Chapter 12 Flashcards
What is the mere exposure effect?
repeated exposure to any stimulus, including a person, leads to a greater liking for that stimulus
- tendency to like a person more if we have been exposed to him or her repeatedly
- Vice versa
What is homophily?
the tendency to have contact with people that who share our social characteristics
What factor influences sex appeal?
Physical attractiveness is a determinant of sexual attraction
We tend to be attracted to people who are physically attractive
General body size
Symmetry of the face Neonate facial features
What are the most desirable features?
Smiling faces Humour Intelligence Kindness Physical Attractiveness
What is the most attractive in NA culture?
Humour and intelligence important to men and women
Economic security/ Ambition
-Slightly more important to women according to research
Overall physical attractiveness
-Slightly more important to men according to research
What is the matching phenomenon?
The tendency for men and women to choose as partners people who match them, that is, who are similar in attitudes, intelligence, and attractiveness.
Who we are attracted to also depends on what in relationship’s?
Whom we are attracted to depends a lot on how much we think we have to offer and how much we think we can “buy” with it
From the laboratory to real life - couples matched with similar attitudes were most attracted to each other
Resources are exchanged within the interpersonal marketplace
What is the resource exchange theory?
is an evolution- based theory proposing that “in heterosexual dating, males ‘trade’ occupational status for physical attractiveness in females”
What is perceived similarity?
The extent to which an individual believes his or her partner is similar on important characteristics
What did Felmlee et al (2010) study of same- sex attraction listed qualities that initially attracted them to their partner?
- kind
- Supportive
- Considerate
- understanding
All qualities related to the trait of agreeableness
What is thought to influence attraction around ovulation?
Hormones
Pheromones
May preferentially seek out male partners with “masculine” and healthy during this timeframe compared to choices that might be made outside of the ovulatory window
What are the cultural influences on mate selection?
– arranged marriages in collectivist cultures
Love and marriage
– Individualist emphasis on romantic love
– Less so in collectivist cultures
What is the attraction of playing hard to get?
Games can be played in person or online
“Selectively hard-to-get” women appear most attractive
Difficult for others to get, easy for you
What is the double standard of playing hard to get?
Perceptions of sexual experience and fidelity
● Limited past sexual experiences rated more favourably
What is the resource exchange theory?
believes mating patterns depend on what each sex has to invest in terms of survival.
– For men, reproductive opportunities are highly important. There is interest in sexual activity and physical attractiveness
Women may need to be more selective when choosing a partner, a tendency that supports the “parental investment theory” of attraction.
Who uses online dating?
Young adults (18-22) and younger baby boomers (55-65)
-Decreased stigma with increasing use
and social acceptability
What is the popularity of internet dating due to?
- Increasing numbers of people who are single and seeking
- Busy lives and a need for dating efficiency
- Appeals in youth who are comfortable with technology and also very geographically mobile
- Employment policies discourage workplace dating
What are the advantages to online dating?
- Ability to assess initial attraction via photos provided on sites/apps
- Ability to assess common interests and relationship goals, although misrepresentations need to be considered
What are the disadvantages to online dating?
Communication via non-video technology does not include some aspects of paralanguage
- Body positioning
- Facial expressions
- Intonation
Lack of established scripts for meeting face to face after online interactions
- May lead to dissatisfaction due to a mismatch between expectations and reality
What is reinforcement theory?
Byrne’s Law of Attraction
We tend to like people who give us reinforcements or
• rewards and to dislike people who give us punishments
If we are with someone similar to us, there are lots of
• opportunities through reinforcements
What are Resources that are valued in dating are reinforcements (perceived rewards)?
- Attractiveness
- SocialStatus
- Education/incomepotential
What is implicit egotism perspective?
is a variation of the Reinforcement Theory
We are attracted to people that are similar to us because they reinforce the positive views that we we have of ourselves
What is the sociobiology: sexual strategies theory?
We look for partners who will produce healthy offspring
The theory does not account for same-sex attraction
courtship “dance” signals health
In the sociobiology: sexual strategies theory, do males and females have different choices?
Women may be sexual gate-keepers and be more selective when choosing someone to pair with
Men and women both benefit when a woman is selective and faithful to her partner with whom she bears children
Men are attracted to younger women who are theoretically at their most fertile
what did Gangstead and buss figure out?
Studied 29 cultures and the prevalence of 7 pathogens in each culture
Noted that societies with greater numbers of pathogens rated attractiveness in mates as relatively more important (an indicator of health/fertility )
What does facial asymmetry imply?
Assymmetry reflects developmental instability (DI)
DI reflects susceptibilities to adaptions required for resilience
What do some assume if you are symmetrical?
Might be an indicator of fertility or reproductive success
- Explains why attractiveness is tied to reproduction
- Studies that correlate symmetry and health show a small association
What is intimacy?
