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Attitudes Towards Romantic Relationships in Men and Women

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Submitted By rhassan
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The differences between the genders’ approaches towards intimacy and interpersonal bonds is one that continues to be extensively studied in psychology. Gender has always provided us with a perspective through which we interpret the world, mainly love and sexuality. These two aforementioned features are intricately entwined and have heavily influenced much of extant research which attempts to explain the impact of love and sexuality on a sociobiological level and on the formation of gender expectations. This essay aims to investigate and explain how attitudes with respect to relationships are affected by gender. In order to achieve this, a compilation of studies that assess the correlation between interpersonal relationships and gender will be considered. Finally, the essay will discuss possible ideas for future development in this field.

Although a fine line exists between love, lust and attraction, these three components are often misinterpreted for one another. The need to belong is an evolutionary human instinct, and one that characterises an individual’s chances of survival. It is essential to acknowledge the common attributes of the three preceding elements which determine relationship statuses, so a clearer understanding can be achieved when considering the dissimilarities in attitudes between the genders. Conventionally, love has always been thought to be undemanding and trivial whereas attraction, or borderline infatuation, is affiliated with connections on a deeper energetic level. Lust can be summed up as the craving for sex, where the individuals engage in such activity without being exclusive to each other.

Trailing an individual’s childhood attachment styles has helped determine prospective romantic attachment styles (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). The bonds formed between an infant and their primary caregiver can be classified into three categories.

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