A real psychological "love triangle"
Personal relationships are an important part of everyday social life in both the short term and the long term. Humans naturally desire to socialize with each other but having a successful relationship is not something that occurs without significant effort from both parties ( Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2005, p. 77). However, even with effort, the mental and social development a person experiences throughout their lifespan as well as their social age will have an influence upon the success or failure of a relationship (Santrock, 2006, p. 20).
Having positive social relationships and networks is one third of the biopsychosocial model that health psychologists use to manage overall health and well being (Brannon & Feist, 2004, p. 12). Social relationships translate into social support when a person is going through a traumatic experience such as the death of a loved one or a serious illness. In these situations social support has been proven to help individuals recover from stress and illness faster and more efficiently versus those who do not have social relationships (Snyder, 1999, p. 63). Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that will contribute to the formation and maintenance of a satisfying relationship. For a successful friendship these factors include being able to listen, share, and grow together but for an intimate relationship the factors become a bit more complex. Sternberg’s triangular model of love notes that intimacy, passion, and commitment must all equally be present to have a consummate love ( Baron, Byrne, & Branscombe, 2006, p. 318) . Although a consummate love may not be achieved in every relationship, it is still important to work to develop friendships and social relationships throughout your lifetime.
Baron, R., Byrne, D., & Branscombe, N . (2006). Social psychology (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Brannon, L. & Feist, J. (2004). Health psychology: An introduction to behavior and health (5th Ed.). CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Santrock, J. (2006). Life-span development (10th ed.). Madison, WI: McGraw Hill.
Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (Eds.). (2005). Applied social psychology. London: Sage Publications, Inc.
Snyder, C. R. (1999). Coping: The psychology of what works. Oxford University Press.
Dr. Lisa Samuel
Reader Comments (3)
Extremely insightful indeed. Puts things into perspective when you start breaking it down to fundamentals like that.
Sandra Scarlett
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