Section 1 reviews interpersonal attraction and explains
that people choose friends for reasons such as proximity,
reward values, physical appearance, approval, similarity,
and complementarity. The rewards we receive from friendships
have stimulation value, utility value, and ego-support value.
Section 2 is about social perceptions—he judgments
we make to explain the behavior of others. This section describes
first impressions and how we use them to categorize others.
We use schemas to explain others' past behavior and predict
their future behavior. A stereotype is an exaggerated set
of assumptions about an identifiable group of people. Attribution
theory analyzes the ways in which we try to explain behavior
by identifying what caused it. The different ways in which
we make attributions are discussed here. The section concludes
with a description of the ways in which people use nonverbal
communication.
Section 3 explores our personal relationships, including
parent-child relationships and love and marriage. This section
discusses several ways in which the parent-child relationship
influences the relationships a child later develops. Sources
of parent-child conflict can include generation differences,
changing relationships, expectations, and power struggles.
There are two common types of love—passionate and companionate.
This section details research on love, the characteristics
of healthy marriages, and the effects of divorce.
