Lecture: Attraction, Love, Attachment 1 Flashcards
Atrraction, Love and Attachmnet is assumed to be what?
a liner model
Attraction –> Love–> sex
“Sex is the natural expression of love/ only justifiable in context of love”
- People feel that the way to justify sex is through loving a person
Alternatives to love as a reason for sex?
- Nonsexual acts as natural expressions of love.
- Asking if you got home safe/text me when you get home, I did the dishes for you, I’ll wake up for the baby tonight, etc.
- Love as a natural excuse for sexual expression
Many claim feelings of love to initiate sex - Love without sex
- Sex without love
Attraction
Liking and positive evaluation of other
Attraction can be what?
Platonic or sexual or romantic
Attraction is driven by what 2 Big theories?
- Reinforcement theory (important psychological model)
2. Sociobiological theory
Byrne’s law of attraction (part of reinforcement theory)
Attraction = positive reinforcements / positive + negative reinforcements
Reinforcement - affect model of attraction
Positive reinforcement -> positive affect -> positive evaluations (liking, loving)
- Tend to evaluate the source of positive feelings.
Small theories of Attraction: (4)
Menstrual cycle
Propinquity (physicially closer to someone = more attraction; mere-exposure effect*)
Familiarity
Desperation
Interpersonally Reinforcing
(Burns’ approach) Attitude similarity—interpersonal agreement –is strongly positively reinforcing
- Atittudesimilarity –> interpersonal agreement
- This drives interpersonal attraction.
What does attitude similarity validate?
Attitude similarity provides consensual validation concerning critical but otherwise unverifiable issues.
Why does attitude similarity drive interpersonal attraction?
Attitude similarity drives interpersonal attraction because it is positively reinforcing
Laboratory Study of Interpersonal Attraction: Byrne’s “Bogus Stranger” Technique
- Had a similar or dissimilar bogus stranger (fake attitudes)
- Had to fill interpersonal judgement scale
- Attracted to same-sex or opposite-sex bogus partner depending on the function of similar or dissimilar sexual attitudes
- Scoring: 2 = least attracted and 14 = most attracted, dissimilar, similar
- Same Sex Stranger 8.01 < 9.50
- Opposite Sex Stranger 7.46 < 10.89
- So basically people were more attracted to opposite-sex strangers who have similar sexual attitudes as them
“Real Life” Study of Interpersonal Attraction: Computer Dating
- 420 students responded to measures of attitudes and personality.
- Couples were matched and sent on a 30-minute “Coke Date” to the student centre
- Attraction to coke date as a function of attitude similarity and physical attractiveness.
- Dissimilar couple stood maximally far from each other.
- 6 months later similar couples were more likely to remember each others names and interacted through dating.
“Real Life” Study of Interpersonal Attraction: Computer Dating: DATA
Scoring: 2 = least attracted and 14 = most attracted, dissimilar, similar
Males
Attractive date 10.55 < 12.00
Unattractive date 9.89 < 10.43
Females
Attractive date 11.25 < 12.71
Unattractive date 9.50 < 11.00
- Every attractive date that was more similar was more liked.
A.KA. SIMILAR dates were ALWAYS better liked than non-similar.
“Real Life” Study of Interpersonal Attraction: Computer Dating: POSITIVE CORRELATIONS
Positive correlations:
- In males AND females:
- In dissimilar attitudes with interpersonal distance.
- In similar attitudes and remembering date’s name.
- In similar attitudes and having interacted since the study.
Similarity is Not Always Reinforcing: Attitude Similarity to an Emotionally Troubled Person
(Standard Stranger Technique—With a Twist)
“I don’t know if this is relevant or not, but last fall I had kind of a nervous breakdown and I had to be hospitalized for a while. I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist ever since”
Prediction:
- Positively reinforcing events drive attraction
- Attitude similarity is usually but not always reinforcing.
Attitude Similarity to an Emotionally Troubled Person: Attitude similarity is what?
Attitude similarity is usually but not always reinforcing.
- In this case, attitude similarity is punishing and will drive avoidance.
Attitude Similarity to an Emotionally Troubled Person:
Males:
Desire to avoid 10.20 > 6.80 6.60 < 9.20
Females:
Desire to avoid 10.20 > 4.80 7.80 < 10.00
- So basically higher desire to avoid this person if:
1. They had dissimilar attitudes in a normal situation
2. They had similar attitudes in a disturbed situation
Normal people have more desire to avoid people who are ______ to them.
Dissimilar
Disturbed people have more desire to avoid people who are _____ to them.
