Week 2: Attraction

Question 1

What is the instrumentality principle?

Answer 1

All else equal, we are attracted to others who help us achieve goals that are important to us right now
i.e. ppl who are able to fulfill your goals

Question 2

What are the characteristics of the instrumentality principle?

Answer 2

• One person can fulfill many of these needs

- Most attracted to people who can fulfill your needs (need/goal fulfillment)

Question 3

What is the fundamental basis for attraction?

Answer 3

Basic assumption: We like those who reward us

Either b/c they treat us well, or simply b/c they are present when positive events occur

Question 4

What is self-disclosure?

Answer 4

The process of revealing personal info about oneself to someone else

One of the defining hallmarks of intimacy

Question 5

What is the theory of social penetration?

Answer 5

As r/s develop, partners become MORE INTIMATE by INCREASING: 1) BREATH and 2) DEPTH of their verbal communication

Question 6

What are the reasons why self-disclosure breeds liking and contentment in close r/s?

Answer 6

• We reveal more personal info to those we like
• We also tend to like others more b/c we’ve opened up to them
• Reciprocal self-disclosure builds trust
• We’re liked more by others when we self-disclose

Question 7

What is the concept of proximity?

Answer 7

We tend to like those who live and work near us (b/c we’re more likely to meet them)

Question 8

Why is proximity important?

Answer 8

• Small distances have a larger infl. on our r/s than most ppl realise
• CONVENIENCE: Proximity is rewarding, distance is costly
• • Partners who are close at hand are able to provide us: MORE BENEFITS at LESSER EXPENSE, than distant partners

Question 9

What is familiarity?

Answer 9

Mere exposure, or repeated contact, with someone usually increases our liking for them

Question 10

What is the concept of similarity?

Answer 10

We tend to like those who share our:

• Age, race, sex, religion, and social class
• Attitudes and values
• Personalities

Question 11

What is the stimulus-value-role theory?

Answer 11

Suggests that there are 3 diff. types of info about new partners that gradually unfold over time (stimulus, value and role)

Question 12

What are some examples of stimulus type information in the stimulus-value-role theory?

Answer 12

Stimulus type info: Surface-level characteristics

E.g. Age, CCA, physical attractiveness/looks

Question 13

What are some examples of value type information in the stimulus-value-role theory?

Answer 13

Value type info: Attitudes, values

E.g. Religion, political orientation

Question 14

What are some examples of role type information in the stimulus-value-role theory?

Answer 14

Role type info: Agree on basics of parenting, housekeeping etc.

Question 15

What are fatal attractions?

Answer 15

Occur when smth about a new partner that is appealing and attractive gradually becomes one of the most obnoxious, irritating things about the partner

Question 16

Does perceived or actual similarity affect attraction more?

Answer 16

Perceived > actual similarity

Question 17

We tend to like others…

Answer 17

• …who exhibit desirable qualities that we wish we had

- Sometimes prefer a partner who is someone we’d like to become to one who more closely resembles who we really are now

Question 18

What is one way “opposites” may attract?

Answer 18

Complementarity

• Good for goal achievement in r/s
• Partners occasionally “fit tgt” better when they behave differently e.g. dominant & submissive

Question 19

Why is similarity attractive?

Answer 19

1) Personally rewarding: Validating to encounter others who share our PoV
2) Low effort interaction: We anticipate friendly interaction w/ similar others
3) Rewarding interaction: Interaction w/ similar others tend to be more fun

Question 20

What is the concept of reciprocity?

Answer 20

Most of us pursue partners who are likely to return our interest

Question 21

What is the equation for desirability of a potential partner?

Answer 21

Desirability = Physical attractiveness x Probability of acceptance

Question 22

Based on the concept of reciprocity, what types of people are most attractive to others?

Answer 22

Selective > Easy to get > Hard to get

Question 23

What is the concept of physical attractiveness in attraction?

Answer 23

Looks matter and there is a bias for beauty (“what is beautiful is good”)

Question 24

What is the concept of “what is beautiful is good” wrt physical attractiveness?

Answer 24

PA people are perceived to have other positive traits

Physical appearance triggers an expectation of a likeable, socially-skilled person

Question 25

What are the characteristics of attractive faces?

Answer 25

1) AVERAGE - possessing dimensions that are neither too large/too small
2) SYMMETRICAL - 2 sides of the face being v similar to one another, indicates good genes/health

Beautiful faces combine the best features of indiv. faces in a BALANCED, WELL-PROPORTIONED whole

Question 26

What is the matching hypothesis?

Answer 26

We tend to pair up with others whose desirability (mate value) is similar to our own

Question 27

What is the hypothesised mechanism for matching?

Answer 27

Most desirable ppl pair up and are off the mkt

Less desirable ppl pair off with the most desirable ppl who remain

Question 28

What are people’s strategies during the matching process?

Answer 28

Start off with MAXIMISATION, but ultimately attain a SATISFICING outcome

Question 29

How does beauty in the eye of the beholder vary?

Answer 29

We differ substantially in how much we find a person attractive even on first meeting

This diff. gets larger as we get to know people better

Question 30

How do partner’s PA vary with each other’s in r/s?

Answer 30

Higher matching on PA when partners get tgt more quickly

Matching on PA:
Right away > 6 months > 12 months

Question 31

What are barriers in attraction?

Answer 31

Theory of psychological reactance

Romeo and Juliet effect (does not exist) – social network’s approval of r/s

Question 32

What is the theory of psychological reactance?

Answer 32

States that when people lose their freedom, they strive to regain it

Question 33

What is the (nonexistent) romeo and juliet effect?

Answer 33

The more parents interfere with their romances, the more love teenagers feel for their partners

Question 34

What are the 3 types of data that r/s scientists use to predict r/s outcomes?

Answer 34

1) Data on indivs.
- Traits, values, preferences, etc (self-reported data)

2) Data on dyads
- Satisfaction, conflict behaviour, etc

3) Data on situations
- Stress, attractive alternatives, etc