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Dyadic Relationships Versus Group Processes

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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science
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Synonyms

Group living; Marriage; Pair bonds

Definition

A dyadic relationship comprises two individuals who are more or less interdependent and who need one another to facilitate their survival and reproductive goals. Groups comprise three or more similarly interdependent individuals who may or may not be related, and who cooperate with one another to achieve common goals. Both dyads and groups may experience conflict when self-interest trumps mutual benefit. Groups also compete with each other for control of resources.

Introduction

From the moment of birth, humans have been crafted by evolution to desire relationships with those who are best placed to meet their needs, and to find happiness and security in the company of those who value and care about them. Further, and in the interests of successful reproduction, humans possess powerful motivations to establish committed pair-bond relationships that facilitate the survival of offspring. From an evolutionary perspective, then, humans...

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Correspondence to Julie Fitness .

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Fitness, J., Case, T.I. (2018). Dyadic Relationships Versus Group Processes. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2444-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2444-1

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