Similar
General Sociobiology of Mate Preferences: Attractiveness, Provisioning, and Genetic Fitness
- Attractiveness, Provisioning, and Genetic Fitness
General Sociobiology of Mate Preference: Physical attractiveness
- Facial symmetry
- Facial averageness
- Waist-hip ratio
- Height
General Sociobiology of Mate Preference: Intelligence
- Vocabulary size
- Wit/humor
- World knowledge
- Creative storytelling
General Sociobiology of Mate Preference: Social status
- Education
- Job status
- Income
- possessions/fashion
- Feel like they need to go after someone of same status.
General Sociobiology of Mate Preference: Personality
- Kindness
- Adaptability
- Generosity
- Morality
Females seek in males: Ability and inclination to provision offspring
- Resources
- Physical fitness
- Dominance
What do males look for in female?
Youth, health, fertility and faithfulness.
Gendered Sociobiological Hypothesis
Gender differences in cues for attraction
- “Genetic fitness” for and in men and women differ.
- Fertility cues crucial in women.
- Provisioning cues crucial in men.
In every country the _______ is more concerned with how attractive a partner is than the ______.
- Male
2. Female
Physical Attractiveness and Sexual Attraction:
Evolutionary psychologists emphasize the value of physical attractiveness as an indicator of _____ and _____ in women.
- youth
2. fertility
_______ _______ should be more important to men than women (fertility cues)
physical attractiveness
Females seek what in males?
The ability and inclination to provision offspring.
- Willing to marry a man who isn’t very good looking
- Physical appearance isn’t as important to women as it is to men.
Buss (1989) confirmed this in each of 37 cultures studied: physical attractiveness more important to____ than to ____.
- men
2. women
Mate Selection Preferences in a Representative US National Sample displayed that: WOMEN
- Women are more willing to get married to someone not good looking
- Women are more willing to get married to someone older by 5 years
- Women are more willing to get married to someone who earns more than them
- Women are more willing to get married to someone who has more education than them
Mate Selection Preferences in a Representative US National Sample displayed that: Men
- Men are more willing to get married to someone younger by 5 years
- Men are more willing to get married to someone not with a steady job
- Men are more willing to get married to someone who earns less than them
- Men are more willing to get married to someone who has less education than them
______ are more willing to get married to someone not good looking
Women
_____ are more willing to get married to someone older by 5 years
Women
_____ are more willing to get married to someone younger by 5 years
Men
_____ are more willing to get married to someone not with a steady job
Men
_____ are more willing to get married to someone who earns less than them
Men
______ are more willing to get married to someone who earns more than them
Women
______ are more willing to get married to someone who has more education than them
Women
_____ are more willing to get married to someone who has less education than them
Men
Study: Found that rates of physical attractiveness are ____ in romantic couples than in friendships.
Higher
Gendered differences in cues for attraction:
- “Genetic fitness” for and in men and women differ.
- Fertility cues are crucial in women.
- Provisioning cues are crucial in men.
Why are Breasts Attractive to Men?
- A physical feature should be perceived as attractive in women only when that feature is reliably linked with youth, health, and the ability to conceive and sustain a pregnancy.
- Estrogen levels are low before puberty and following menopause, but are relatively high between these two periods of life.
- Pregnancy, lactation, fertility?
Why is Waist to Hip Ratio in Women Attractive to Men
- Women with waist to hip ratios around .70 have more estrogen than women with higher waist to hip ratios.
- Women with higher waist to hip ratios have more health problems, independent of how heavy they are.
- Women with waist to hip ratios around .70 should be most attractive to men as this is a health and fertility signal as are adult non-pregnant breasts.
Women with higher waist to hip ratios have more _____ ____ independent of how heavy they are.
health problems
Women with waist to hip ratios around .70 have more _____ than women with higher waist to hip ratios.
estrogen
Women with waist to hip ratios around .70 should be _____ _____ to men as this is a health and fertility signal as are adult non-pregnant breasts.
most attractive
Why is Waist to Hip Ratio in Women Attractive to Men:
Singh (1993) obtained measurements from from all of the Miss America winners (1923-1987) and Playboy centerfolds (1955-1965, 1976-1990).
- Waist to hip ratio of the women, regardless of year and weight, was ~.70
- Conforms to sociobiological prediction that men are attracted to signs of fertility
Waist to hip ration and weight: (overweight, normal, and underweight)
- At each weight the 0.7 was perceived as most attractive in each circumstance.
Men and Women’s Preference for Partner’s Age Across the Lifespan: Personal’s ads studied for men’s and women’s preference for age of desired partners.
