Which of the following best distinguishes a healthy relationship from an unhealthy relationship in the context of social psychology?

• A. Healthy relationships are characterized by mutual respect and open communication, while unhealthy relationships often involve control and lack of trust.
• B. Healthy relationships are defined by frequent arguments, whereas unhealthy relationships have no disagreements.
• C. Healthy relationships require one partner to make all decisions, while unhealthy relationships involve shared decision-making.
• D. Unhealthy relationships always involve physical violence, while healthy relationships never have any conflict.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key characteristics of healthy relationships in social psychology, which typically include mutual respect, open communication, trust, and shared decision-making.
2. Step 2: Recognize the features of unhealthy relationships, such as control, lack of trust, poor communication, and sometimes abuse or manipulation.
3. Step 3: Evaluate each provided statement by comparing it to these characteristics. For example, frequent arguments do not define a healthy relationship, and the absence of disagreements is not a hallmark of unhealthy ones.
4. Step 4: Analyze the role of decision-making in relationships; healthy relationships usually involve shared decision-making rather than one partner dominating all decisions.
5. Step 5: Consider that while physical violence is a serious indicator of an unhealthy relationship, the presence of conflict alone does not necessarily mean a relationship is unhealthy, as some conflict is normal in healthy relationships.