Attraction, love and communication

Question 1

What attracts us to people

Answer 1

• affective influences
• similarity
• propinquity/proximity
• scarcity
• physiological arousal
• neurochemical factors
• physical attractiveness

Question 2

Direct effect emotions on attraction

Answer 2

Positive affect usually leads us to evaluate others favorably; negative affect leads to disliking

Question 3

Indirect effect of emotion on attraction

Answer 3

Person indirectly transfer existing emotional states onto people they meet
- Priming

Question 4

Priming

Answer 4

Priming participants exposed to pleasant or unpleasant stimuli evaluate persons differently

Question 5

Byrne’s law of attraction

Answer 5

• we like people who are frequently nice to use (rewards) and seldom nasty (punishments)
• we prefer similar people because interaction with them is rewarding

Question 6

Assortive mating

Answer 6

Much evidence that humans ingange in matching with similar partners
- Matching phenomenon: attitudes, intelligence and attractiveness

Question 7

Social comparison theory

Answer 7

Selecting similar partners may bolster self-esteem by validating our own worldviews

Question 8

Similarity

Answer 8

Similarity is not sufficient condition for relationship success, and not everyone is attracted to similar others
- in fact, interracial and interreligious marriages are on the rise
- complementarity

Question 9

Complementarity

Answer 9

The idea that opposites attract, that individuals are attracted to what’s different in others

Question 10

Homophily

Answer 10

Tendency to have contact with people who are equal in social status

Question 11

Propinquity
- proximity effect

Answer 11

The closer two people are physically, the greater the odds that they will meet and the more likely it is that an attraction will develop
- mere exposure effect

Question 12

Mere exposure effect

Answer 12

Familiarity (repeated exposure) leads to liking
- the girl next door

Question 13

Physiological arousal

Answer 13

Shaky bridge study: if one is already aroused when meeting someone new, the odds of attraction increase
- misattribution of physiological arousal

Question 14

Two-component theory of love

Answer 14

Two conditions must exist simultaneously for passionate love to occur:
- physiological arousal
- attaching a cognitive label to the feeling of arousal (love)

Question 15

Neurochemicals in attracyion

Answer 15

Pheromones may increase a partner’s desirability
- dopamine and serotonin may facilitate or inhibit arousal and attraction
–> antidepressant hightern arousal due higher dopamine
- oxytocin may enhance attraction by creating a feeling of bondedness

Question 16

Physical attractiveness

Answer 16

The degree to which we perceive another person as beautiful plays an important role in initial attraction
- we tend to be more attracted to people we perceive as beautiful

Question 17

Sexual strategies theory

Answer 17

Attractive persons –> healthy persons –> indicator of fertility –> offspring
- younger women are more likely to be fertile than older women
- men want to be certain about their paternity, sot they want a sexually faithful woman

Question 18

Context-dependent beauty

Answer 18

A person’s beauty is rated in reference to other neaby people

Question 19

Contrast effect

Answer 19

The idea that perceptions of average can be thrown off by the presence of a few outliers

Question 20

Halo effect

Answer 20

A positive perception of someone based on physical attractiveness

Question 21

Triangular theory of love

Answer 21

1. intimacy; emotional component and is expressed in communicating person feelings
2. passion; motivational component and is expressed in kissing, touching and making love
3. Decision or commitment; cognitive component and is expressed by stating: ‘I love you and want to maintain the relationship’

Question 22

the full triangle

Question 23

Lee’s styles of loving

Answer 23

Emphasizes how people approach love
- no one style is better than another; relationship succes depends upon the matching of styles
- major mismatch: game-players matched with possessives
- there are sex differences in some love styles, consistent with evolutionary prediction

Question 24

Styles of love
- Lee

Answer 24

Romantic love
Game-playing love
Companionate love
Pragmatic love
Possessive love
Altruistic love

Question 25

Romatic love
- Lee

Answer 25

Based on beauty and sexuality
–> this love style is the most commonly portrayed in meda. It is based off physical chemistry and a strong physical or emotional attraction

Question 26

Game-playing love
- Lee

Answer 26

Based on entertainment and excitement
Ludus lovers are those who see love as a game and are more interested in quantity than quality of relationships. The focus is on having fun in the moment

Question 27

Companionate love
- Lee

Answer 27

Based on peace and frienship
Storge love is a style of love that grows slowly out of frienship and is based more on similar interests and commitment. Passion is often lacking

Question 28

Pragmatic love
- Lee

Answer 28

Based on practicality and tradition
This love style is based on practicality and compatitibility. Pragma lovers approach their relationships in a business-like fashion and look for partners with whom they can share common goals

Question 29

Possessive love
- Lee

Answer 29

Based on elation and depression
Mania lovers are characterized by having extreme highs and lows. This style usually results from low self-esteem and a need to be loved by one’s partners. Possessiveness and jealousy are common issues in this love style

Question 30

Altruistic love
- Lee

Answer 30

Based on selflessness and compassion
This style of love is characterized by compassion, selflessness, and sacrifice. It is condifered to be a spiritual love, offered without concern for personal reward or gain.