Attraction and Relationships

Question 1

What is the need to belong and what are the two parts to it?

Answer 1

Like physical needs, humans have a fundamental need to connect to others
Two parts: need frequent positive interactions w/ others, need to form social bonds (relationships)

Question 2

What are the four factors in attraction?

Answer 2

Proximity
Similarity
Reciprocal liking
Physical attractiveness

Question 3

What is functional distance?

Answer 3

How often people’s paths cross

Question 4

What did the Festinger et al. (1950) apartment study reveal about how functional distance is related to attraction?

Answer 4

65% of participants said their closest friend was in the same apartment building
Of the 65%: 41% said their closest friend lived next door, 22% said their closest friend lived two doors down, and 10% said their closest friend was at the end of the hall
Closer functional distance = more attraction

Question 5

Why does proximity lead to attraction?

Answer 5

More likely to come into contact
Might be in proximity b/c of shared interests

Question 6

What is the mere exposure effect?

Answer 6

The tendency for novel stimuli to be liked more/rated more positively after repeated exposure

Question 7

What did the Mita et al. (1977) photos vs. mirror images study reveal about the mere exposure effect?

Answer 7

Participants were shown normal images of themselves and mirrored images of themselves, as well as pictures of others → preferred mirrored pic of themselves and normal pic of others (what they see more often)

Question 8

What did the Newcomb (1961) housing study reveal about similarity’s importance in attraction?

Answer 8

Male transfer students: similar attitudes → close relationships

Question 9

What is complementarity?

Answer 9

Opposites attract

Question 10

What is the matching hypothesis?

Answer 10

The tendency to choose as partners those that match in attractiveness

Question 11

What did the Huston (1973) fear of rejection study reveal about the matching hypothesis?

Answer 11

Men rated women on attractiveness → said they would date women with matching attractiveness (picked most attractive woman if told every woman expressed interest → suggests picking matching attractiveness is out of fear of rejection)

Question 12

What did the Curtis & Miller (1986) study reveal about reciprocal liking?

Answer 12

Participants were told that their research partner either liked/disliked them → behaviors matched their expectation (self-fulfilling prophecy)

Question 13

Is flattery effective in reciprocal liking?

Answer 13

Effective even when randomly generated, but undermined if the motive was suspect

Question 14

What did the Aronson & Linder (1965) study reveal about flattery?

Answer 14

Participants eavesdropped on a conversation about them → liked the people that went from negative comments about them to positive comments about them the most, disliked the people who did the reverse the most
Increases in praise over time > consistently flattering

Question 15

What is the beautiful-is-good effect?

Answer 15

Belief that attractive people also have a wide range of other positive traits

Question 16

What did the Kalick (1977) study reveal about the effects of plastic surgery on the beautiful-is-good effect?

Answer 16

Students viewed images of women pre- and post-plastic surgery → post-plastic surgery women were perceived as more likeable and kinder

Question 17

What are contrast effects?

Answer 17

Attractiveness is relative

Question 18

What did the Kenrick (1989) centerfold study reveal about contrast effects?

Answer 18

Seeing pictures of attractive women made men rate their wives/partners as less attractive (we view others as less attractive when we see more attractive people)

Question 19

What are the three parts to Sternberg’s triangular theory of love?

Answer 19

Passion: excitement, longing, sexual attraction
Intimacy: sharing, emotional support, liking
Commitment: investment in maintaining the relationship

Question 20

What is the difference between passionate love and companionate love?

Answer 20

Passionate: dopamine high, temporary
Companionate: milder, more stable, deepens w/ time

Question 21

What is attachment theory?

Answer 21

Relationship models are developed as infants and carried throughout life
Determined via studies with infants → either played alone, had a caregiver leave and return, or had a stranger in the room

Question 22

What are the three attachment styles detailed in attachment theory?

Answer 22

Secure attachment: comfortable with intimacy, caregiver as safe “home base”
Avoidant attachment: uncomfortable with intimacy, not upset when caregivers leave
Anxious attachment: worried, clingy (even before caregiver leaves), seeking and resisting intimacy

Question 23

What are the caveats to attachment theory?

Answer 23

Consistency in attachment possibly driven by personality
Consistency not super high
Insecure + secure can = both secure

Question 24

What is loneliness?

Answer 24

The distressing experience of perceiving one’s social relationships to be less in quantity, and especially in quality, than desired

Question 25

What are social surrogates?

Answer 25

Non-human connections that can stand in for human ones (i.e. fictional characters)

Question 26

What are Gottman’s four warning signs of communication problems?

Answer 26

Hostile criticism: constantly finding fault w/ your partner (i.e. “You always…”)
Defensiveness: refusing to consider your role in the conflict (not apologizing/taking responsibility)
Stonewalling: refusing to talk about the problem (physically leaving or shutting down)
Contempt: looking down on your partner (mocking, rolling eyes, etc.)

Question 27

What is negative reciprocity?

Answer 27

“You hurt my feelings, I’ll hurt yours”

Question 28

What is the demand-withdrawal pattern?

Answer 28

One partner demands change, other partner withdraws/avoids conversation

Question 29

What are the three factors that make up the relationship investment model?

Answer 29

Rewards: what do you get out of the relationship?
Alternatives: what would happen if you left?
Investments: what have you put into the relationship? (more likely to stay if you’ve invested more time/energy)

Question 30

What are the three elements of the vulnerability-stress-adaptation model?

Answer 30

Vulnerability: what you bring into the relationship (i.e. experience, attachment style, etc.)
Stress: external events (i.e. death in the family, job loss, etc.)
Adaptation: coping strategies (i.e. communication) → successful = growth in relationship

Question 31

What are the effects of having children on a relationship?

Answer 31

Some good (positive emotions) but some bad (sleep, finances, satisfaction)

Question 32

What is capitalization?

Answer 32

Sharing good times is more important than sharing hard times (Gable) → positive reciprocity

Question 33

What is the hedonic adaptation model (Lyubomirsky)?

Answer 33

Create novelty in relationships