4. ATTRACTION and RELATIONSHIPS Flashcards
How is attraction related to them ( as in the other person) (e.g. physical attractiveness)
physically - face, smell, body, consequences
What does facial symmetry reflect?
“average” features
what faces then to be more attractive?
average faces
what is considered an average face?
facial proportions (symmetry) removal of individual/unique blemishes and marks
what is the more consistent aspect of an average face that is related to attractiveness?
removal of individual/unique blemishes and marks (Brain, Gruendl, Marberger & Scherber, 2001)
what sort of unique features can be considered attractive?
(Alley & Cunningham, 1991)
- “child-like” features (baby faced)
- for women: large yees and prominent cheekbones
- for men: prominent chin
what can scent indicate in both men and women?
difference in people’s immuse systems, specifically the major histocompatibility comples (MHC)
what is the major histocompatibility complex?
defence against parasites and avoids ibbreeding
what can scent indicate in women?
it can indicate when they are fertile, an indicator thats more likely sex will lead to procreation
what did Thornhill et al (2003) do an experiment on?
women and men smelled t-shirts that had been worn for 2 days by people pf the other sex.
He performed genetic analysis of MHC and rated scent pleasantness ad sexibess (combined)
what did thornhill et al (2003) discover about men smelling women?
men preferred women with scents that indicated MHC dissimilarity and indications that conception was more likely (fertile perios
what did thornhil et al (2003) discover about women smelling men?
women preferred men with scents that indicated more diversity in MHC (containing dominant and recessibe geneses) which can increase disease resistance in offspring
what does a .7 waist to hip ration indicate about women?
suggests lower likelihood of childbirth problems
what is the more attractive waist to hip ratio for women?
.7
what is the attractive waist to hip ratio for men?
.9
is there a difference between how men see a woman’s waist to hip ratio and how a lesbian or bisexual woman sees another woman’s waisst to hip ratio?
Nope. however there is a preference for heavier bodies than hetersexual men/women
what is the key element of universal physical attractiveness?
waist to hip ratio and symmetry
what are the more attractive men and women percieved to be with regard to consequences?
(Dion et al, 1972)
- more successful dominant and intelligent
- More socially skilled
- Better parents, less likely to divorce
- have more fulfilling social and professional lives
Who do people tend to want relationships with?
others of similar attractiveness.
Thus there do seem to be “leagues” of attractiveness
What did Walster, Aronson, Abrams & Rottman (1966) discover?
that attractiveness was the best predictor that people would meet up again
What can influence perceptions of physical attractiveness?
liking on non-physical dimensions this is known as a “cycle” of attractiveness
when is attraction greater (non-physically)?
to people whose attitudes and values are similar to our own. Thus similarities attract more than opposites.
what makes interactions easier?
perceived commonalities which validate who we are
true of false, similarities grow over time?
True
What did Bruber-Baldinin et al, 1995 do
did a 21 year longitudinal study and fond that attitudes and mental abilities of couples became more similar the longer they were together
what does it mean when “opposites attract”?
when people are attracted characteristics that they value but lac themselves.
what is involved in situation attractiveness?
proximity, transfer of arousal, reactance
what is proximity?
we tend to like people we interact with fequently
why do we like people we interact with frequently?
greater chance of interaction - getting to know the person
Er interact more frequently with those around us a lot
so long as they are not assertive
what theory is proximity (with regard to attraction) related to
the mere exposure effect. which provides that we tend to like things more when we are exposed to them frequently
what is transfer of arousal?
when we are attracted to people who are present when we experience psychological arousal. this is called misattribution of arousal
when does transfer of arousal occur?
when doing an exciting or dangerous activity together which increases arousal (adrenaline). sometimes attribute some of this arousal to the presence of another person rather than the activity
What is reactance with regard to situational attractiveness?
does the difficulty of being together contribute to attraction?
what is an example of reactance attractivenesss?
Romeo and Juliette