Attraction Flashcards
Causes of Attraction
Mere Exposure Effect- The more exposure we have to a stimulus, the more apt we are to like it.
Similarity
Do birds of a feather flock together or do opposites attract?
Newcomb(1961)
- Randomly assignes male college students to roommates on a particular dorm
- Men formed friendships with other men of similar backgrounds and interests
Why?
- We expect similar others to like us and are more likely to initiate a relationship
- Similar others validate our characteristics and beliefs
- We infer things about other peoples character based on perceived similarity
Reciprocal Liking
We like people who like us
Gold et al. (1984)
-Men were attracted to a women who non-verbally displayed liking when even though she disagreed with them on important issues
Flattery
- Sincere flattery can increase liking
- Ingratiating flattery decreases liking
What is beautiful is good stereotype?
When u assume something that is beautiful is good
Ex: When u think a girl wearing a nice dress is beautiful, and a person dressed in dirty clothes is bad
Sternberg triangle theory of love:
I Pick Cotton Round Country Corners
Intimacy- The emotional component, which involves likings and feelings of closeness
Passion- The motivational component, which contains drives that trigger attraction, romance, and sexual desire.
Commitment- The cognitive component-which reflects the decision to make a long term commitment to a loved partner
Romantic love (Passionate love)- The intense and erotic longing we experience for another person; Characterized by intimacy and passion.
Companionate love- The intimacy and affection we feel when we care deeply for another person but don’t experience passion or arousal for the person.
Consummate love- “The real deal”
-Characterized by passion, intimacy and commitment
The matching hypothesis
The tendency for men and women to choose as partners those who are a “good match” in attractiveness and other traits
Welcome dance studies
- Students were rated by independent judges on physical attractiveness. They also took several personality inventories to establish their personality and interests. Students were randomly assigned a partner for a welcome dance.
- Physical attractiveness was most important in whether or not someone was thought to be a good date.
Results:
- More attractive partners were rated as better dates
- In a 6 month follow up, partners who were similarly rated in physical attractiveness were more likely to have continued dating.
Equity Theory
Theory that people are happiest with relationships in which the rewards and costs experienced and the contributions made by both parties are roughly equal.
Social exchange theory
People’s feelings about a relationship depend on their perceptions of:
Satisfaction-The rewards
Investment-The costs
Attachment Theory
A theory about how early attachments with caregivers shape our relationships for the remainder of our lives.
Attachment Styles
Secure attachment- Characterized by feelings of security in relationships
*Individuals are comfortable with intimacy and desire to be close to others during times of threat and uncertainty
(Women) INSECURE-ANXIOUS OR AMBIVALENT ATTACHMENT
- Characterized by anxiety over others not reciprocating desire for intimacy
- Seek closeness, express continual worries about relationships and during situations of threat and uncertainty, excessively try to get close to others.
(Men) INSECURE-AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT
- Characterized by a suppression of attachment needs
- Compulsive self-reliance, prefers distance from others, dismissive and detached during conditions of threat and uncertainty
Prosocial behavior
Any act performed with the goal of benefitting another person
Evolutionary perspective on helping
Kin Selection:
- Preferential helping of genetic relatives which facilitates our genetic survival
- People reporting more likely to help a genetic relationship over an unrelated person in a life or death situation
Cooperative Breeding:
-Helping to raise the offspring of genetic relatives in place of reproducing oneself
Group Selection:
We engage in helping behavior to facilitate the survival of our groups
-Helpful groups survive better than selfish groups
-If I help someone in my group, someone else might help me
The norm of reciprocity
Expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future.
Egoistic help
Motivated to help to increase one’s own welfare
Altruistic help
Motivated by the desire to improve another’s welfare
Empathy/ Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis
Empathy- The vicarious experience of another’s feelings; putting oneself in another’s shoes
Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis- Empathic concern for a person in need produces an altruistic motive for helping
Bystander Effect
The finding that a person is less likely to provide help when there are other bystanders.
Ex: (The murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964)
Darley & Latane (1968)
Participants were told they were participating in a study looking at the personal problems faced by college students
Participants were placed in individual rooms and asked to communicate with a microphone and headphones
Groups were made up of 2,3, or 6 people
-During the course of the study, another participant disclosed that they experienced seizure, and later seemed to be having one.
Which participant were most likely to help?
2 (participant & victim)- 85% responded in 52 seconds
3 (participant, victim, and 1 other)- 62% responded in 93 seconds
6(participant, victim, and 4 others)-31% responded in 166 seconds.
Five steps to helping in an emergency
- ) Notice that something is happening
- )Interpret the event as an emergency
- )Take responsibility for providing help
- )Decide how to help
- )Provide help
The Good Samaritan Study
Seminary students were asked to walk across campus to deliver a speech on being a good person
Half were told they were late and should hurry
Half were told there was no need to rush
On the way to give their speech, all the students passed by someone in need of help
Who offered help?
- 63% students who didn’t have to rush
- 10% students who were in a rush
The pluralistic ignorance
The case in which people think that everyone else is interpreting a situation a certain way, when in fact they aren’t.
Latane & Darley (1970)
-Participants are filling out questionnaires for a study on the problems of urban life when white smoke begins to fill the room
Results:
When participants are completing questionnaires alone
-50% notify the experimenter within the first 2 minutes
-75% notify the experimenter within the first 6 minutes
Diffusion of responsibility
Phenomenon whereby each bystander’s sense of responsibility to help decreases as the number of witness increases.
False Confessions
…
Inadmissible Testimony
When a judge instructs jurors to disregard inadmissible testimony, are they able to?
-Instructions to ignore information may actually increase the likelihood of it being used.
Group 1– Very little evidence
Group 2– Introduction of a phone call which the defense objected to but the judge allowed
Group 3– Introduction of a phone call which the defense objected to and the instructed the jurrors to ignore.
Results: Group %found guilty Little Evidence 0 Phone call allowed 26 Phone call ignored 35
Eyewitness Accuracy
Accuracy:
In good conditions, 75% of witnesses correctly identified the thief
In moderate conditions, just under 50%
In poor conditions less than 35%
Jurors Perception of Eyewitness Accuracy:
In good conditions, 72% of the jurors felt the eyewitness was correct
In moderate about 65%
In poor about 63%
Reconstructive memory
The process whereby memories of an event become distorted by information encountered after the event occurred
Misinformation effect
Tendency for false post-event
Ex: Leading questions
Lineups
A way for people to identify suspects
Helpful if they identified suspects, one by one then all together
Present the witness with suspects one-by-one instead of showing them all together
