Exam 3- Lecture 12 Flashcards
What brings us together?
Attraction
What keeps us together?
Love
What attracts us to others (romantic and friendship)?
- Proximity - physical distance
- Physical attractiveness
- Similarity
- Reciprocal liking
Attraction
1. Proximity
Physical distance
Functional distance
-how often people’s paths cross
Simply being closer to someone makes a relationship more likely to develop
Apt study (Festinger et al., 1950) randomly assigned apt (6 months later) 65% said closest friend lived in same building Of that 65% -41% lived next door -22% two doors away -10% other end of hall
ppl live near staircase, most friends
Why
- more likely to meet and get to know each other
- might have proximity b/c shared interest
- mere exposure effect
- ->tendency for novel stimuli to be more liked or rated more positively after repeated exposure
*Expectation of contact = more psychologically generous (benefit of doubt)
Functional distance
Attraction
1. Proximity
How often people’s paths cross
Mere exposure effect
Attraction
1. Proximity
Tendency for novel stimuli to be more liked or rated more positively after repeated exposure
Nonsense syllables (Zajonc, 1968, 1970)
- exposed to set of novel syllables
- rate big rotation of syll.
- even when subliminal, rested heard better than never heard before
Photographs vs. mirror images (Mita et al., 1977)
- one pic and more mirror image (flipped), asked which one liked better and asked friends
- self: liked mirror better
- friends: liked regular better
Attraction
2. Physical attractiveness
Welcome week dance study (Hatfield et al., 1966)
- hundreds of freshman, made up dating service and randomly assigned with partner to attend with
- 2.5 hours, told matched based on something, what aspects might make them want to seem them again
- only thing that mattered was physical attractiveness
Halo effect
-belief that physically attractive people also have a wide range of other positive characteristics
- Effects of plastic surgery (Kalick, 1977)
- ->rate impressions either before or after
- ->after- more attractive rating; more kind, sensitive, likable
- Attractive students (Clifford & Walster, 1973)
- ->fifth graders rated on attractiveness (take extremes)
- ->teachers rate and only pictures differ
- —>cute kids better (smarter, socially skilled, fewer behavioral problems)
What do we find attractive (on average)?
Attraction
2. Physical attractiveness
Symmetry
“Avg” faces
Evolutionary preferences (Buss, 1989)
- gender preferences
- > indicators of good health
- ->women: baby face (youth, nondominace)
- ->men: height, muscular, distinguished (older)
Contrast effects (momentary comparison):
Charlie’s Angels study (Kendrick & Gutierres, 1980)
-male college dorm; opinion about avg looking woman
->if watching, rated her as less attractive than those who were not watching at the time
Centerfold study (Kendrick, 1989)
- men in lab; view centerfold models or pics not of women
- > when viewed avg pics (centerfold- less attractive)
- > when rate wives (centerfold- less attractive)
Matching hypothesis
Attraction
- Physical attractiveness
- tendency to choose as partners those who are a MATCH in attractiveness and other qualities
Matching vs. most attractive? depends on fear of rejection
UCLA Dating study
study 1:
-attractiveness of participants and women’s photos have been rated
-picked women who was closet to them in attractiveness
study 2:
- all want to date you
- all went for hottest person (no fear of rejection)
Similarity
Attraction
Birds of a feather flock together!
Housing study (Newcomb, 1961)
- 3 months later
- most similar- most likely to become friends
Little evidence for the complementarity hypothesis (opposites attract)
Why is similarity important in attraction?
- less conflict when viewpoints are similar
- validation of our own characteristics and beliefs
- we may believe that similarity will lead to reciprocity
Reciprocal liking
Attraction
We like people who like us
The “I overheard you” study (Aronson & Linder, 1965)
Participant overhears other talking about them after interacting each time
Conditions
1. Smack talk from start to finish
2. Positive whole time (they are ok)
3. Positive -> worse (felt worst and liked least)
4. unsure -> positive (like them the most)
Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love (3 parts)
- Passion
Imp. and strongest EARLY in the relationship
Speed dating studies (Finkel & Eastwick’s, 2008)
- chemistry is mutual (specific and unique)
- if felt chemistry with everyone, others did not feel the same
- Intimacy
With more time together, passion fades and intimacy (comfort, security) becomes stronger and more imp - Commitment
Necessary for long-term success
Romantic love (passion and intimacy) Companionate love (intimacy and commitment) Fatuous love (passion and commitment)
Why do initially happy relationships become unhappy?
Research shows that most relationships DECLINE in satisfaction over time
Successful relationships
Stable- does not end in a break up
Satisfying- fulfills need of both partners
Marriage and divorce
Over 50% of ppl get divorced
Approx. 63% when including separations
Remarriage: HIGHER divorce rate
Cohabitation: HIGHER divorce rate
