Attraction and Aggression Flashcards
proximity effect
phenomenon that explains that people are more likely to mate with people who are geographically closer to them, simply because they are more likely to meet
mere exposure effect
the more a person is familiar with something the more likely they are to prefer that thing
can apply to mate preference, food choice, music taste, etc.
universal attractiveness
physical qualities that make a person appealing across cultures and throughout time
facial symmetry, unrelated physiological arousal, average features, and prominent sexual dimorphism characteristics play a role
sexual dimorphism
difference in physical characteristics between men and women besides the sex organs
people are often attracted to people based on their expression of these qualities, eg men with broad shoulders or women with a small wait
effect of similarity on attraction
way in which shared interests and physical qualities between oneself and another person tend to increase the likelihood of befriending the other person or finding them attractive
people tend to find mates that share social status, race, education level, etc.
attachment
social bond that connects two people
bond between a mother and a child is an example
Harlow monkey experiments
series of studies that aimed to test attachment that involved separating a monkey from its mother at a young age and tested its attachments to a figure that offered food and a cloth figure that offered comfort
these studies showed that the monkey spent a large amount of time clinging to the cloth mother, showing that the basis of attachment is likely comfort, rather than food provision
secure base
comfort found in a sensitive and attentive figure of attachment that allows an animal or child to explore away from this figure, knowing the figure will still be there when it returns
cloth mother in the Harlow Monkey Experiments was an example of this
Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
experimental setting that separated a mother from their child in an unfamiliar room with a stranger to test the child’s reactions
studying this led to the conclusion that there are 2 main attraction styles: insecure and secure
secure attachment
style of relationship between a child and its mother that presents in the Strange Situation as a child that is willing to explore the room while the mother is there, distressed behavior when the mother leaves, and a quick acceptance of the mother on her return
sensitive parenting styles seems to contribute to this style
secure attachment in adults
relationship style, correlated to a similar relationship style between a child and its mother, that is characterized by trusting their partner and seeing them as a source of comfort and security
insecure attachment
style of relationship between a child and its mother that presents in the Strange Situation as a child that clings to the mother, is not willing to explore the room, shows distressed behavior when the mother leaves, and does not quickly accept the mother on her return
insensitive or inconsistent parenting styles seemed to contribute to this relationship style
insecure attachment in adults
a relationship style, correlated to a similar relationship style between a child and its mother, that is characterized by mistrusting their partner or being anxious in relationships
aggression
behaviors that intend to harm another either physically or mentally
has a biological basis
amygdala
part of the brain that is largely responsible for the processing of emotions, especially anger
this part of the brain influences aggressive behaviors
frontal lobe
part of the brain responsible for attention, impulse control, and decision making
decreased activation of this area can contribute to aggressive behaviors
testosterone
male sex hormone that is responsible for development of secondary sex characteristics (eg facial hair, increased muscle mass, etc.)
present in both men and women, and high levels can lead to aggressive behaviors
frustration-aggression principle
idea that aggression is caused by the channeling of negative emotions towards the victim of the aggression (who is often unrelated to the source of the negative emotions)
reinforcement
favorable stimulus that follows a behavior that makes the behavior more likely to occur in the future
can contribute to aggression if aggressive behavior has led to a reward in the past
modeling
learning mechanism that involves observing the actions of others
can contribute to aggression if family members or peers exhibit aggression
deindividuation
effect of belonging to a group that results in the loss of self-awareness or identity
helps explain how seemingly normal, moral people can commit aggressive or violent acts in a group
