Blackwell Reference Online

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Significant others are those persons who are of sufficient importance in an individual's life to affect the individual's emotions, behavior, and sense of self. While in common parlance “significant other” has come to designate a romantic partner, sociologists' broader use of the term would include other relations such as family members and close friends or mentors. Through interactions with significant others, and perceptions of their responses to one's behavior, an individual gains a sense of who he or she is, and comes to understand how to act in a given context and role. Self-concept is based largely on our perceptions – whether accurate or not – of who we are in the eyes of those whose opinions matter to us. The term “significant other” was coined by Harry Stack Sullivan, who identified significant others as those who directly socialize the person to whom they are significant. Sullivan (1940) and George Herbert Mead (1967) suggest that socialization relies upon a person's considering the other's view of himself or herself as important. Having positive feelings toward another will greatly increase the chances that this person will become significant, and thus serve as a reference for belief and behavior. Mead was among the first to recognize the role of important others in the development and maintenance of identity. According to Mead, there is no inherent or core self present ... log in or subscribe to read full text