Social Psychology - Attraction

Question 1

What leads to friendship and attraction?

Answer 1

1. proximity = the more we see and interact, the more likes they are to become our friends
   - proximity predicts liking
   - less often breeds hostility
   - anticipating interaction boosts liking -> increasing the chance of forming a rewarding relationship
2. mere exposure effect = tendency for novel stimuli to be liked more or rated positively after the rater has been repeatedly exposed to them
   - stronger when you receive stimuli with no awareness
   - familiarity breeds liking
   - not liked when (1) incessant repetition = liking drops (2) you didn’t like it to begin with

Question 2

What is the matching hypothesis?

Answer 2

tendency for people to choose partners that are a good match in attractiveness and other traits
- evidence is weak
- often rate the most attractive dates the highest regardless of our own disposition

Question 3

What is physical attractiveness?

Answer 3

mixture of attributes that are considered beautiful or handsome on the positive end of the spectrum and unnactractive at the negative end

Question 4

What is the stereotype of physical attractiveness?

Answer 4

“what is beautiful is good” = presumption that physically attractive people possess other socially desirable traits
1. attractiveness is subjective
2. some facial features that we have agreement on
- large eyes and high cheekbones
- symmetry is preferred = average composite faces preferred

Question 5

What is the significance of similarities?

Answer 5

1. similarity = predicts people tend to form relationships with others who have the same attitudes, values, interests, and demographics
   - provide validation for our values, attitudes, etc.
   - expect people who are similar to like is in return

Question 6

What is meta-analysis results?

Answer 6

perceived similarity more important than actual similarity in long term relationships

Question 7

What is passionate love compared to companionate love?

Answer 7

1. passionate = state of intense physiological arousal and intense longing for union
   - men tend to fall in love more readily and women are as emotionally involved as their partners
   - some cultures have a romantic love concept while some have marriages that precedes love
2. companionate = affection we feel for those with whom our lives are deeply intertwined with
   - occurs after passionate love fades
   - passion fed hormones (testosterone) lets oxytocin have way = feelings of trust, calmness, and bonding
   - component of long-lasting friendships

Question 8

What are the three keys to long-lasting relationships?

Answer 8

1. equity theory = people are most satisfied when the ratio between benefits are contributions are similar for both partners
2. self-disclosure = reveal;ing intimate aspects of oneself to others
   - disclosure reciprocity = tendency for one person’s self-disclosure to match that of a conversational partner
3. positive support
   - positive interactions outnumber negative ones 5:1