Chapter 11 Review

• Liking, loving, passionate love, and companionate love are all distinct.

• A romantic relationship often involves commitment and relational dialectics.

• Attraction is strongly influenced by proximity. The mere exposure effect is one reason for the comparative rarity of interethnic romances.

• We often attribute positive characteristics to physically appealing people, known as the beautiful-is-good effect. We tend to engage in matching when forming long-term romantic relationships.

• Social exchange theory suggests that attraction to others is driven in part by the resources they can offer you. For relationships to survive, equity must exist.

• When coming together, couples commonly go through initiating and experimenting. Some couples move to intensifying and integrating. Few relationships progress to bonding.

• Differentiating leads partners to believe that their differences are insurmountable, and they may begin circumscribing or even stagnating.

• Many relationships end by avoiding, although some couples may conduct a terminating discussion.

• Long-term couples use several relational maintenance tactics.

• Long-distance romantic relationships can create unique maintenance issues.

• Romantic betrayal is the gravest threat to relationships.

• Wedging occurs when someone deliberately interferes in a relationship.

• If a romantic partner uses behaviors that invade your privacy, it is called relational intrusion.

• Dating violence affects both men and women of all ages and ethnicities. If you experience such abuse, reach out for professional help.