Psychology Essay

It is not uncommon to see couples almost everywhere you go in today’s society, holding each other’s hands, having lunch together, or just taking a stroll. It is evident that these people are in a romantic intimate relationship. However, it is also not uncommon to see a lone person eating at a restaurant or even enjoying a day out with a couple (often being described as a third wheel in these situations). These people, upon being asked, would describe their current relationship status as being “single”. This would normally be accepted as a valid answer, and the matter would be put aside as there are a number of people in today’s society who are “single”. Of course, these events would not play out the same if the person asking such a question happened to be a social psychologist. Unlike any other person, a social psychologist would stop to think: “Why exactly are you single? Is it your own choice, or is it a symptom of problematic attachment?” In order for the social psychologist to answer these questions, the definition and theories of singlehood and interpersonal attraction must first be understood. This essay will critically discuss theories of interpersonal attraction, attachment styles and Sternberg’s typology of love, thereby reaching an explanation as to why people may adopt single lifestyles. Personally, I believe that the majority of singlehood is a matter of one’s choice, and not a symptom of problematic attachment.

By definition of a dictionary, the term “singlehood” is described as ‘the state of being unmarried’ (The Free Dictionary contributors, “Singlehood”, The Free Dictionary). For a social psychologist, that very term means that one either chooses not to or simply cannot participate in a romantic intimate relationship, due to having difficulty regarding such relationships. From one perspective, a person may remain single for various reasons; they are not ready for commitment, they just got out of a long-term relationship, they are afraid of getting

References: John Bowlby, Attachment (Vol. 1), 1969, London. Robert A. Baron, Donn R. Byrne, Nyla R. Branscombe, Mastering Social Psychology, 2007, Boston. The Free Dictionary contributors, “Singlehood”, the Free Dictionary – http://www.thefreedictionary.com/singlehood Wikipedia Contributors, “Social Exchange Theory”, Wikipedia – http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_exchange_theory Wikipedia Contributors, “Equity Theory”, Wikipedia - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity_theory