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Love, Friendship & Social Support - Coggle Diagram
Love, Friendship & Social Support
Why relationships matter
Close relationships are psychologically equivalent to food and water, necessary for survival
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Relationships are a basic need, give purpose and identity
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Friendship
Workplace friendships
develop due to time spent together
linked to higher job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational commitment, and less likely to quit
Internet friendships
often as intimate as in person · especially true for socially anxious or lonely individuals
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Love & biology
Helen Fisher fMRI study
brain of someone in love is similar to addict on a high
Serotonin increases ~40%
Newly in love show OCD-like tendencies
Breakups processed like quitting an addiction, physically painful
Long term love is a habit, not a feeling
Sexual desire and love activate different brain areas
Love grows from consistent rewards and expectancy
A breakup being processed the same way as quitting an addiction explains why it's so physically uncomfortable and why people go back even knowing they shouldn't. The craving is normal, it's the brain literally in withdrawal from something it got used to.
Social support
Perceived
knowing support is available -> buffers stress, increases happiness and well-being
Received
actual support given. Benefits are less clear because unwanted support may not feel helpful even if well intentioned
Quantity vs. quality
cognitive limit of about 150 people we can truly know
research shows both quantity and quality matter