Chapter 3 - Attraction

Question 1

Attraction (Clore & Byrne, 1974)

Answer 1

we are attracted to others whose presence is rewarding to us

Question 2

What are the types of attraction (2)

Answer 2

Direct and Indirect

Question 3

Examples of Direct Attraction (4)

Answer 3

Attention, acceptance, enjoyment of pleasing characteristics, gifts

Question 4

Examples of Indirect Attraction (2)

Answer 4

1. Resemblance to ourselves (similarity)
2. Having a name that begins with the same letter (familiarity).

Question 5

What is the fundamental basis of attraction (Finkel and Eastwick 2015)

Answer 5

Instrumentality

Question 6

Instrumentality

Answer 6

We’re attracted to those who can help us get what we currently want.

Question 7

Is instrumentality static or dynamic

Answer 7

Dynamic, our wants change over time.

Question 8

How does proximity affect attraction

Answer 8

most relationships are caused by interactions with those nearby.
Even sitting/standing closer can affect who you meet and become friends with.

Question 9

Result of the Festinger, Schachter, and Back (1950) Study on proximity and attaction

Answer 9

-College students were more likely to become friends with people with dorm rooms close to them.

1 door away 41% of the time
2 doors away 22%
3 doors away 16%
4 doors away 10%

Question 10

Result of the (Bossard, 1932) study on proximity and attraction

Answer 10

Spouses are more likely to have lived close to each other prior to meeting.

Question 11

How does familiarity affect attraction

Answer 11

Repeated exposure increases likability.
Facial recognition makes us like someone more.

Question 12

What are the limitations of familiarity in attraction

Answer 12

can learn someone is obnoxious, disagreeable, etc.

Question 13

How does the digital age affect attraction

Answer 13

on average people find the people they met online less attractive when they meet in person.

Question 14

How does long-distance affect attraction (2)

Answer 14

-your partner is likely to meet someone nearby that they are attracted to
-you have the opportunity to curate a digital persona that isn’t true to who you are when you are reunited.

Question 15

How many long distance couples break up within 3 months of being reunited? (Stafford et al., 2006)

Answer 15

1/3 of couples

Question 16

How do most relationships begin nowadays

Question 17

How do most relationships begin nowadays

Question 18

How do most relationships begin nowadays

Answer 18

Online contact

Question 19

What disappointments might occur when you meed a potential partner online (3)

Answer 19

-Ambiguous rejection when you don’t match with someone that you swiped right on.

-Websites are slow to remove inactive profiles (no response)

-Make you more likely to pay attention to people that you find attractive but have nothing in common with.

Question 20

How does convenience affect attraction

Answer 20

Proximity Is Rewarding and Distance Is Costly.

Question 21

What assumption do we make about goodlooking people? (4)

Answer 21

Positive: agreeable, extraverted, conscientious, have brighter futures.

Negative: promiscuous

Question 22

Is physical attractiveness viewed similarly by people across all demographics?

Answer 22

Usually yes, with slight differences for preferences.

Question 23

How does female attraction to men change before or after being coupled

Answer 23

Single: prefer rugged men
Coupled: prefer more feminine men

Question 24

Which general physical traits do women look for in men (4)

Answer 24

-waists only slightly narrower than hips.
-Broad shoulders/muscles.
-Healthy-smelling
-Height

Question 25

How does a man’s income affect how women view his attractiveness? (2)

Answer 25

-Women prefer average-looking rich men to good-looking poor men.
-Women care about height difference, but short men can make up for it with income.

Question 26

Which physical traits are men attracted to in women (2)

Answer 26

-Waist-to-hip-ratio of 30%

-Prefer that their women are slimmer than them

Question 27

What do heterosexual men dislike about the physical aspect of gay men

Answer 27

Their smell

Question 28

What are international beauty pageants evidence of?

Answer 28

Attraction tends to be universal

Question 29

Why do scientists believe that attraction is inherited?

Answer 29

Babies are born with the same preferences as adults

Question 30

In which countries do looks matter more, and why

Answer 30

Countries with high mortality rates, as attractive people are seen to reproduce more successfully.

Question 31

Why do men care about a woman’s hip to waist ratio

Answer 31

Indication that she is young, not pregnant, and therefore a good mate.

Question 32

What makes women more attractive when they are ovulating?

Answer 32

They smell better

Question 33

Is Wait to Hip Ratio culturally relative

Answer 33

No, even cultures that prefer heavier women like the 30% ratio

Question 34

How does a famine affect how people are attracted to women?

Answer 34

During famine, heavier women are more attractive

Question 35

What physical trait is the biggest predictor of likability?

Answer 35

Physical attraction

Question 36

Does attractiveness affect how often women interact with men?

Answer 36

No

Question 37

Does attractiveness affect how often men interact with women?

Answer 37

Yes, it makes it more likely

Question 38

How much can physical attractiveness contribute to adjustment and wellbeing?

Answer 38

10%

Question 39

How much better-looking do people pursue?

Answer 39

25%

Question 40

Which is mismatched attractiveness in a relationship most common?

Answer 40

If partners are friends before dating.

Question 41

How does reciprocity affect attraction?

Answer 41

More likely to pursue someone that we feel will return our interest.

Question 42

Mate value

Answer 42

overall attractiveness as a reproductive partner.

Question 43

How does similarity affect attraction?

Answer 43

Rewarding to meet people with similar backgrounds, interests and tastes.

Question 44

What do people seek demographic similarity on? (6)

Answer 44

age, sex, race, education, religion, social class.

Question 45

What personality traits do people seek personality on? (3)

Answer 45

attitudes/values/politics

Question 46

how does dissimilarity affect attraction?

Answer 46

opposites do not attract, people are not routinely more content when dating someone dissimilar to them.

Perception of similarity affects attraction more than objective similarity.

Question 47

Do couples become more or less similar overtime?

Answer 47

More

Question 48

Stimulus-Value-Role Theory (Murstein, 1987)

Answer 48

The stages of information we gain about our partner

1. Stimulus
2. Value
3. Role

Question 49

What is a stimulus (Murstein, 1987)

Answer 49

what attraction is based on when you first meet.

age, sex, physical appearance, etc.

Question 50

What is a value (Murstein, 1987)

Answer 50

similarity in attitudes/beliefs/politics

Question 51

What is a role (Mursetin, 1987)

Answer 51

agree on basics of parenting, careers, housekeeping, life tasks, etc.

Question 52

Does stimulus affect the relationship more or less overtime? (Murstein, 1987)

Answer 52

Less

Question 53

Does value affect the relationship more or less overtime (Murstein, 1987)

Answer 53

More at first, then less

Question 54

Does role affect the relationship more or less overtime (Murstein, 1987)

Answer 54

More

Question 55

Does role affect the relationship more or less overtime (Murstein, 1987)

Answer 55

More

Question 56

Fatal attractions

Answer 56

a quality that attracts you at first becomes the most obnoxious later on.

Question 57

How does our image of ourselves affect who we’re attracted to?

Answer 57

We are often attracted to people who represent our ideal selves.

Question 58

How do complementary traits affect attraction?

Answer 58

One way that “opposites attract.”
When two partners have differences in skills, and can alternate taking the lead in different situations.