Week 10 Flashcards
What are the 4 main factors of interpersonal attraction?
Proximity
Similarity
Reciprocity
Physical Attractiveness
What is proximity?
How physically close you are to someone
How far apart you are with someone the less likely chances you’ll be friends
Functional distance also matters, a person who lives next the mail box rather than the corner of the building would have more friends
What is the mere exposure effect?
When a student would sit in the front of the last the rest of the class would generally all agree that they like her Familiarity breeds predictability →greater comfort
When does proximity work?
Greater proximity often = shared interests
Only happens if original evaluation of a person is neutral or positive
If similarity is low, proximity can increase negative feelings
When does similarity matter?
In attitudes
In personality
In appearance
What happened in Hindsz (1986) Similarity study?
Participants rated facial similarity of photographs of couples or random pairs
Results: Actual couples rated as more similar looking than random pairs
Why does similarity influence attraction?
Facilitates smooth interactions (similar attitudes, less conflicts of interest)
- Similar others have qualities we like; dissimilar others are “unreasonable”
- We expect similar others to like us
What about the idea of “Opposites attract”?
If participants want a committed relationship, they choose a similar partner
However, if they feel a low level of commitment to the relationship, they favour dissimilar partner
What is Reciprocal Liking.
We like people who like us
#1 indicator of attraction across all samples (mutual attraction)
Self-fulfilling prophecy: if we believe another person likes us, we behave in more likable ways
What happens in the Gold, Ryckman and Mosley,1984 reciprocal study?
Greater liking even when the woman disagreed with the male Ps on important issues
What happened in the Pairs of Ps study?
one member given unique info (Curtis & Miller, 1986)
½: others like you, this group was told the other likes them
½: others don’t like you, this group was told the other person doesn’t like them
Liked = behaved in a more likable way, disclosed more, disagreed less
What do we think attractive people are?
The halo effect: Happier Warmer Healthier More outgoing More mature More intelligent More sensitive More confident More successful
What are some assumptions about attractive people?
Attractive people….
Report more satisfying interactions with others
School work evaluated more favourably
Earn more money (especially men)
Receive more help from others (especially women)
The beautiful, from a young age, receive a great deal of social attention that in turn helps them develop good social skills
Do infants respond more favourable to attractive people?
Yes.
The mirror effect
The mirrored faces is seen more attracted than the non-mirrored
Symmetrical
Can a “regular” person be made to act like a “beautiful” one through the self-fulfilling prophecy?
Yes.
Men talking to women on the phone elicit warmer, friendlier responses when led to believe the women they are talking to are attractive
Is psychical attractiveness more important in men’s lives than women?
No, it is equally as important between both genders
What is the evolutionary attractive perspective : women?
Physical: Signals of fertility (e.g., waist-to-hip ratio)
Face: large eyes, full lips, small nose, prominent cheekbones, high eyebrows, broad smile
Social: makeup, revealing clothing
What is the evolutionary attractive perspective : men?
Physical: Signals of status and power
Face: prominent cheekbones, large chin
Social: Wealth, expensive things
Masculinity and attractiveness is not as straightforward
The more masculine you get the more ugly, (HULK)
Pennebaker et al. (1979) study, can attractiveness be malleable?
Closing time study
103 women and men recruited from local bars near a university in the southern U.S.
Asked on a scale from 1-10 on attractiveness, how would you rate the men/women in here tonight?
9:30 pm- rated people average
10:30 pm - still average
Midnight (half hour before close) - you see people more attractive when you know you have to leave the bar soon
What is Misattribution of Arousal?
A process in which people make mistaken inferences about what is causing them to feel the way they do
What happened in the Misattribution of attraction Arousal
study?
In a study in BC, in both conditions an attractive female asked males a survey question as they were walking by
In condition 1: she waited at the end of the bridge
In condition 2: she waited in the middle of the bridge
At the end of the survey she said that they could call her back at a certain number
Results: when your on a bridge people are misattributing their sweating palms from being on the bridge to their attractiveness to the woman
What are the 4 theories of close relationships?
Triangular Love Theory
Evolutionary Theory
Attachment Theory
Investment Model
What is Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love?
Passion = motivational component romance, sexual attraction, desire Intimacy = emotional component bondedness, warmth, sharing Commitment = cognitive component conscious decision for relationship
Can relationships have varying levels of each factor of the Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love?
Yes. Romantic love: intimacy + passion Liking: intimacy infatuation: passion Empty love: commitment Etc. Consummate love: intimacy+passion+commitment
From an evolutionary understanding, what is a goal from a relationship?
Reproductive success
What do women look for in men? (Mate hunting)
Psychological constructs: Power, dominance physical traits such as Height, broad shoulders, muscularity Protection Stable job
What do men look for in women? (Mate hunting)
Physical attractiveness Health, the ability to produce offspring Waist-to-hip ratio Youthful appearance Signal that she can have and raise healthy children
What are long-term vs. Short-term goals in a relationship?
Short-term is based on physical for both sexes
Long-term still leans physical for males, but psychological for females (traits that will lead to an ability to provide resources)
Which sex prefers more casual sexual partners?
Male.
Study: “I have been noticing you around campus. I find you to be attractive. Would you go to bed with me tonight?”
0% of women said yes - there are more costs of this action for women
75% of men said yes
How long does it take until the likelihood to have sex with someone between male and female is the same?
As time progresses the likelihood of agree to have sex diffrences between men and women start to dissapear
At 5 years the likelihood hood is the same
What is the Attachment Theory?
Argues that our behavior in adult relationships is based on our experiences with parents and caregivers
What are the 3 attachment styles?
Secure
Avoidant
Anxious/Ambivalent
What is a secure attachment style?
Responsive caregivers
Trusting; high satisfaction and commitment
View self as worthy
What is a aviodant attachment style?
Aloof and distant caregivers; reject intimacy
Desire intimacy but fear it will be rejected
Difficulty developing relationships
What is an ambivalent attachment style?
Inconsistent and overbearing caregivers
Anxious; cannot predict how a caregiver will respond
More short-term relationships
What are each of the attachment styles characterized as?
Secure Characterized as happy and trusting in relationships
Avoiders Characterized by fear of intimacy, emotional highs and lows, and jealousy
Anxious Characterized by obsession, desire for union, high sexual attraction, and extreme jealousy
Out of the 3 attachment styles which one tends to stay in a relation the longest?
Secures tend to stay in relationships longer than Avoiders And Anxious
What is the Social Exchange Theory?
Maximizing rewards and minimising costs
We seek out people who reward us
Comparison level:We expect some amount of reward and some cost
Alternative: Are the pros and cons between other possible relationships
Social Exchange Theory in Long-Term Relationships
Couples focus more on rewards during the first months of their relationships
If the relationships are perceived as offering a lot of rewards…
Report feeling happy and satisfied. The perception of rewards continues to be important over time
What is a Critique of Social Exchange Theory?
People stay in relationships when there are few rewards and many better alternatives
Example: abusive relationships
What is the Investment Model in a relationship?
Commitment to a relationship depends not only on rewards, costs, comparison level, and alternatives, but also on how much a person has invested in a relationship that would be lost by ending it
Investments include tangible and intangible things
Tangible would be money and shared possessions
Intangible means no more good memories
