Lecture 3 Flashcards
What is attraction?
Attraction is the interest in and liking of one individual by another, the first step towards forming an intimate relationship. It doesn’t always mean sexual attraction and can apply to friends or coworkers.
What is the operational definition of attraction?
The degree that people approach vs. avoid another person, the desire to get to know or spend time with someone else, and the extent that we ‘like’ a person or enjoy their company.
What is the fundamental basis of attraction according to Byrne?
We like those who reward us, either through direct rewards by treating us well or indirect rewards by being associated with things we like.
What is the fundamental basis of attraction according to Finkel & Eastwick?
We like others for instrumental reasons, specifically the extent that someone can help us achieve our goals.
How does physical attraction impact impressions?
People’s looks immediately and automatically impact the impressions we form about them, making us more likely to want to become close with good-looking individuals.
What are the preferred physical features in attraction?
Men and women both prefer large eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a big natural smile (Duchenne smile). Women are more attractive with a small nose and chin, while men are more attractive with a larger (squarer) chin.
What is the significance of symmetry in attraction?
Symmetry can be a cue for good/healthy genes, and studies show that symmetrical people smell better.
What characteristics make women more attractive?
A 0.70 waist-to-hip ratio, average body weight, & average breast size (Thought to be because they are usually young & are not already pregnant so they seem like a good mate)
What characteristics make men more attractive?
A 0.90 waist-to-hip ratio, a 1.20 shoulder-to-waist ratio, muscular
Why are specific features more attractive than others?
Divergence from certain physical features may be cues indicating suboptimal genes and/or unfortunate developmental circumstances, both of which point to lower reproductive success of future progeny
Environment (scarcity vs. abundance) and social norms play a role too
How does the menstrual cycle influence attraction?
Attraction can be influenced by where a woman is in her menstrual cycle, with preferences for certain traits increasing during the follicular phase and ovulation.
What is the Follicular phase + Ovulation phase?
The few days prior to ovulation and ovulation day itself; possibility of conception high
What is the Luteal/Menstrual phases?
The rest of the cycle; possibility of conception nearly zero
If a women uses hormonal birth control does their menstrual cycle still affect attractive?
No it does not
Why does the menstrual cycle impact attraction, from an evolutionary perspective?
From an evolutionary perspective, when at peak fertility, women should want partners with the best genes in case they get pregnant
Additionally, men should be attuned to detect the peak fertility “window” so they can pass on their genes if an opportunity arises
What characteristics do women prefer in their follicular phase?
ow-pitched voice, masculine features, bodily symmetry, status symbols, & displays of social dominance & creativity
Why do men find women in the follicular phase somewhat more attractive?
the scent of an ovulating woman triggers testosterone secretion and seems to cause sex-related thoughts to become more accessible
Men engage in more risky behaviors when an ovulating woman is around and are a bit more possessive of their female romantic partner when she is ovulating
Does a man’s relationship status impact the impacts of ovulation?
Yes
How does culture impact attraction?
Renaissance painting where women look “fat” by modern standards are because at that time the culture’s food supply was unreliable
So human nature & environmental conditions work together to shape our judgments of who is attractive and who isn’t
What is the matching phenomenon in romantic relationships?
Partners in established romantic relationships tend to have similar levels of physical attractiveness, and matching is less likely when partners were platonic friends first
Suggests that to have the most success in the relationship market we should pursue partners that are likely to return our interest
What is the equation for the matching effect?
A potential partner’s desirability = their attractiveness x the probability of them accepting you
What is mate value?
overall attractiveness as a reproductive partner, people with high mate values are likely to be pursued by others
What is the halo effect?
Physically attractive people are perceived to be more kind, strong, outgoing, nurturing, sensitive, sexually warm and responsive, interesting, sociable, exciting to date, and good in character.
How does Propinquity (proximity) impact attraction?
We are more likely to become attracted to & close with people we see and interact with often (can involve actual physical distance and/or function distance), Chosen distance between people is also in indication of their degree of liking towards one another
Why are physically attractive people expected to have better life outcomes?
Physical appearance plays a big & automatic role in impression formation & has lasting implications for relationships
What is the impact of digital distance on relationships?
Dating apps can lead to disappointment and decreased self-esteem due to rejection, and the apparent abundance of choices can hinder relationship success as you become more picky & less likely to commit to one person
Why is Proximity is rewarding & distance is costly?
proximity easily allows you to enjoy the rewards that our partner has to offer whereas, long distance relationships are less rewarding as a message over video is less rewarding than a kiss & it can be expensive & time consuming to see your partner
What is reciprocity in attraction?
We tend to be attracted to people who like us back, especially in romance.
What is specific liking?
leads to more reciprocal liking (ex. if Laura desires Tim more than she desires other men, he desires her more than he desires other women) because it boosts self-esteem
What is general liking?
leads to less reciprocal liking (ex. if Laura desires all men more than the other women do, men generally desire her less than they desire other women)
How does similarity affect attraction?
We are more attracted to and become close with people who are like us, especially in attitudes and values.
