Interpersonal Relations

The concept of human relations occupy a privileged place in social psychology. From the very definition of the discipline that his main concern is the interaction between social actors, relations between persons in a social field (group, organization). Relationship or connection is the very way of expressing the human individual, placed in context. The interaction is growing, as we have seen, human intelligence, it values the skills, influence is exercised or performed human socialization. Relationship with another (others), be they parents, siblings, friends, institutions and organizations committed to each individual in a network of links, it added, it drives him to seek or develop their skills. We need another to confirm our identity or to critically evaluate our attitudes and behaviors. The get to know each other better, another is our mirror image, an Alter-Ego. At the same time another is a support for each of us: we will influence the level of aspirations and by his knowledge and enriches our culture through his intellectual behaviors and attitudes, helping us to overcome critical situations, we impose ideas or opposition to the authority from some of our attitudes and inappropriate gestures.

Interpersonal relations can appear as mere membership, expressed through cooperation and sociability, the attraction to each other (love, emotional attachment), by hatred, because of feelings of inferiority and guilt, but also through human solidarity and commitment.

The study of interpersonal relations can be approached from two perspectives: cognitive theory and theories reinforce the harmony. The first theory holds that people are trying to maintain harmony with others because some fear that without it, would establish a state of malaise, discomfort, bad. Therefore, individuals try to establish positive communication relationship (balance, symmetry, harmony) and avoid negative ones. This theory was influenced by studies of Heider (1958) on balance, symmetry theory of Newcomb (1961) and cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957). According to these theories, in order to maintain inner harmony we need those who resemble us and I cherish those we share this feeling (reciprocity). Strengthening theories derive their substance from the study of mutual perceptions of partners. Strengthening may come from outside the social environment or come into contact with acelorlalţi (cognitive theories emphasize the role of the individual and his role in "harmonization."

Strengthening theories postulates are:
a) human life is hedonistic, which means that the purpose of life is to seek and obtain pleasure, its own sake, rejecting both the difficulties and pains and reduce costs further;
b) human existence is rational, that is able to select information, assess probabilities and to reach good decisions. Individual's effort is to maximize this power, reducing costs.
According to this latter theory of interpersonal relationship is a social exchange (Homans, 1961). It looked so human interactions with some economic transactions. To get the resources they consider worthwhile, the individual seeks the approval of others, their affection. If resources are scarce or difficult to reach, he will take many social exchanges to get the feeling of "fullness", fulfilling personal satisfaction. After Homans people are rewarded in their efforts, according to "investment" social. There is thus a distributive justice based on costs and profit.

Social interdependence theory (Thibaut and Kelley, 1959) postulates the interdependence between individuals: each depends on others, the individual compares with others to continually get new information on group standards of behavior. Based on that information obtained by comparison augment its supply and can build a positive sense.

Types of interpersonal relationships


Affiliation expresses the social nature of human existence, that of being with others, need to count on the support team. Human individual is obliged to cooperate in order to live among others, obtain existing resources to achieve goals outside of these guidelines is impossible attitude. Man is so dependent on others, and this interdependence is manifested by the need of affiliation with groups, social structures and individuals who can sustain. Social contacts help us to overcome uncertainty or stress, to control a situation that causes anxiety, to remove fear.
Attachment can be defined as an emotional relationship between two people. For example, parent-child relationship is based on physical contact and facial expression (crying or smiling). There were three types of parent-infant attachment: a) security relationship when the mother is attentive, available and capable of meeting the child's needs. The parent then the child explores and discovers the environment, b) the relationship when the mother rejects the child to avoid searching for physical and emotional contact. In this case the child is detached from the mother, one avoids c) anxious-ambivalent relationship occurs when the mother is slow in its responses to the needs of his child when his response is unpredictable. A mother finds herself unwilling or even inaccessible to the child protests, his anxiety in the end.

Attachment theory includes two main trends: one that considers the relationship of attachment as instinctual, one that defines it as a social relationship learned, acquired. In both cases the conduct of the two partners is interactive, encouraging exploration entourage, support by many outward signs of this behavior.
Attachment involves an active response to the solicitude so others and create emotional connections:
physical care to the child and his emotional security.

Friendship. Landed on Earth, The Little Prince, strange and righteous hero of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, he meets Snake. "Why is it so deserted here? I ask. Loud alone. Where are the men?" And the serpent with wisdom, replied: "Alone among people feel." If you can not find them unless you want to know them, communicate with them, stand alone. And another character guides the Little Prince to discover people. E Fox, who teaches him "charmer", ie the value of human relations, friendship that connects and transforms them. "Looking for friends," says Little Prince, who knows what it means "to tame". When Fox says: "It is something that too much is forgotten. It means to create your links. You're not for me than a boy, like the others, and for you I am only a fox, like many other foxes . But if you tame me, you will be unparalleled in the world to me, my life will brighten. Then I will call up your den a song ... I'll be great when you have tamed. " And it urges: "Please, tame me. If you want to have friends, tame me. Do not know than what we have tamed."