- Men preferred younger/more close to their age
- Women preferred older/bigger gap in ager
Facial Feature Attractiveness: An Evolutionary Psychology Perspective
- Facial attractiveness is a “health certificate.”
- Evenly colored skin, supple skin, clear eyes, shiny hair certify health and fertility.
- Facial symmetry and averageness is a signal of genetic quality.
Facial Feature Attractiveness:
“ Facial attractiveness is a “_________.”
Health certificate
Facial symmetry and averageness is a signal of _____ ______.
genetic quality.
Male and female facial attractiveness also certify ______ ______.
hormonal status
Departures from facial symmetry, called fluctuating asymmetry, may indicate maldevelopment and ____ genetic quality.
poor
Males and females were asked to rate high to low symmetry faces:
- Males and females rated high symmetry faces as more attractive and as better long term mates.
- Males ratings of long term mate suitableness was more affected than women’s ratings, by degree of facial symmetry.
Males and females rated high symmetry faces as ____ attractive and as ____ long term mates.
- More
2. better
Males ratings of long term mate suitableness was _____ affected than women’s ratings, by degree of facial symmetry.
more
Male facial features serve as sex _____ markers.
hormone
Testosterone affects male facial features:
- Cheekbones
- Jaws
- Chin
- Eyebrow ridges
- Central face
- Lower facial bones
- More testosterone = higher cheekbones etc.
- More likely to be able to compete.
Testosterone in males and large size?
- Large size is dominance cue
- Large size is signal of ability to engage in intra-sexual competition.
Female preference for male facial characteristics ______ during fertile phase of menstrual cycle and for short term-mating preferences
increase
Female facial features as sex hormone markers:
- Estrogen in pubertal females caps growth of bony structures that are relatively large in male faces.
- Estrogen also results in enlargement of the lips and cheeks via fat deposition.
Do facial estrogen related features function as a fertility cue?
Attractiveness of female faces is greatest with smallness of bony feature of the lower face, large lips, and width and height of the cheeks.
Estrogen in pubertal females does what?
Caps growth of bony structures that are relatively large in male faces.
How are women lips enlarged?
- Estrogen, it results in enlargement of the lips and cheeks via fat deposition.
Physical Attractiveness: Different Payoffs for Men and Women : A high school class of 1955 were rated for attractiveness
- Education, income, and marriage characteristics were assessed 15 years later, when participants were in their mid-30s.
Physical Attractiveness: MOST ATTRACTIVE WOMEN in high school sample ratings.
- 10 x more likely to marry.
- Younger age at marriage.
- Most educated husbands.
- Highest income husbands
Physical Attractiveness: LEAST ATTRACTIVE MEN
- Highest high school math scores.
- Highest years of education.
- Highest socioeconomic status.
- Highest age of marriage.
- Most well educated wives.
- Least premarital intercourse.
Mythbusters Video
Basically showed how the bigger a waitress’s breasts were, the more tips she got.
Dominance: An Attractive “Meta-Trait” in Men?
- Dominance might be a “metatrait” that signals overall ability to provision offspring.
- Dominance should be an attractive trait for women but not for men.
STUDY: Men and women exposed to dominant or non-dominant opposite sex other
- Rated opposite sex other’s sexual attractiveness and dating desirability
- Men had less desire to date women who seemed more dominant; opposite for women.
- Women found dominance more sexually attractive AND had more desire to date them
Dominance might be a “metatrait” that signals overall ability to_____ offspring.
provision
Dominance should be an attractive trait for _____ but not for _____.
- Women
2. Men
Men had_____ desire to date women who seemed more dominant; opposite for women.
less
Women found dominance _____ sexually attractive AND had _____ desire to date them
1-2: more
Minimal Mate Standards:
Different standards when looking for a short-term fling versus a long-term relationship?
- Short term relationships— less investment, particularly for men.
- Long-term relationships—a great deal of investment, for both men and women.
What is the minimum percentile of ______ you would accept in considering someone for: A date
Women desired slightly above average intelligence for a single date, as do men.
What is the minimum percentile of ______ you would accept in considering someone for: A sexual partner
Women desired more intelligence in a partner with increasing commitment, as do men
What is the minimum percentile of ______ you would accept in considering someone for: A one night stand
Men’s criteria are much lower than women’s when it comes to sexual partners
What is the minimum percentile of ______ you would accept in considering someone for: A steady dating partner OR marriage?
Male-female differences are most pronounced for one-night stands compared to sexual relations in general
The more likely you are to be in a cooperative relationship, the more?
similar you are
If you are in a zero investment relationship, men will have what standards?
