Chapter 3 - Attraction Flashcards
Attraction (Clore & Byrne, 1974)
we are attracted to others whose presence is rewarding to us
What are the types of attraction (2)
Direct and Indirect
Examples of Direct Attraction (4)
Attention, acceptance, enjoyment of pleasing characteristics, gifts
Examples of Indirect Attraction (2)
- Resemblance to ourselves (similarity)
- Having a name that begins with the same letter (familiarity).
What is the fundamental basis of attraction (Finkel and Eastwick 2015)
Instrumentality
Instrumentality
We’re attracted to those who can help us get what we currently want.
Is instrumentality static or dynamic
Dynamic, our wants change over time.
How does proximity affect attraction
most relationships are caused by interactions with those nearby.
Even sitting/standing closer can affect who you meet and become friends with.
Result of the Festinger, Schachter, and Back (1950) Study on proximity and attaction
-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%
Result of the (Bossard, 1932) study on proximity and attraction
Spouses are more likely to have lived close to each other prior to meeting.
How does familiarity affect attraction
Repeated exposure increases likability.
Facial recognition makes us like someone more.
What are the limitations of familiarity in attraction
can learn someone is obnoxious, disagreeable, etc.
How does the digital age affect attraction
on average people find the people they met online less attractive when they meet in person.
How does long-distance affect attraction (2)
-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.
How many long distance couples break up within 3 months of being reunited? (Stafford et al., 2006)
1/3 of couples
How do most relationships begin nowadays
How do most relationships begin nowadays
How do most relationships begin nowadays
Online contact
What disappointments might occur when you meed a potential partner online (3)
-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.
How does convenience affect attraction
Proximity Is Rewarding and Distance Is Costly.
What assumption do we make about goodlooking people? (4)
Positive: agreeable, extraverted, conscientious, have brighter futures.
Negative: promiscuous
Is physical attractiveness viewed similarly by people across all demographics?
Usually yes, with slight differences for preferences.
How does female attraction to men change before or after being coupled
Single: prefer rugged men
Coupled: prefer more feminine men
Which general physical traits do women look for in men (4)
-waists only slightly narrower than hips.
-Broad shoulders/muscles.
-Healthy-smelling
-Height
How does a man’s income affect how women view his attractiveness? (2)
-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.
Which physical traits are men attracted to in women (2)
-Waist-to-hip-ratio of 30%
-Prefer that their women are slimmer than them
What do heterosexual men dislike about the physical aspect of gay men
Their smell
What are international beauty pageants evidence of?
Attraction tends to be universal
Why do scientists believe that attraction is inherited?
Babies are born with the same preferences as adults
In which countries do looks matter more, and why
Countries with high mortality rates, as attractive people are seen to reproduce more successfully.
Why do men care about a woman’s hip to waist ratio
Indication that she is young, not pregnant, and therefore a good mate.
What makes women more attractive when they are ovulating?
They smell better
Is Wait to Hip Ratio culturally relative
No, even cultures that prefer heavier women like the 30% ratio
How does a famine affect how people are attracted to women?
During famine, heavier women are more attractive
What physical trait is the biggest predictor of likability?
Physical attraction
Does attractiveness affect how often women interact with men?
No
Does attractiveness affect how often men interact with women?
Yes, it makes it more likely
How much can physical attractiveness contribute to adjustment and wellbeing?
10%
How much better-looking do people pursue?
25%
Which is mismatched attractiveness in a relationship most common?
If partners are friends before dating.
How does reciprocity affect attraction?
More likely to pursue someone that we feel will return our interest.
Mate value
overall attractiveness as a reproductive partner.
How does similarity affect attraction?
Rewarding to meet people with similar backgrounds, interests and tastes.
What do people seek demographic similarity on? (6)
age, sex, race, education, religion, social class.
What personality traits do people seek personality on? (3)
attitudes/values/politics
how does dissimilarity affect attraction?
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.
Do couples become more or less similar overtime?
More
Stimulus-Value-Role Theory (Murstein, 1987)
The stages of information we gain about our partner
- Stimulus
- Value
- Role
What is a stimulus (Murstein, 1987)
what attraction is based on when you first meet.
age, sex, physical appearance, etc.
What is a value (Murstein, 1987)
similarity in attitudes/beliefs/politics
What is a role (Mursetin, 1987)
agree on basics of parenting, careers, housekeeping, life tasks, etc.
Does stimulus affect the relationship more or less overtime? (Murstein, 1987)
Less
Does value affect the relationship more or less overtime (Murstein, 1987)
More at first, then less
Does role affect the relationship more or less overtime (Murstein, 1987)
More
Does role affect the relationship more or less overtime (Murstein, 1987)
More
Fatal attractions
a quality that attracts you at first becomes the most obnoxious later on.
How does our image of ourselves affect who we’re attracted to?
We are often attracted to people who represent our ideal selves.
How do complementary traits affect attraction?
One way that “opposites attract.”
When two partners have differences in skills, and can alternate taking the lead in different situations.
