Ch3: Attraction Flashcards
1
Q
attraction
A
the desire to approach someone
- we are attracted to others whose presence is rewarding to us
2
Q
what two types of rewards influence attraction?
A
- direct rewards: all the evident pleasures people provide us with
- noticeable
- received from interactions with others - indirect rewards: benefits we might not be aware of
- more subtle
- ex: anything about the new acquaintance that resembles us, names start with same first letter
3
Q
what does attraction involve/depend on?
A
- involves the perceived characteristics of the person who appeals to us
- depends on our current needs, goals, and desires
4
Q
Instrumentality
A
- the extent to which someone is able to help us achieve our present goals
- we are attracted to those who can help us get what we currently want
- the fundamental basis of attraction
5
Q
how does physical PROXIMITY relate to attraction/liking?
A
- proximity makes it more likely that two people will meet and interact
- most of the time, relationships are more rewarding when they involve people who are near one another
- we are more likely to like and have connections with people who are close to us
6
Q
how does FAMILIARITY (repeated contact) impact attraction/liking?
A
- familiarity or MERE EXPOSURE increases our liking of someone
- proximity will increase the chances that two people will come into contact and become familiar with each other
- but familiarity has its limits such that the more we hang out with someone, we may gain information about them that we dislike
- generally, we prefer others we recognize to those who are total strangers
7
Q
How does CONVENIENCE impact attraction/ liking?
A
- convenience increases our attraction to someone
- when others are nearby, it is easy to enjoy the rewards they offer
- proximity is rewarding and distance is costly
8
Q
what is the first thing someone notices about another?
A
- their looks/physical appearance
9
Q
how does physical appearance impact our impressions of someone?
A
- we tend to assume good looking people are more likable and better people than those who are unattractive
- we assume attractive people who share our own ethnic background have desirable traits
10
Q
what features tend to make women more “Attractive”
A
- baby-faced features, large eyes, small nose, small chin, full lips
- feminine and youthful
11
Q
describe male attractiveness
A
- men who have strong jaws and broad foreheads are usually thought to be handsome (strong and dominant look)
- but feminized faces (warmer and friendlier) are also attractive
- women’s menstrual cycle can impact which facial style they find more attractive
12
Q
In general, what faces are found to be most attractive?
A
- averageness and symmetry make faces more attractive
13
Q
waist-to-hip ratio
A
- the most attractive WHR is 0.7 for women
- WHR has more influence on men’s judgements of attractiveness than breast size
- most attractive WHR is 0.9 for men
14
Q
what factors contribute to attractiveness
A
- smell
- financial status
- height
- hair length
- intelligence
15
Q
what is the evolutionary perspective on physical attractiveness
A
- cultures may differ but people all over the world tend to agree on who is attractive
- babies are born with preferences for the same faces that adults find attractive
- people with attractive symmetrical faces also tend to have symmetrical bodies and have better mental and physical health
- physical attractiveness matters most to people who live in equatorial regions of the world where diseases can impact health
- attractive people reproduce more successfully
- women’s preferences change according to their menstrual cycle
- women’s behaviour toward men changes when they’re fertile
16
Q
What effects do our looks have on our interactions with others?
A
- for women, no correlation between their beauty and the amount of time she spends interacting with men
- for men, looks are correlated with the number and length of the interactions they have with women
17
Q
Matching
A
- partners in established romantic relationships tend to have similar levels of physical attractiveness
- more serious and committed a relationship becomes, the more obvious matching usually is
- matching is less obvious in partners who were platonic friends before romance developed
18
Q
How do we determine/calculate who will be a potential partner?
A
A potential partner’s desirability = his/her physical attractiveness X his/her probability of accepting you
19
Q
mate value
A
our overall attractiveness as a reproductive partner
20
Q
which is more likely to lead to a relationship: being selective and choosy or offering acceptance to everyone?
A
- best acceptance comes from potential partners who are selective and choosy and who don’t offer acceptance to everyone
- being a difficult catch for everyone BUT the person you’re trying to attract
21
Q
Do we tend to like others more if they like us?
A
- Yes, like attracts like.
- similarity is attractive
22
Q
What are the types of similarities partners can have and how do they rank in terms of importance?
A
- demographic similarity: age, sex, race, education, religion, social class
- attitudes and values
- personalities: it is not vital for partners to have similar personalities
- the link between similarity and attraction is stronger for attitudes than for personalities
23
Q
Do opposites attract?
A
- generally no
- our perceptions of how much we have in common affect our attraction to each more than our actual similarity
- we tend to think we have more in common with someone that we actually do
24
Q
stimulus- value- role theory
A
- we gain three different broad types of information about our partners as a relationship develops
- our attraction is primarily based on “stimulus” information (age, sex, looks)
- then “value” stage: attraction depends on similarity in attitudes and beliefs
- finally “role” compatibility: discover if there are agreements in basics of parenting, careers, housecleaning, etc
25
fatal attractions
- occur when a quality that initially attracts one person to another gradually becomes one of the most obnoxious/irritating things about that partner
- fatal qualities are often different from one's own
26
ideal selves and attraction
- we admire those who possess skills and talents we wish we had
- we are attracted to others who are similar to our IDEAL SELVES --> people who exhibit desirable qualities that we want to, but not yet, possess
27
How do dissimilarities in relationships change over time?
- personalities usually do not change much, but as time goes on, members in a couple often come to share more similar attitudes
28
are all types of similarities equally important?
- some similarities are more important than others
| - housework, religion, and gender roles tend to matter a lot
29
Matching as a broad process
- partnerships between two seemingly different people can still occur if they have similar mate value
- ex. rich old man marries young beautiful woman
- common for matching based on exchange of feminine youth and beauty for masculine status and resources
30
complementarity
- reactions that provide a good fit to our own
| - when two partners have different skills that complement each other and work to successfully achieve a common goal
31
what qualities to men and women want?
- both men and women generally want a partner who is:
- warm and loyal
- attractive and vitality
- status and resources
- women prioritize warmth and loyalty and status and resources over attractiveness
- men prioritize warmth and loyalty and attractiveness over resources
32
dealbreakers
- characteristics that would lead them to reject someone as a partner
- ex: untrustworthy, ill health, poor hygiene
