Exam 3: Interpersonal Attraction & Relationships Flashcards
Variables that Influence Attraction
- Proximity
- Similarity vs. opposites
- Reciprocal liking
- Physical attractiveness
Proximity
- “Propinquity effect”
- More likely to like someone you constantly see/interact with
Why?
- Opportunities to interact increases due to mere exposure
- Functional distance: how likely due to location that people will come into contact with each other
Similarity vs. Opposites
- More likely to be attracted if similar
- Talk about and do same things together
- Easier to talk to someone similar because we want to hear that we’re right (self-confirmation)
- Genetics
- Romeo and Juliet effect: result of parental opposition to a relationship, characterized by an intensification of the romantic feelings of those in the relationship
Reciprocal Liking
- When people tend to like those people who like them
- Feels gratifying to have someone like you (self-fulfilling prophecy)
Physical Attractiveness
“What is beautiful is good” Stereotype or Attractiveness Effect
-Assumption that people who are physically attractive also possess other socially desirable personality traits
Why?
- Halo Effect
- Better quality traits are in good looking people
- We treat these people better, so they end up being nice
Studies?
- If computer chooses date, we’re more happy with a more attractive person because we didn’t choose
- If we choose our date, we’re more happy with a similarly attractive person because we chose
Downsides?
- Not intelligent
- Shallow, arrogant
Theories of Attraction
- Heider’s Balance Theory
- Cognitive Dissonance Theory
- Reinforcement Theory
- Social Exchange Theory
- Equity Theory
Heider’s Balance Theory
-Supported more often when P like O than when P dislikes O
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
- Sorority initiation: severe sexually explicit passages and mild benign information
- Helping increases liking
- Hurting increases disliking
Reinforcement Theory
- When rewards are used to reinforce the behavior you want and punishments are used to prevent the behavior you do not want
- Accounts for similarity effect
- Accounts for attractiveness effect
- Even consistency is rewarding
Social Exchange Theory
- A kind of reinforcement theory
- Rewards: support, comfort, company, physical intimacy, security, etc.
- Costs: compromise, time commitment, loss of independence
- Comparison level (related to happiness): what do I think I deserve vs. what do I have right now
- Comparison level for alternatives (related to staying or not): what do I have already vs. what could I get right now outside of the relationship
- If R > C, then more likely to stay in relationship
Equity Theory
-Equity: person gets out PROPORTIONALLY what she/he put in, not necessarily equal amount
-Matters more if you match, not if the costs outweigh benefits
Ex: Inputs 1 / Outputs 1 = Inputs 2 / Outputs 2
-Both under benefitted and over benefitted = unhappy because it’s not fair
-Different from social exchange theory because it’s not okay to be over benefitted
Are We Always Concerned with Equity?
-Depends on type of relationship you have
Exchange relationship: governed by equity norm
- Keep track of inputs and outputs
- Benefits given with the expectation of a return
Communal relationship: not governed by equity
- Give in response to need
- Follow “norm of mutual responsiveness”
- Yours is others
- Not keeping track
Study by Clark & Mills
- Male subjects with attractive female in another room
- Subjects “randomly assigned” to work on easy task
- Subjects gave excess materials to the female
- Manipulation of benefit: females either gave subject points (benefit) or said “thanks” (no benefit)
- Manipulation of relationship: told females were either married (exchange) or new to the university (communal)
Results?
- Exchange and benefit > communal and benefit
- Communal and no benefit > exchange and no benefit
Trait Preferences Among M/F
- Males rated physical attractiveness as most important
- Females rated everything else as more important than physical attractiveness
- Ratings from males > females for physical attractiveness
Sex Differences in Preference for Physically Attractive Mate?
-Yes there are sex differences
But…
-Physical attractiveness isn’t most desired trait
-Sex difference is small
-Women are “choosier” sex
-Sex difference is larger in self report than actual behavior
-Sex difference is larger in short term than long term relationships
-Could be due to social roles
Evolutionary Perspective
- Evolutionary psychology says that behaviors are aimed at maximizing reproductive success
- Leads to sex differences in mate selection
- Men prefer physically attractive women because they’re “more fertile”
- Men have to spread genes by having sex with many women
- Women prefer men with financial resources because they need a mate that sticks around and can support
- Women can only have finite number of children to spread genes
