Interpersonal Attraction Flashcards
Social Comparison Theory
Human beings have a need to evaluate ourselves. When we don’t have objective criteria to indicate how well we’re doing, we evaluate ourselves by comparing ourselves to other people.
Loneliness
Subjective sense of discomfort when we feel our relationships are lacking something; includes emotional, and social. Quantitative (number of friends) versus qualitative (superficial friendships). Contrast with aloneness.
Emotional Loneliness
Feeling the absence of an intimate person in one’s life.
Social Loneliness
Feeling the lack of integration into a community/network/group of people.
Aloneness
Objective state of being physically apart from other people. Being alone can be pleasant or unpleasant.
Association
We like people who we associate with good experiences and dislike people who we associate with bad experiences.
Reinforcement
We like people who reward us. Social approval is a type of social reward: we like people who evaluate us positively.
Social Exchange Theory
Our liking for another person is based on the costs and benefits that other people provide to us. We like the people with whom we have profitable interactions: rewards outweigh the costs.
“Pratfall Effect”
When someone appears to be outstanding and seemingly flawless or perfect, they are liked even more when they make a slight mistake. However, someone who is looked at as mediocre is liked less when they make a mistake.
Physical Attractiveness
We like people we are physically attracted to.
High self monitors
Concerned about the image they are conveying to others.
Low self monitors
Pay most attention to interior traits (personality)
Halo Effect
We tend to assume that people who are physically attractive also have other positive characteristics. There is an assumption that good things go together.
Radiating Effect of Beauty
It is rewarding to be seen with an attractive person.
Similarity
We tend to like people who have similar attitudes, values,and interests.
