Exam 3 Chapter 10 Flashcards
Why do we study relationships?
We need them to survive and thrive. They are the primary source of joy and misery in our lives. They reflect our early ancestor’s needs. Culture plays a role in facilitating them.`
How does propinquity / proximity affect attraction?
We are more likely to be attracted to people who are physically close to us and who we interact with frequently
Why does propinquity/proximity affect attraction?
Physical closeness increases familiarity and hence liking for other persons.
Perceived similarity
If you’re in the same places, you may share some similarity, which is attractive. Degree of similarity that people believe exists between them
Opportunity for interaction
This means you can discover other’s interests and personality.
mere exposure effect
the phenomenon that repeated exposure to neutral stimuli increases liking of them
Why does the mere exposure effect affect attraction?
Evolution “teaches” us to like the familiar. We like predictable things (more control). We like easy to process information.
What was festinger’s methodology?
Examined friendship patterns in married student housing at MIT and if proximity affected relationships
What were Festinger’s major findings?
Found that couples made friends with people close to them. 41% next-door neighbors were friends, 22% people who lived two doors apart, and 10% who lived on opposite ends of the hall
How does similarity affect attraction?
Similarity = liking. Similarity is the best predictor of Initial attraction and Long term relationship success
Why does similarity affect attraction?
When others have beliefs and ideas that are like ours, they provide validation for our beliefs and ideas. We expect those who are similar to us to be more likely to like us. We can better predict the behavior of similar others.
What is reciprocal liking?
people like others better when they believe the other person likes them
How does reciprocal liking affect attraction?
people tend to favor the potential partners who return the interest
Why would playing “hard to get” make someone more attractive?
Scarcity and Effort Justification
Effort Justification
the harder you try, the more validated you feel once you actually get it
Pratfall Effect
People are more attractive if they have small flaws that they feel a bit embarrassed about.
Why does the pratfall effect make someone more attractive?
Someone having small flaws makes others relate to them more
Why are people more likely to be attracted to people who are physically attractive?
Evolution, they are more rewarding, and associating with them enhances our status
What is the “what is beautiful is good” stereotype?
We believe that attractive people have more positive qualities - more sociable, popular, happier; aka the halo effect
Is the “What is beautiful is good” stereotype true?
In some ways, yes. Because people treat beautiful people differently, they usually develop good social interaction skills and have more satisfying interactions with others
self-fulfilling prophecy
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment
Halo Effect
assuming that one good quality is associated with other good qualities
What was Hatfield’s methodology?
He studied the attraction in welcome week dance where people were randomly matched
What were Hatfield’s major findings?
Only physical attractiveness mattered. If the other person was attractive, they wanted to see them again
What is the matching hypothesis and what explains it?
We date people similar in attractiveness. We are aware of our “value” in the dating market. Physical similarity = more relationship success
How and why does genetics influence modern social behavior?
Genes can predispose us to act certain ways. Behaviors with a genetic cause that helped our ancestors survive and reproduce got passed on to us.
How and why does culture influence modern social behavior?
Behaviors can be taught by members of a culture. Behaviors that facilitated our ancestor’s survival were taught to later generations
Natural selection
Different traits are associated with different rates of survival. If something survives, they pass on their trait and offspring will likely have it.
Sexual Selection
Different traits are associated with different rates of reproductive success. If something mates, they pass on their trait and offspring will likely have it.
How does evolution influence mate preference between the genders? How can these differences also be explained using culture?
Women look for men who can provide, and men look for women who can reproduce successfully; Women typically have less power culturally than men, so they rely on men for stability
What was Clark and Hatfield’s methodology?
They studied gender differences in casual sex. Students were approached by another student of the opposite sex and asked if they would go out, come over, or have sex.
