Significant other
A term for a person important to an individual's life or well-being.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The term "significant other" (SO) has distinct meanings in colloquial language and in psychology/sociology. Colloquially, it is a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship, without disclosing marital status, relationship status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. In psychology and sociology, it refers to any person who has great importance to an individual's life or well-being, or who strongly influences an individual's self-concept.
- first_known_use
- 1940 by Harry Stack Sullivan
- field
- Psychiatry, Psychology, Sociology
- known_for
- Concept of significant other in interpersonal relations and status attainment research
- key_researchers
- Archie O. Haller, Edward L. Fink, Joseph Woelfel
Lore & Background
The first known use of the terms "significant other person" and "significant other people" is by U.S. psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan in his 1940 article "Conceptions of Modern Psychiatry" in the journal Psychiatry: Journal of the Biology and Pathology of Interpersonal Relations. The phrase was later popularised in the United States by Armistead Maupin's 1987 book Significant Others, and in the UK by the 1989 TV series Only Fools and Horses, in which Derek Trotter uses the phrase when referring to his long-term partner Raquel Turner.
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-concept. The first actual measurements of the influence of significant others on individuals were made by Archie O. Haller, Edward L. Fink, and Joseph Woelfel at the University of Wisconsin. They surveyed 100 Wisconsin adolescents, measured their educational and occupational aspirations, and identified the set of other individuals who communicated with the students and served as examples for them. They then contacted the significant others, directly measured their expectations for the adolescent's educational and occupational attainments, and calculated the impact of these expectations on the aspirations of the students. Results showed that the expectations of significant others were the single most potent influences on the student's aspirations.
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, after which the significant other is no longer needed, and 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.
Reader's Guide
The concept of the significant other is important because it bridges colloquial and scientific understandings of interpersonal influence. In everyday language, it provides a neutral, inclusive term for a romantic partner. In psychology and sociology, it denotes any person who profoundly shapes an individual's life, self-concept, or aspirations. The empirical work of Haller, Fink, and Woelfel demonstrated that the expectations of significant others are the single most potent influence on adolescents' educational and occupational aspirations, grounding the concept in measurable data. This research was part of the Wisconsin model of status attainment. The term's origin in Harry Stack Sullivan's psychiatric work highlights its roots in understanding human development and interpersonal relations. Its popularization through literature and television shows how academic concepts can enter common usage. The developmental aspect—where a significant other is crucial for about six or seven years before being replaced by an abstract societal "other"—underscores the role of these figures in early socialization. The term remains relevant in both academic studies of social influence and in everyday discourse about relationships.
Did You Know?
- The first known use of the terms 'significant other person' and 'significant other people' was by U.S. psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan in 1940.
- The phrase was popularised in the US by Armistead Maupin's 1987 book Significant Others, and in the UK by the 1989 TV series Only Fools and Horses.
- The first measurements of the influence of significant others were made by Archie O. Haller, Edward L. Fink, and Joseph Woelfel at the University of Wisconsin.
- In psychology, a significant other is any person who has great importance to an individual's life or well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the term 'significant other' actually mean?
In everyday speech, it is a gender-neutral shorthand for a person's romantic or intimate partner without specifying whether they are married, engaged, or in any other formal status. In academic psychology and sociology, the phrase broadens to describe anyone who plays a major role in shaping an individual's sense of self or overall well-being.
Who first used the phrase 'significant other' and when?
The expression traces back to 1940, when psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan introduced it into the language of interpersonal relations. Sullivan was building out his interpersonal theory of personality, and the term became a staple of his framework for describing the people who most influence an individual's development.
Which fields rely on the 'significant other' concept?
It sits at the intersection of psychiatry, psychology, and sociology. Researchers in those disciplines have used it to study interpersonal bonds, self-concept formation, and how close relationships affect status attainment and social identity.
How is 'significant other' different from words like 'spouse,' 'husband,' or 'wife'?
Unlike those labels, 'significant other' carries no information about legal marital status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. That makes it a deliberately neutral way to refer to a partner in both casual conversation and formal writing where specificity would be awkward or inappropriate.
Who are the key researchers most associated with significant-other studies?
Beyond Sullivan himself, scholars such as Archie O. Haller, Edward L. Fink, and Joseph Woelfel extended the concept into status-attainment and interpersonal-relations research. Their work helped cement the term as a standard variable in sociological and psychological studies of close relationships.
More in Family & Relationships 1-22
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record