10- Attraction Flashcards
What is interpersonal attraction?
A force between 2 people that draws them towards each other rather than apart
What does interpersonal attraction apply to?
Friendship as well as romantic relationships
What does evolutionary psychology suggest about attraction?
What motivates mate choice is reproductive fitness
What is reproductive fitness?
Qualities/characteristics that people find attractive are those that signal fitness
What preference did human attractiveness evolve from?
A preference for healthy, fertile mates
3 features of attractive faces
Healthy, symmetrical, average
5 theories of attraction
Ideal characteristics, proximity, familiarity, similarity, complementary
3 factors of proximity and attraction
Availability, anticipation of future interaction, familiarity
What is the mere exposure effect?
Repeated exposure results in greater attraction
What did Moreland and Beach find?
Likeability increased by attending more lectures
What 3 things increase attraction through similarity?
Attitudes, values, traits
When is similarity more important?
The more you get to know someone
When are you more likely to like someone?
The more you have in common with someone
3 reasons why similarity is important
Reinforcement, reciprocity, less conflict
What is the matching hypothesis?
Similar desirability levels
Who are rated more alike in attractiveness levels?
Real-life couples
How do we avoid rejection?
Approach equal-status others
How does Carson (1969) describe the complementarity hypothesis?
Complementary levels of dominance/submission attract
How do Markey & Markey (2007) describe the complementarity hypothesis?
Dominance/submission dissimilarity linked to attraction and relationship quality
What part of the complementarity hypothesis is only supported in some domains?
No evidence for opposite attitudes or values
How did Krueger & Caspi (1993) investigate personality similarity vs complementarity?
Women rated dating profiles as similar or different from themselves
What did Krueger & Caspi (1993) find?
Warm and stable profiles were generally rated more positively, people generally liked more similar profiles
How did McGloin & Denes (2017) investigate attractiveness vs similarity in online dating?
Heterosexual participants saw a physically enhanced vs natural photo of an online dating profile
What did McGloin & Denes (2017) find?
Enhanced photos were judged as more attractive but less trustworthy
How can a situation influence attractiveness?
Can cause emotional arousal to influence how attractive we find people to be
How did Dutton & Aron (1974) investigate emotional arousal?
They surveyed men after they had crossed a shaky bridge or a stable bridge
3 theories of attraction
Reinforcement-affect model, social exchange model, equity model
Who does the reinforcement-affect model say that we like around?
People who are around when we experience positive feelings
3 factors that the reinforcement-affect model says influences attractiveness
Situation, similarity, ideal characteristics
What does the reinforcement-affect model account well for?
Friendships but not long-term relationships
What does the social exchange model say about the social environment?
It is a marketplace where humans can satisfy our needs
How is liking and commitment determined (social exchange model)?
By a cost-reward ratio
How else is attraction affected (social exchange model)?
By comparison level for alternatives
How does the equity model define relationships?
As equitable when the ratio of inputs to outcomes is seen to be the same by both partners
What does the equity model say marriage is?
A mutual exchange of resources
What does the equity model say that love is?
Often nothing but a favourable exchange between two people who can get the most of what they can expect
Why is attraction research heteronormative?
Most research focuses on heterosexual attraction
How is research explicitly heteronormative?
By recruiting/analysing only heterosexual participants
How is research implicitly heteronormative?
By using female confederates and assuming that all male participants will be attracted to them
What is social exchange theory?
Homosexual relationship costs and alternatives may differ
