Chapter 3 Key Terms and Chapter Summary

Question 1

rewards

Answer 1

rewards influence attraction: noticeable direct rewards- all the evident pleasures people provide us. indirect benefits - But attraction also results from a variety of subtle influences that are only indirectly
related to the obvious kindness, good looks, or pleasing personalities of those we meet

Question 2

instrumentality

Answer 2

the fundamental basis of attraction is ­ instrumentality, the extent to which someone
is able to help us achieve our present goals. we’re attracted to others who
can help us get what we currently want.

Question 3

proximity

Answer 3

our physical
proximity to others often determines whether or not we ever meet them in the first
place. More often than not, our friendships and romances grow out of interactions
with those who are nearby.

Question 4

mere exposure.

Answer 4

Instead of being irritating, repeated contact with—or mere exposure to—
someone usually increases our liking for him or her

Question 5

waist-to-hip ratio

Answer 5

The most attractive waist-to-hip ratio, or WHR, is a curvy 0.7 in which the waist is 30 percent
smaller than the hips (see ­ Figure 3.3); this “hourglass” shape appeals to men around
the world. Men’s bodies are most attractive
when their waists are only slightly narrower than their hips, with a WHR of 0.9.

Question 6

matching

Answer 6

Partners in established romantic relationships tend to have similar levels of physical
attractiveness; that is, their looks are well matched, and this pattern is known as
matching.

Question 7

mate value

Answer 7

Our expectations regarding the probability of others’ acceptance have much to do
with our mate value, or overall attractiveness as a reproductive partner. People with
high mate values are highly sought by other

Question 8

stimulus-value-role theory

Answer 8

we gain three different broad types of information about our partners as a new relationship develops.
When we first meet, our attraction to each other is primarily based on “stimulus”
information involving obvious attributes such as age, sex, and, of course, looks.

Question 9

fatal attractions

Answer 9

These occur when a quality that initially attracts one person to another gradu-
ally becomes one of the most obnoxious, irritating things about that partner.

Question 10

complementarity

Answer 10

reactions that provide a good fit to our
own—can be attractive.

Question 11

The Fundamental Basis of Attraction

Answer 11

We are attracted to people whose presence is rewarding because they offer us
instrumentality, assistance in achieving our goals.

Question 12

Proximity: Liking Those Near Us

Answer 12

We select our friends, and our enemies, from those around us.

Question 13

Familiarity: Repeated Contact

Answer 13

In general, familiarity breeds attraction. Even brief,
mere exposure to others usually increases our liking for them.

Question 14

Convenience: Proximity Is Rewarding, Distance Is Costly

Answer 14

Relationships with dis-
tant partners are ordinarily less satisfying than they would be if the partners were nearby.

Question 15

The Power of Proximity

Answer 15

Close proximity makes it more likely that two people will
meet and interact, for better or for worse.

Question 16

Our Bias for Beauty: “What Is Beautiful Is Good.”

Answer 16

We assume that attractive
people have other desirable personal characteristics.

Question 17

Who’s Pretty?

Answer 17

Symmetrical faces with features of average dimensions are espe-
cially beautiful. Waist-to-hip ratios of 0.7 are very appealing in women, whereas a WHR
of 0.9 is attractive in a man if he has money.

Question 18

An Evolutionary Perspective on Physical Attractiveness.

Answer 18

Cross-cultural agreement
about beauty, cyclical variations in women’s desires, and the link between attractiveness
and good health are all consistent with the assumptions of evolutionary psychology.

Question 19

Culture Counts, Too.

Answer 19

Standards of beauty also fluctuate with changing ­ economic
and cultural conditions.

Question 20

Looks Matter

Answer 20

When people first meet, nothing else affects attraction as much
as their looks do.

Question 21

The Interactive Costs and Benefits of Beauty

Answer 21

Physical attractiveness has a larger
influence on men’s social lives than on women’s. Attractive people doubt the praise
they receive from others, but they’re still happier than unattractive people are.

Question 22

Matching in Physical Attractiveness.

Answer 22

People tend to pair off with others of similar
levels of beauty.

Question 23

Reciprocity: Liking Those Who Like Us

Answer 23

People are reluctant to risk rejection. Most people calculate others’ overall desir-
ability by multiplying their physical attractiveness by their probability of reciprocal
liking. People who are desirable partners—that is, those with high mate value—insist
that their partners be desirable, too.

Question 24

Similarity: Liking Those Who Are Like Us

Answer 24

Birds of a feather flock together. People like those who share their ­ attitudes.

Question 25

What Kind of Similarity?

Answer 25

Happy relationship partners resemble each other in
demographic origin, attitudes, and, to a lesser degree, in personalities.

Question 26

Do Opposites Attract?

Answer 26

Opposites do not attract, but they may seem to for several
reasons. First, we are attracted to those who we think are like us, and we can be wrong.
Then, it takes time for perceived similarity to be replaced by more accurate understand-
ing of the attributes we share with others. People may be attracted to those who are
mildly different from themselves but similar to their ideal selves. People also tend to
become more similar over time, and some types of similarity are more important than
others. Matching is also a broad process; fame, wealth, talent, and looks can all be
used to attract others. Finally, we may appreciate behavior from a partner that differs
from our own but that complements our actions and helps us to reach our goals.

Question 27

So, What Do Men and Women Want?

Answer 27

People evaluate potential partners with regard to (a) warmth and loyalty, (b) attrac-
tiveness and vitality, and (c) status and resources. For lasting romances, women want
men who are warm and kind and who are not poor, and men want women who are
warm and kind and who are not unattractive. Thus, everybody wants intimate partners
who are amiable, agreeable, and loving.