Close Relationships Flashcards
how did social bonds aid survival?
protected against predators, especially for the young
procuring food
reproducing
why do we form social bonds?
lack causes = depression, loneliness, anger, aggressiveness
necessary for survival
interpersonal attraction
we often have a gut reaction to a person
what are the key factors associated with attraction?
physical factors:
- appearance
- proximity
psychological factors:
- attitude similarity
- mutual liking
Hatfield et al - physical appearance study
- asked to complete range of personality tests, before being matched for a social dance
- physical attractiveness was rated
- asked to rate their partner, and would they like to go on a second date
- found the largest predictor of going on second date was attraction
the ‘beautiful is good effect’ - studies
more likely to get dates - Berscheid et al 1971
more likely to get better marks at uni - Mandy and Sigall 1974
more likely to be successful in job interview - Dipboye et al 1977
likely to earn more money - Frieze et al 1991
what is attractive?
- prototypical (average) faces seem to be most attractive (Halberstadt et al 2005)
- idea is that prototypical faces are easier to process, because they are more similar to the face you imagine
what are the evolutionary perspectives on attractiveness?
- a prototypical face is a marker of biological quality (more diverse gene pool, stronger mate, more fertile, etc)
- people also like other symmetrical things, such as cars, dogs, birds, etc
what are the gender differences in attraction
research shows that women focus more on status, and men focus more on youth and beauty
what is the matching phenomenon?
- in general, people tend to be attracted to others who are of a similar attractiveness to themselves
- matched couples tend to have longer lasting relationships
what is the importance of familiarity and proximity?
- finding someone familiar or close to them can facilitate attraction
- people prefer faces that look like their own (Little and Perrett, 2002)
- we are often friends with our neighbours that live closest to us
Dorm study - Festinger, Schachter and Back 1950)
- asked 300 MIT dorm residents to list closest friends
- looked at where friends lived within dorm
- one door away: 41% chance being listed as close friend
what is the mere exposure effect? - Zajonc 1968, 2001)
- at first, new things make us uncomfortable
- the more we are exposed to things, the more they become familiar
- if there is no harm, familiarity -> liking
positive and negative exposure
when an initial reaction is negative, repeated exposure will decrease liking and increase disliking
proximity can sometimes lead to hostility (e.g., domestic violence)
what is excitation transfer (study by Dutton and Aron 1974)
- arousal felt by crossing shaky bridge was transferred to female experimenter (male participant more attracted to female experimenter)
psychological determinants of attraction
- some people prefer to be alone (Craig et al 1999)
- fear of death automatically increases affiliation (Wisman & Koole 2003)
- being in troublesome situations (Schachter, 1959)
what is the balance theory
- people compare their attitudes with others and reach balance if there is similarity
- balance enhances positive feelings and attraction
- attitude dissimilarity causes imbalance
people with more similar personalities, interpersonal and communication skills are more compatible
why does it matter that people have similar attitudes to ours?
social comparison
- one way to evaluate validity of own beliefs is to compare them to others
how does culture affect attraction
- many aspects of attraction appear universal
- however, people generally prefer to date within their own ethnic group (Liu et al 1995)
- social factors such as family approval are also important determinants of attraction
theory of attraction - social exchange theory
economic approach based on relationship costs and rewards
theory of attraction - equity theory
outcomes need to be proportionate to contributions
people want fairness
people are most happy in equitable relationships
theory of attraction - reinforcement
we like people who are associated with positive feelings, even if they have nothing to do with the reward
reciprocity
liking begets liking/mutual exchange
different types of relationships (exchange and communal)
exchange: more frequent in broader society, increases societal progress and wealth
communal: more frequent in close intimate relationships, more desirable, healthier and mature
