not always age-related.

    Role Transitions in Adulthood

    • Major life events like becoming a parent, changing careers, or retiring require adjustments in identity and social roles.
    • Role transitions greatly influence self-perception and relationships.
    • Retirement can be a positive or negative experience, dependent on preparedness and social support.

    Retirement and Aging

    • Retirement presents opportunities for leisure but also challenges such as identity loss and financial strain.
    • Financial security and strong social networks contribute to a smoother retirement transition.
    • The experience of retirement varies based on individual preparation, health, and social connections.

    Gender and Cultural Differences in Aging

    • Cultural norms and gender expectations significantly shape the experience of aging.
    • Women often assume caregiving roles, which can impact their retirement experiences.
    • Cultural views on aging influence how older adults are treated and their societal roles.

    Cognitive Function in Aging

    • Fluid intelligence, involving reasoning and problem-solving, tends to decline with age.
    • Crystallized intelligence, based on knowledge and experience, often remains stable or increases.
    • Engaging in lifelong learning and social activities helps maintain cognitive function in older age.

    Social and Emotional Changes in Aging

    • Older adults become more selective in their social interactions, focusing on deeper, meaningful relationships.
    • Socioemotional selectivity theory explains this shift towards emotionally rewarding relationships.
    • Older adults often improve their emotional regulation, managing stress and emotions more effectively.

    Health and Well-being in Aging

    • Chronic illness becomes more prevalent in older adulthood.
    • Maintaining an active lifestyle and social engagement is vital for well-being.
    • Physical fitness, mental health care, and social support contribute to successful aging.

    Cultural and Societal Views on Aging

    • Attitudes towards aging vary across cultures, with some societies valuing older adults more than others.
    • Ageism, prejudice against older people, can negatively impact their quality of life.
    • Cultures that respect elders foster a sense of purpose and well-being in older adults.

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