Low
Why do women increase selectivity?
Because of the chances of pregnancy increases if they are not selective.
Are males less selective?
Yes, often low investment.
T/F Males are selective for long term relationships where they commit resources.
True
T/F females increase their selectivity as the probability of pregnancy and offspring increases.
True
T/F Males are less selective if given the opportunity for a low investment reproductive encounter.
True
T/F Across all cultures, attractiveness is always more important to men than women
True
Intra-Sex Competition:
- Men Derogate Competitor’s Resources,
- Women Derogate Competitor’s Looks
Derogation of female competitor, by a female, to a male:
- Spread rumours
- Derogate intelligence
(Call her airhead) - Call promiscuous ( She is a tramp, She sleeps around)
- Derogate appearance
(Laugh at her hair, Make fun of her body, Denigrate her clothing, Mention makeup slutty)
**Try to make competition not attractive **
Derogation of a male competitor, by male, to a female.
- Derogated his achievements (He is a loser, Has no goals, Lacks ambition, Scoff at achievements) - Derogated his strength (Wimp, Physically weak, Bad at sports) - Derogated his sexuality (Unfaithful, Got woman pregnant, Might be gay)
Derogation tactics used by men which were thought to be common and effective in minimizing competitor men’s attractiveness:
- Derogate competitor’s financial resources
- Derogate competitor’s achievements
- Say competitor has no aspirations
- Derogate competitor’s strength
Derogation tactics used by women thought to be common and effective in minimizing competitor women’s attractiveness:
- Call competitor promiscuous
- Derogate competitor’s appearance
- Call competitor a tease
- Question competitor’s fidelity
Intra-Sexual Competition on Physical Appearance: Intolerance of Sexy Peers
Women interacted with conservatively dressed or sexily dressed woman confederate.
- Women–blind as to condition– coded videotape of participants for “bitchy” behaviour
- 74% coded “bitchy” reactions in sexy dressed.
- 5% coded “bitchy” behaviour in conservative dressed.
Study: Women viewed photographs of conservatively dressed or sexily dressed confederate, and rated willingness to do the following: (conservative, sexy-thin, and sexy-heavy)
- Were less likely to be friends with or let their boyfriends around women who were sexy and thin
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun:” Nonverbal Signals and Attraction
- Women were covertly observed by two trained rates in a singles’ bar for 30 minutes.
- Women’s behaviours which resulted in attention from a man within 15 seconds were coded as “sexual attraction signals.
Where do women’s solicitation behaviours occur?
- Women are much more likely to display solicitation behaviours/approach males in a singles bar than at other places.
Menstrual Cycle Phase Effect on Women’s Attractiveness to Men Result?
18 strip club dancers charted menstrual cycles and tips each day for 60 days, for a total of 296 work shifts involving 5,300 lap dances
Dancers earned much more money during their fertile phase (menstrual is lowest, then luteal, then fertile)
Menstrual Cycle Phase Effect on Men’s Attractiveness to Women RESULTS?
- Women sniffed 41 T-shirts worn by high symmetrical men (good genes) and low symmetrical men (poor genes) for 2 nights.
- Women charted their menstrual cycle and their preferences for T shirt scents
- Women who were normally cycling preferred highly symmetrical men’s T-shirts when ovulating but not at other cycle points.
- Women on oral contraceptives showed no t-shirt scent preferences
Menstrual Cycle Phase Effect on Men’s Attractiveness to Women:
Women who were normally cycling preferred highly symmetrical men’s T-shirts when ______ but not at other cycle points.
Ovulating
Did the study on t-shirt sent and symmetry have any effect on women on oral contraceptives?
Women on oral contraceptives showed no t-shirt scent preferences
Propinquity
Basically being close to someone = more attraction
- “The almost mechanical effect of accessibility upon intimacy….”
Familiarity:Meer exposure to objects increases liking for them. How about for people?
- Different female confederates of the researcher attended psychology class 0, 5, 10, 15 times during the semester.
- Attraction to the female was assessed at the end of the year
- The more the female attended class, the more attracted they were to her
Does closing time affect how attractive a person becomes?
Men and women in student bar rated opposite sex patron’s attractiveness at 9pm, 10:30pm, and 12am.
The ratings of attractiveness increases as closing time started.
**important to note is this the effect of closing time OR alcohol consumption
Or effect of reason for being at the bear?
Homophily
People from same neighbourhood, ethnicity, etc. you will be more likely too pair up with them.
Mere Familiarity: “ Fake asian symbols”
The more often you see the symbols the more you like it.
