The evolutionary explanations for partner preferences, including the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour.
Factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships: self-disclosure; physical attractiveness, including the matching hypothesis; filter theory, including social demography, similarity in attitudes and complementarity.
Theories of romantic relationships: social exchange theory, equity theory and Rusbult’s investment model of commitment, satisfaction, comparison with alternatives and investment. Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown: intra-psychic, dyadic, social and grave dressing phases.
Virtual relationships in social media: self-disclosure in virtual relationships; effects of absence of gating on the nature of virtual relationships.
Parasocial relationships: levels of parasocial relationships, the absorption addiction model and the attachment theory explanation.



0:00 Intro
0:40 evolutionary explanations for partner preferences
4:05 Factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships
9:12 Theories of romantic relationships
12:45 Duck’s phase model
15:11 Virtual relationships
17:03 Parasocial relationships
18:06 Outro