Significant other
Encyclopedia
Significant other is colloquial
ly used as a gender-blind
term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship
without disclosing or presuming anything about marital status, relationship status, or sexual orientation
, as it is vague enough to avoid offense by using a term that an individual might consider inappropriate (e.g. lover
when they consider him a boyfriend
, or girlfriend
when they consider her a life partner
).
In the United States the term is sometimes used in invitations, e.g., to weddings and office parties.
Its usage in both psychology
and sociology
is very different from its colloquial use. In psychology, a significant other is any person who has great importance to an individual's life or well-being
. In sociology, it describes any person or persons with a strong influence on an individual's self-evaluation, which are important to this individual, as well as reception of particular social norms
. This usage is synonymous with the term "relevant other" and can also be found in plural form, "significant others". This use of the term has become common in the UK in correspondence from hospitals, e.g., "you may be accompanied for your appointment by a significant other."
In social psychology, a significant other is the parent, uncle/aunt, grandparent, or teacher—the person that guides and takes care of a child during primary socialization
. The significant other protects, rewards, and punishes the child as a way of aiding the child's development. This usually takes about six or seven years, and after that the significant other is no longer needed, the child moves on to a general other which is not a real person, but an abstract notion of what society
deems good or bad.
, Harry Stack Sullivan
, a former editor of the journal Psychiatry, in his posthumously published work, The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry. While the term currently enjoys use and familiarity, greatest use of the term peaked in the late '80s to mid '90s and has generally declined since then in favor of other terminology as deemed appropriate. However, because much of the other terminology is somewhat cumbersome, the use of the term "sigo" is beginning to gain some popularity.
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
ly used as a gender-blind
Gender-blind
Gender-blind is a term describing activities undertaken and services provided without regard to the gender of those who participate.- Choice of words :Unisex is an older term, and a misnomer meaning "one sex"....
term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
without disclosing or presuming anything about marital status, relationship status, or sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, as it is vague enough to avoid offense by using a term that an individual might consider inappropriate (e.g. lover
Lover
Lover may refer to:* A person who loves* A sexual partner outside of a committed relationship-Music:* "Lover" , by Rodgers and Hart* "Lover" * "Lovers" , by The Tears* Lovers...
when they consider him a boyfriend
Boyfriend
A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed relationships, where other titles A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed...
, or girlfriend
Girlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
when they consider her a life partner
Life partner
A life partner is a romantic or otherwise very close friend for life. The partners can be of the same or opposite sexes, married or unmarried, and monogamous or polyamorous....
).
In the United States the term is sometimes used in invitations, e.g., to weddings and office parties.
Its usage in both psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
is very different from its colloquial use. In psychology, a significant other is any person who has great importance to an individual's life or well-being
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
. In sociology, it describes any person or persons with a strong influence on an individual's self-evaluation, which are important to this individual, as well as reception of particular social norms
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
. This usage is synonymous with the term "relevant other" and can also be found in plural form, "significant others". This use of the term has become common in the UK in correspondence from hospitals, e.g., "you may be accompanied for your appointment by a significant other."
In social psychology, a significant other is the parent, uncle/aunt, grandparent, or teacher—the person that guides and takes care of a child during primary socialization
Socialization
Socialization is a term used by sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, political scientists and educationalists to refer to the process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies...
. The significant other protects, rewards, and punishes the child as a way of aiding the child's development. This usually takes about six or seven years, and after that the significant other is no longer needed, the child moves on to a general other which is not a real person, but an abstract notion of what society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
deems good or bad.
First use
The first known occurrence of the term was in 1953 by US psychiatristPsychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, Harry Stack Sullivan
Harry Stack Sullivan
Harry Stack Sullivan was a U.S. psychiatrist whose work in psychoanalysis was based on direct and verifiable observation .-Life and works:Sullivan was a child of Irish immigrants and allegedly grew up in an...
, a former editor of the journal Psychiatry, in his posthumously published work, The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry. While the term currently enjoys use and familiarity, greatest use of the term peaked in the late '80s to mid '90s and has generally declined since then in favor of other terminology as deemed appropriate. However, because much of the other terminology is somewhat cumbersome, the use of the term "sigo" is beginning to gain some popularity.