Attraction Flashcards
1
Q
6 types of romantic relationships
A
- Monogamous: one relationship at a time
- Polyamorous: more than one relationship at a time
- Open relationship: combo of monog and poly → emotional intimacy stays within the couple, but physical intimacy is allowed with others (ie. hooking up with someone else)
- Long-distance relationship: distance separates the couple
- Casual sex relationships: agree to have sex on a regular basis; exclusive or non-exclusive
- Friends with benefits: platonic established friendship with casual sex
2
Q
how are people meeting people?
A
Huge trend towards using online dating sites/apps (especially for people 18-44, even more so between 18-24)
3
Q
2 main factors of attraction
A
- proximity or physical closeness
- physical attraction
4
Q
factors of attraction: proximity
A
- Tend to like individuals who live and work near us
- Mere exposure or repeated contact with someone usually increases or liking of them
- Being physically closer to someone is more rewarding → more effort and expense to visit someone who is farther away than someone who is closer to us (ex. Airfare, time spent driving)
5
Q
factors of attraction: physical attraction
A
- Physical attractiveness influences first impressions
- We tend to assume good-looking people are more likable and have other desirable traits than those who are unattractive
- Male and female research participants reported that physically attractive people were more likely to have the following characteristics: kind, strong, outgoing, nurturing, sensitivity, sexually warm and responsible, interesting, poised, sociable, exciting date, and good character
6
Q
physical attractiveness in women vs. men
A
- Women are seen as more attractive with “baby-faced” features:
- Large eyes, small nose, and full lips with signs of maturity that include prominent cheekbones, narrow cheeks, and broad smile
- Men are seen as more attractive to women who are fertile when they have broad foreheads and strong jawlines
- The rest of the time, women find youthful, warm-looking men more attractive
7
Q
physical attractiveness for both sexes
A
- Face: facial features that are average (dimensions neither too large nor too small) and symmetrical (two sides of the face being mirror images of each other)
- Height: both men and women prefer relationships where the man is taller than woman
- Smell: attractive = smell good
- Hair: men like long-haired women, women like short-haired men
- Intelligence: women like smart men
8
Q
Felmee et al: attraction in LGBT relationships
A
- gave questionnaires to 120 people in LGBT community about what qualities attracted them to their partner, least attractive qualities, and whether they themselves had those qualities
- Most prominent bases of attraction:
- – Agreeableness (ex. Kind, supportive)
- – Extraversion (ex. Fun, sense of humour)
- – Physical attractiveness (ex. Appearance, sexiness)
- No significant gender differences
9
Q
Zosk et al: love at first sight study
A
- 400 men and women completed surveys about potential romantic partners immediately after their first encounter
- Indicated how much they agreed with the statement “I am experiencing love at first sight with this person”, as well as how much passion and physical attraction they felt
- Found that love at first sight happened with people who were physically attractive (one rating higher in attractiveness was associated with a 9x greater chance of reporting love at first sight feelings
- Men report it more than women - not sure why
- Tends to be a one-sided experience - not shared
- Not truly “love” at first sight → it’s strong feelings of attraction
10
Q
role of similarity in attraction
A
- Similarity is attractive → “like attracts like”
- We like demographic similarities (age, sex, race, education, religion, and social class)
- We have relationships with individuals who are similar in attitudes, values, prejudices, activities, and some personality traits (specifically nice, emotionally stable, and conscientious)
- Leads to more agreement, more liking
11
Q
do opposites attract?
A
- Research says no
- Ways we are misled into thinking that opposites attract:
- Perceived similarity: our perception of how much we think we have in common with a person affects our level of attraction to them
- Overestimate how much we actually have in common with a person
- Outsiders to the relationship see the differences and think opposites attract (couple is together because they don’t realize they’re different)
- Discovering similarities takes time (may take a while to find out that we don’t have as much in common as we had thought)
12
Q
fatal attraction
A
Something we initially liked about a new partner has gradually become one of the most obnoxious, irritating things we dislike about that partner
13
Q
dealbreakers vs. dealmakers
A
- dealbreakers: things that would lead you to reject someone as a partner or avoid pursuing a relationship with them (ex. abusive, homophobic)
- dealmakers: non-negotiable things a partner needs to have in order for the relationship to work (ex. loyal, trustworthy)
14
Q
involuntary vs. voluntary single
A
- Involuntary single:
- Actively seeking a make, but has not found one yet
- Includes never-married and former-marrieds who have not found a partner
- Temporary or permanent
- Voluntary single:
- Choice - not currently seeking a partner
- Includes never married or previously married
- Temporary or permanent
15
Q
being single in Canada
A
- 28% one-person households in Canada (highest since confederation)
- Steady increase since 1951 of single-person households
- Why?
- – Economic independence (ie. women in workforce)
- – Higher separation and divorce rates - more people living alone
