Personal Relationships

As far back as Aristotle, humans have been recognized as social animals. Most scholars, regardless of their theoretical background, agree that social connections are the basis of the human condition. From birth, and even before, our relationships with others are key to survival (Reis et al., 2000). Infants who have close social bonds with their primary caretakers are more likely to thrive during their lives than those who do not (Groh et al., 2017). As children grow, their primary dyadic relationships proliferate into webs of social connections (Weeks & Asher, Chapter 8, this volume). These social connections, in turn, give rise to the creativity, structure, and ingenuity that allow us to improve society. Clearly, the advances that humans have made depend heavily on collective action.