A quality of relationships characterized by commitment, feelings of closeness and trust. And self-disclosure
The level of commitment and positive affective, cognitive, and physical closeness one experiences with a a partner in a reciprocal relationship Specific to romantic relationships
How is intimacy and love maintained?
Intimacy and love are maintained through words and actions that express:
Commitment
Caring
Self-disclosures
Shat is self disclosure?
is the key characteristic of intimacy
-must be reciprocal
Self disclosure and intimacy build over time
- expected script of disclosures
- Disclose (therefore feel closer and more intimate)
- leads to further disclosure
What is conflict?
The process in which people perceive incompatible goals and interference from others in achieving their goals
– inevitable in longer term, intimate relationships
What is conflict in a relationship generally over?
– Pregnancy planning/having children – Division of responsibilities in the home – Sexual conflicts – Likes and dislikes – Sexual concerns
When does conflict occur?
Conflict occurs when actuality is different that expectation
Intimacy breeds strong feelings, thus potential conflict
What are the 3 components of love?
Three components of love: Intimacy
Passion
Decision or commitment
What is the triangular throes of love?
all loving relationships are comprised of some combination of three components:
– Intimacy – warmth, closeness, and sharing.
– Studies showed intimacy (not passion) is closely related
to sexual behavior and sexual satisfaction
– Passion – intense feelings (both positive and negative), including sexual desire.
– Commitment – “the decision and intent to maintain a relationship in spite of the difficulties and costs that may arise”.
How many relationships can result from the triangular theory?
Eight types of relationships can result from the presence, or absence, of each of the three components.
– The ultimate type of love is consummate love, in which each of the three components is present.
What does the triangular theory predict?
predicts that the strength of each of the three components of love varies across time.
• Passion peaks early in a relationship and then decreases in intensity.
•Both intimacy and commitment increase as time progresses.
What % of the world population participates in arranged marriage?
80%
Group and collective goals are emphasized over personal one. Interdependence is emphasized over independence
Couple to be married may be involved in the selection process, or may be excluded from the process entirely
What declines as number of years in a relationship increase ?
Predicts that intimacy declines with increasing number of years in
relationship due to increased familiarity
What is the U curve related too?
Predictable pattern shown in research:
- Time affects romantic relationships
- The ways in which you express your love may change
- Satisfaction in early years
- Decrease in satisfaction during child-rearing years
- Return to higher level of satisfaction when the children are grown
What is the theory of love as a story?
Love story - a story about what love should be like
Tainted by childhood fairy tales; mainstream media
-heteronormative, devoid of conflict in the end
Contains characters, a plot, and a theme
What is the 2 component theory of love?
2 conditions must exist simultaneously for passionate love to occur:
- physiological arousal (and) (adrenaline)
- attaching a cognitive label (“like/love”) to the feeling
What is the relationship between romantic love and attachment?
connection between attachment patterns early in life and three adult attachment types:
- Secure adults (55% of participants).
- Avoidant adults (25% of participants).
- Anxious-ambivalent adults (20% of participants).
What is the model of adult attachment style based on?
Attachment anxiety, or “how much a person worries that a partner will not be available when needed”
– Attachment avoidant – “the degree to which a person distrusts a partner’s good will and their tendencies to maintain emotional and behavioral distance from a partner”.
What are the 4 attachment styles?
● Secure lovers (++)
● Preoccupied lovers (-+)
● Dismissing lovers (+-)
● Fearful lovers
Why are securely attached people better off?
– Securely attached people have more committed, satisfying, interdependent, and well-adjusted relationships.
– Securely attached people seek and provide support when under stress.
– Securely attached people have better mental health.
What can attachment styles be altered by?
Longitudinal studies show moderate stability over the first 19 years of life and later in adulthood.
– Attachment styles can be altered by life events
•both in a positive and negative direction
What Maes a good friendship?
Many factors are important, but a common theme is that good friends provide emotional and social support.
What are the similarities between love and friendship?
Shared interests and values Acceptance Trust Understanding Enjoyment
What do love relationships have a greater potential for?
Distress
Conflict
Mutual criticism
What is jealousy?
“an unpleasant emotion often associated with romantic and sexual relationships”
“A cognitive, emotional, and behavioral response to a threat to an interpersonal relationship”
What are the 2 stages of jealousy?
Stage 1: Cognitive reaction
– Initial situational appraisal perceives a threat to self-esteem or the relationship
Stage 2: Emotional reaction
- 2a: “Jealous flash” – rapid stress-filled, physiologic response
- 2b: Reappraisal of the situation to determine what action, if any, is warranted
What is the relationship between attachment style and jealously?
Secure attachment style
-Express anger and relationship maintained
Occupied/Anxious style
-Less likely to express anger
Fearful/Avoidant style
-Often directed anger towards the third person rather than partner
