Relationship Initiation Flashcards
Attribution can i attributed to:
- Target factors
- Perceiver factors
- Situation/Contextual factors
Target factors: Characteristics of a person we’re attracted to
Perceiver factors: Individual characteristics influencing attraction
Situation/Contextual factors: External factors influencing attraction beyond target and perceiver
What makes an attractive face?
- Symmetry
- Averageness
Sign of healthier genes and developmental stability
- Shows more resistance to stress/disease, better to pass genes to offspring
Familiarity eases processing
- Broader gene pool means stronger resistance to disease
Study: Effects of personality on attractiveness
- Participants presented w/ series of photos, rated attractiveness
- Saw each photo again paired w/ desirable or undesirable personality trait
- How much would you like this person as a friend? As a romantic partner? How physically attractive is this person?
- Photos paired w/ desirable traits rated as more attractive than first time
- Undesirable, less attractive second time
Good personality can make someone appear more attractive
Out of the ideal partner traits, which is the number one priority?
- Warmth, loyalty
- Attractiveness, vitality
- Status, resources
Warmth, loyalty
Assortative mating
Is perceived similarity or actual similarity more important for long-term relationships?
We tend to pair up w/ others who are:
- Equally physically attractive
- Similar personalities/attitudes
- Applies w/ other cultural groups
“We like ppl who are like us”
Perceived similarity
When does opposites attract work?
In workplace
Regulatory focus (promotion vs prevention) in couples
- Promotion: Motivated by advancements; brings more excitement
- Prevention: Avoids negative outcomes and potential problems; risk manager
Study: Predicting romantic attraction
- Participants completed self-report measures on personality, well-being, mating strategies, values, other self-reported traits + ideal partner preferences for them
- Did 4 minute speed-dating paradigm
Self-reported measures could help predict who tended to like more ppl + was liked by more ppl
But not who would like who
Capilano suspension bridge study:
- Males crossed suspension bridge vs stable bridge; greeted attractive research assistant at end
- Those who crossed suspension bridge were more likely to call female researcher
What is the phenomenon in this called?
Misattribution of arousal
Study: Arousal and attraction
- Low arousal (run on spot for 15s) vs High arousal (2 mins) conditions
- Watched vid of more attractive vs less attractive young woman after
- Tested desirability of target
More attractive target always more desirable
- But higher arousal amplified effect on positive + negative sides
Why are men and women judged as more attractive when wearing red?
Women - Perceived as more sexually attractive
Men - Red linked to strength, power, competitive dominance
- Universal effect
Study: Is the cheerleader effect real?
- Asked participants to rate attractiveness of female and male faces (groups of 3 vs 1)
- What happens if you increase group size?
- Men and women’s faces seen as more attractive in a group
- Group size doesn’t matter, just presence of other faces
Study: Do women feel more attractive and sexually desirable nearing ovulation?
- Analyzed tips earned by female dancers in gentlemen’s clubs
- Normal cycle vs oral contraceptives
How does taking hormonal contraceptives impact preferences?
Women not on the pull reported increase in tips when nearing ovulation
- Tends to be caused by dressing more attractively in response to hormonal change
When ovulating, women typically increase preference in masculine/dominant features
- W/ contraceptive, shows less preference for cues of genetic fitness
- Discontinuing contraceptive use causes more satisfaction w/ attractive husbands, less satisfaction in less attractive husbands
Similarities and diffs in flirting between men and women
Similarities:
- Glancing, eyebrow flashes
Diffs:
- Men tend to showcase social status w/ amount of connections w/ other men
- Women use more nonverbal cues
- Men are motivated towards displays of attractiveness and short term encounters; Women more towards emotional connections + long-term relationships
Advantages and disadvantages of nonverbal cues to indicate romantic interest
- Are men or women more likely to misperceive friendliness as sexual interest?
Adv: Interest can be denied if not reciprocated
Dis: Makes miscommunication or misunderstanding more likely
Male
Study: What predicts first date success? (Switching from online to in person dating)
- Longitudinal study; surveyed participants before first date w/ someone from online dating app and again after meeting them in person
- Qs about perveived similarity, physical attraction, social attraction
- Qs after include desire/likelihood for future interaction
Pros of online dating? (3)
- Reported lower physical and social attraction at wave 2
- More desire for second date for those who reported higher perceived similarity (only if had high amount if communication and self disclosure)
Disillusionment after first date common, but minimized by taking some time to assess similarity beforehand
- More extensive and convenient access to potential partners (but can be overwhelming)
- Matching tech helps get rid of matched w/ red flags
- Can communicate online before spending time, money, and effort for date (but disillusionment and misunderstandings can still happen)