Why does similarity in attitudes & values stimulate attraction?
Similarity validates one’s own beliefs and values
Similarity makes others easier to predict
We assume that people with similar attitudes like us more
Dissimilar attitudes repel us
Why does it seem like opposites attract?
Perceived similarity matters more than objective similarity and friends / lovers believe that they are more similar to one another then they objectively are. The differences between people are more evident / salient to outside observers
Discovering dissimilarities in partners we like takes time to occur, perceived similarity matters more at the outset of a relationship, objective similarity matters more later on (Newcomb, 1961)
We are sometimes attracted to people that reflect (obtainable) versions of our ideal selves
What is the (mis)attribution of arousal?
to some extent, people sometimes infer their emotional states by making attributions about the cause of their physiological arousal. It is possible then that attraction may sometimes be inferred by the (mis)attribution of arousal
Who are Dutton & Aron (1974)?
men were asked to complete a short study by a pleasant and pretty woman after crossing either a high (scary) bridge or a low (non-scary) bridge. She gave them her phone number so they could contact her about the results and 50% of the men called her
How can attraction be increased?
eye contact, Duchenne smiles, identity & emphasize similarities, and suggest an exciting/arousing date
Globally everyone prefers partners who offer what?
Warmth and loyalty
Attractiveness and health
Status and resources
How much of these qualities are required depends on whether one’s interests are short term or long term
Both men and women are less selective when they’re picking a partner for a casual fling than for a lasting union
What do women look for in long-term mating?
Women are more likely to look for moderate status and resources, but they also want all the warmth, honesty, humor, and intelligence they can get.
What do men look for in long-term mating?
Men are more likely to look for moderate attractiveness, but they also want all the warmth, honesty, humor, and intelligence they can get
What are schemas?
organize knowledge about the social world that guide our impression formation
Schemas remind/inform us of what certain “types” of people are like
Schemas can be very useful for making inferences about people when we lack information about them
Schemas are also the mental basis for prejudice and discrimination
Multiple different schemas can be activated simultaneously upon meeting someone (ex. your blind date is late but then they arrive in a luxury car, and then is smoking a cigarette)
What is the primacy effect?
The primacy effect describes the tendency for the information we encounter first to have a disproportionate effect on our decisions and memory.
What is confirmation bias?
once or first impressions are formed, we often preferentially seek confirming over disconfirming evidence & our confidence in opinion tends to grow with time
What are positive illusions in relationships?
Perceptions of lovers that portray them in the best possible light, emphasizing their positive qualities and minimizing their faults
We rate out partners more positively than others do
The extent that we project positive illusions is strongly correlated with relationship satisfaction and the lack of positive illusions is the best predictor of relationship breakup
While positive illusions involve inaccurate perceptions of one’s relationship they appear to serve a protective function for maintaining the relationship, similar to how biased perceptions of the self help to maintain high self-esteem
What is the actor-observer bias?
The tendency to attribute other people’s behavior to their character while attributing one’s own behavior to the situation.
What are Attributional processes?
if our relationship is going well, we interpret them the same way we interpret ourselves
What are destiny beliefs?
people with these beliefs assume good relationships are about finding the perfect match, some people are suited to be together & some are not (ex. Love at first sight, soulmates, happily ever after), more likely to see disagreements as a major relationship threat and more likely to ghost people on break-ups
What are growth beliefs?
people with these beliefs assume good relationships develop gradually & require work to overcome challenges, with enough effort all relationships can work, & more likely to maintain high commitment in the face of arguments in the relationship
What are Self-fulfilling prophecies?
our perceptions & expectations can shape reality through these
What is the Self-enhancement motive?
Leads us to seek feedback that makes us look good
In dating relationships, self-enhancement motives trump self-verification motives and praise increases our commitment
In committed relationships (i.e., marriage shift), the self-verification motive trumps the self-enhancement motive
Praise from a partner satisfies both motives when self-esteem is high
BUT! Praise from a partner can backfire when self-esteem is low
What is Self-verification motive?
leads us to seek feedback that supports & verifies our existing self-concepts
What are attachment styles?
Attachment styles provide mental models for intimate relationships, influencing beliefs, expectations, and judgments about partners’ behavior.
What is self-monitoring in impression management?
Self-monitoring involves changing words, actions, and clothing across social interactions to better obtain social goals, varying by the degree of attention to social norms.
What are high self-monitors likely to do?
pay close attention to social norms and adeptly adjust their behavior to fit
What are low self-monitors likely to do?
Be inattentive to social norms and/or less flexible, and they make more similar impressions on others from one audience to the next
How do high and low self-monitors differ in relationships?
High self-monitors are good at small talk and have diverse friends but invest less time in relationships, while low self-monitors tend to have more committed relationships
What happens to impression management as a relationship progresses?
We relax our impression management with intimate partners
We already know they like us, so we’re less motivated to gain their approval
They know us well, so there’s little we can do to affect what they think
And many of us simply get lazy and work less hard to be polite and charming
