how do we learn how to develop relationships, especially healthy intimate relationships?

how do we learn how to develop relationships, especially healthy intimate relationships?

Final Topic: Healthy Intimate Relationships

Walden University

January 13, 2019

Final Project Topic: Healthy Intimate Relationships

There has always been a debate in which the way human learns: nature vs. nurture. According to McLeod (2018), this debate covers the theory that human behavior are a product of inherit genes and genetics (nature) or our behavior is acquired or learned by one’s surroundings, environments and external influencers (nurture). Despite the debate, I believe we are born a certain way that has preposition our brain to learn as well as develop relationships. But how do we learn how to develop relationships, especially healthy intimate relationships? There are two psychological theories that I will be discussing to define how humans can develop healthy intimate relationships: Attachment Theory and Social Learning Theory.

According to Goldberg (2013), the attachment theory suggest that humans’ intimate relationships are related to their relationships with the person they bonded with during infancy. This theory is important in developing healthy intimate relationships because this it explains why humans control how close or distant he or she will become towards others. Hock (2013) explains that how important early infant attachment in later psychological change because it can be applied to attachments in romantic relationships.

The second theory that can explain healthy intimate relationships is social learning theory. Hock (2013) explains social learning theory as humans developing behavior by observing and imitating other people which will help in the development of their personality as well. This will affect how one will develop a healthy intimate relationship. For example, individual partners can affect the other partner through the behaviors they exchange, which partners will learn from their relationship behaviors. In this situation, each partner can determine what behaviors are healthy or not.

In conclusion, Attachment Theory and Social Learning Theory can explain how individual perceive healthy intimate relationships and developing these relationships. Both theories explains how early childhood development plays a significant role in future behaviors through different components of learning. By examining both theories closely, we can understand how healthy intimate relationships are developed and explained.

References

Goldberg, S. (2013). Attachment Theory: Social, Development, and Clinical Perspectives. Routledge.

Hock, R. R. (2013). Forty studies that changed psychology (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

McLeod, S. A. (2018, Dec 20). Nature vs nurture in psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.htm