At the time of separation from the Little Prince, Fox discovered his "secret" to: "... do not see clearly only with the heart. The eyes can not penetrate into bedrock. Only time" spent "with a friend is that he is so precious. You become responsible for everything you have "tamed". " The relationship of friendship, so it makes the man, it rises, expresses the true measure of human aspiration for perfection and fulfillment.

So friendship involves:
a) mutual sharing of opinions, values or personality traits,
b) satisfaction of social and personal needs (to be encouraged, supported, valued, loved),
c) is often a physical attraction;
d) develop a sense of pleasure, happiness, wellbeing,
e) indicates mutual attraction, appreciation of the other qualities of intellectual, physical, moral, etc..,
f) is manifested by the need for physical proximity to each other (by providing confidence and sense of security as it tries to close).

Friendship means mutual help, emotional support, support for social integration. The relationship of friendship is based on sense experience of similarity in ideas, beliefs, membership social. It appears and develops over time through mutual understanding, by crawling along some events, the evidence must always be reinforced.
Intimate relationships involve the internalization of links, know each other. Some authors understand the intimate love alone, others included here and friendship or kinship between family members. Of adults asking them to define privacy, Waring (1980) obtained the following themes: sharing the sharing of private thoughts and dreams, sexuality, affection for another person and commitment vis-à-vis this, no resentment, possession of an identity stable personal (self-esteem, knowing the exact needs).

R.J. Vallerand (1994) thus brings together the "themes" of the main privacy: a) a need that manifests an individual to another, strengthened by heat, mutual exchanges, joint effort for social integration, b) privacy can be defined as the capacity personal, stable relationship that involves commitment, sacrifice, compromise, c) appears as a process of rapprochement between two individuals, in their attempt to know the deeper and satisfy their personal needs and aspirations; d) contributing factor intimacy is often determinant of intimate relationships.
How intimate relationships evolving? When transformed into an intimate interpersonal relationship? Lavinger (1988) identified three stages of development: a) a carefully stage (opening to the other, granting each other's attention to gestures, body expression, physical contact), a surface contact stage, the rules of participation, attached to social roles, status of mutuality requires a deep knowledge of the other, the intensity of feelings.
Intimate relationships are not blind, irrational or just romantic, passionate. They imply the existence of norms or rules, according to the culture and community or social context-ideological age. There is even a normative vocabulary to describe emotions occasioned by the presence of others. To evaluate and describe the degree of identity, different cultures use specific phrases, according to accepted codes used by larger groups or communities.

Intimate relationships require ongoing communication between the two partners, finding specific forms of communication. Separating couples marital communication deficit. Formulation and feeds messaging relationship, a continuous strengthening.

Psychosocial Determinants of relationship


a) close physical proximity, and reduced the geographical distance appears to us as an exciting relationship. Research of Festinger, Schachter and Back (1950) have shown that living in neighboring apartments facilitates contacts. This creates familiarity, multiply the opportunities for meetings. After establishing the relationship, partners define the borders and - usually - resist "invasion" of a stranger in this intimate space.

b) similarity-complementarity factor acts as a reciprocity of interests, opinions, tastes, means of communication. Individuals who have more in common (are similar) are often linked together and show predilections for those who share their preferences. Similarities can take many forms: clothing, emotions, social status. The similarity can be developed, the two partners, self-esteem and create positive feelings. Complementarity, in turn, and this may be a factor in relationships. The difference often strengthens the relationship and complementarity appears as a compensatory mechanism.
c) Physical attraction is a factor of intimate relationships. Impact assessment and other physical appearance also shows irrationality of a large number of judgments that we undertake. Agreeable individuals are more likely to be wanted, appreciated, valued positively. This attraction is driven by the following mechanism: people who have a positive self-perception identifies with those who they think look like them. Interpersonal relationship is driven by three factors:Intepersonale relations can be carried out at different levels and can take different forms. Such contact may identify zero when the individual supports the presence of another but does not seek to enter into relationship with him, superficial relationship implies the existence of some common interests (cinema, music, football), but in a non-binding. These are our everyday relations with colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances. The level of reciprocity means sharing of common beliefs, values and feelings, affection toward one another, or even love.
The above theories suggest that interpersonal relationships and forms are manifested.