Module 02 · Foundations of Attraction and Relationships吸引力与关系基础
Why Do We Seek Relationships?寻求关系的原因
Overview 概述
Seeking out relationships is one of the most basic social functions that humans perform. From making friends to seeking out romantic partners, psychologists argue that we are driven to create affiliations, beneficial social contact with other people (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Hill, 1987). Why do we have this strong need?
寻找关系是人类执行的最基本的社会功能之一。从交朋友到寻找浪漫伴侣，心理学家认为我们被驱使去建立联系，与其他人建立有益的社会接触（Baumeister & Leary，1995；Hill，1987）。我们为什么有这种强烈的需要呢？
Reflection Activity 反思活动
Before continuing, take a moment and reflect on what benefits having relationships might confer to you.
在继续之前，花点时间思考一下拥有关系可能给您带来哪些好处。
How We Perceive the Benefits of Relationships 如何感知关系的益处
Hill (1987, p. 1011) created a survey with items that measure how much people agree with statements about the benefits of relationships. The following paragraphs detail some of the important benefits of relationships assessed by this survey.
Hill（1987，第 1011 页）设计了一份调查问卷，其中包含衡量人们对关系益处陈述的同意程度的条目。以下段落详细介绍了该调查评估的一些重要关系益处。
First, relationships can help us control our emotions, allow us to rebound from negative emotions, and enhance our positive emotions. For example, people often agree with the following statements: “If I feel unhappy or kind of depressed, I usually try to be around other people to make me feel better” and “I usually have the greatest need to have other people around me when I feel upset about something.”
首先，关系可以帮助我们控制情绪，让我们从负面情绪中恢复，并增强我们的积极情绪。例如，人们常常同意以下说法：“当我感到不快乐或有点沮丧时，我通常会尝试和其他人在一起，让自己感觉好一些”和“当我因为某事感到不安时，我通常最需要有人在我身边。”
Next, receiving positive information about the self can elevate our mood, improve our self-esteem, and enhance our subjective well-being. Forming positive relationships makes receiving this type of feedback more likely. This is illustrated in these commonly endorsed statements: “I often have a strong need to be around people who are impressed with what I am like and what I do” and “I don’t like being with people who may give me less than positive feedback about myself.”
接下来，接收关于自我的积极信息可以提高我们的情绪，增强我们的自尊，并提升我们的主观幸福感。建立积极的人际关系更有可能获得此类反馈。这体现在以下这些普遍认同的陈述中：“我经常有强烈的愿望与那些对我所是和所做印象深刻的人在一起”和“我不喜欢与那些可能给我负面反馈的人在一起。”
Beyond having relationships and receiving positive feedback about the self, being around others in and of itself yields benefits. For example, people often agree with the item, “The main thing I like about being around other people is the warm glow I get from contact with them.”
超出拥有关系和获得关于自我的积极反馈之外，与他人相处本身就具有益处。例如，人们常常同意这样的观点：“我喜欢与他人相处的主要原因是与他们接触时感受到的温暖光辉。”
Finally, relationships can give us information that we are not alone in experiencing what we are currently feeling (social validation). They also give us the ability to see how well we’re doing when we’re unable to receive objective feedback (social comparison). These benefits are highlighted in the following items: “I find that I often have the desire to be around other people who are experiencing the same thing I am when I am unsure of what is going on” and “When I am not certain about how well I am doing at something, I usually like to be around others so I can compare myself to them.”
最后，关系可以给我们提供信息，让我们知道我们并不孤单，正在经历我们当前的感受（社会验证）。它们还赋予我们能力，在我们无法获得客观反馈时，了解我们做得如何（社会比较）。以下项目突出了这些好处：“我发现，当我不确定发生了什么时，我经常渴望与其他经历与我相同的人在一起”和“当我不确定自己在某件事上做得如何时，我通常喜欢与其他人在一起，这样我可以与他们进行比较。”
The Physiological Benefits of Relationships 关系生理益处
Social psychologist John Cacioppo and colleagues examined the benefits of affiliation in the form of social support provided by family and friends (Uchino et al., 1996; see also Uchino, 2006). Their goal was to more fully identify the mechanisms by which social support confers physiological benefits for individuals. They reviewed 81 studies that examined the link between social support and physiological responses and identified three ways that social support improves physical health. Let’s examine each of these. Then, we’ll look at two more physiological benefits of relationships that have been discovered more recently.
社会心理学家约翰·卡乔波及其同事研究了家庭和朋友提供的社会支持形式的归属感的好处（Uchino 等，1996；参见 Uchino，2006）。他们的目标是更全面地识别社会支持如何为个人带来生理益处的机制。他们回顾了 81 项研究，这些研究考察了社会支持与生理反应之间的联系，并确定了三种社会支持改善身体健康的方式。让我们逐一考察这些。然后，我们将探讨最近发现的两种更多生理关系益处。
Cardiovascular Function 心血管功能
Social support is associated with improved cardiovascular function (Cohen, 1988). Individuals with stable social networks experience lower heart rates and blood pressure. Given that cardiovascular disease (e.g., coronary heart disease) remains a leading cause of death, the benefits of affiliation are significant.
社会支持与心血管功能改善相关（Cohen，1988）。拥有稳定社交网络的人心率较低，血压也较低。鉴于心血管疾病（如冠心病）仍然是死亡的主要原因，归属感的好处是显著的。
Endocrine Function 内分泌功能
Several studies have found evidence that social support can positively influence the functioning of the endocrine system, which controls the release of hormones into the bloodstream (Arnetz et al., 1985). Under conditions of stress, the adrenal glands release catecholamines (e.g., the neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine), which have the effect of increasing heart rate and blood pressure. The adrenal glands also release cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone, which—among other effects—impairs immune function, hindering our ability to fight disease. Thus, affiliation can reduce the release of catecholamines and cortisol, reducing the level of stress experienced.
多项研究发现，社会支持可以积极影响内分泌系统的功能，该系统控制激素进入血液循环（Arnetz 等，1985 年）。在压力条件下，肾上腺释放儿茶酚胺（例如，神经递质肾上腺素和去甲肾上腺素），这会增加心率和血压。肾上腺还释放皮质醇，通常被称为压力激素，它除了其他作用外，还会损害免疫功能，阻碍我们抵抗疾病的能力。因此，归属感可以减少儿茶酚胺和皮质醇的释放，降低所经历的压力水平。
Immune Function 免疫功能
A number of studies have examined the effects of social support on immune function. Cacioppo and colleagues found evidence for a more direct link between social support—particularly, family ties—and various measures of immune function. Immune function directly affects physical health, and the impact of affiliation on immune function is noteworthy.
多项研究探讨了社会支持对免疫功能的影响。Cacioppo 及其同事发现了社会支持——尤其是家庭关系——与免疫功能各项指标之间更直接的联系。免疫功能直接影响身体健康，而归属感对免疫功能的影响值得关注。
Beyond the physiological benefits listed in Cacioppo’s research, there are several other health benefits of relationships that have been extensively documented.
in Cacioppo 的研究中列出的生理益处之外，还有其他许多关于关系的健康益处已被广泛记录。
Gut Microbiota 肠道菌群
Dill-McFarland and colleagues (2019) examined the link between close relationships and human gut microbiota (the bacteria in the intestines). While it might seem strange for gut bacteria to make their way into a course on relationships, they are an important indicator of health, with a more diverse array of gut bacteria associated with numerous markers of good physical health (Valdes et al., 2018). Dill-McFarland’s research showed that couples have more similar gut microbiota than siblings—suggesting that whom people partner with is an important determinant of their own health—and that those in close relationships have more diverse gut microbiota than those who do not have close relationships. This research illustrates another pathway through which having close relationships can positively impact physical health.
迪尔-麦克法兰及其同事（2019 年）研究了亲密关系与人类肠道微生物群（肠道中的细菌）之间的联系。虽然肠道细菌进入关系课程似乎有些奇怪，但它们是健康的重要指标，肠道细菌种类越多样，与良好的身体健康指标相关越多（瓦尔德斯等人，2018 年）。迪尔-麦克法兰的研究表明，伴侣之间的肠道微生物群比兄弟姐妹更相似——这表明人们选择伴侣是他们自身健康的重要决定因素——并且那些在亲密关系中的人比没有亲密关系的人拥有更多样化的肠道微生物群。这项研究说明了拥有亲密关系可以通过另一种途径对身体健康产生积极影响。
Pain Reduction 疼痛减轻
In the beginning stages of a romantic relationship, partners typically experience high levels of excitement and joy. Such feelings have been linked to a reduction in sensitivity to painful stimuli (Younger et al., 2010).
在浪漫关系的初期阶段，伴侣们通常会经历高水平的兴奋和快乐。这些感觉与对疼痛刺激的敏感性降低有关（Younger 等人，2010）。
Younger and colleagues asked participants in the first 9 months of a relationship—and who described themselves as intensely in love—to look at a picture of their partner or of an acquaintance while the participants were in an fMRI scanner, a machine that measures brain activity. Participants completed this task in one of three conditions of thermal pain—no pain, moderate pain, and high pain—delivered through exposure to varying levels of heat. As expected, participants reported less pain when looking at the picture of their romantic partner than the picture of an acquaintance. The fMRI results indicated that pictures of one’s partner, but not of an acquaintance, increased activity in reward areas of the brain and decreased activity in areas typically associated with the processing of pain.
年轻和同事们要求在关系的前 9 个月中，并自称为极度热恋的参与者，在 fMRI 扫描仪中观看他们伴侣或熟人的照片，fMRI 是一种测量大脑活动的机器。参与者在一个包含三种热痛条件（无疼痛、中度疼痛和高度疼痛）的任务中完成这项任务，这些疼痛通过暴露于不同温度水平来产生。正如预期的那样，当参与者观看他们浪漫伴侣的照片时，报告的疼痛感比观看熟人的照片时更少。fMRI 结果显示，伴侣的照片，而不是熟人的照片，增加了大脑奖励区域的活动，并减少了通常与疼痛处理相关区域的活动。
Reflection Activity 反思活动
Now that you’ve learned about the benefits of relationships, take a moment and reflect on the relationships in your life. Have you experienced any of the benefits we’ve covered? Are there other benefits of relationships that we didn’t list here?
现在你已经了解了关系的益处，花点时间反思一下你生活中的关系。你是否经历过我们提到的那些益处？还有其他我们没有列出的关系益处吗？