Week 2- The science of attraction Flashcards
What did Bossard (1930) find about proximity
12% of couples had lived in same building before marriage
Another 33% lived within 5 blocks of each other
The critical factor is functional distance
What is the mere exposure effect
People are exposed to each other more often, as a result become attracted. Zajonc
What did the moreland and beach study find?
Familiarity implies safety, so we are equipped by evolution to prefer the familiar to the strange or different
Lecture attendance women- the attractive one was the person who had attended
What are some of the concepts involved in attraction
- Proximity
- Familiarity (linked to safety for evolutionary psych)
- Similarity
- Complementarity
- Arousal
- Physical attractiveness
Why is similarity attractive?
Liking someone who likes me makes sense, like people who agree with us, who adminire us and who are associated with rewards.
Is particularly rewarding after rejection (Walster)
why do opposites attract?
Sometimes we like qualities very different from our own. Qualities initially regarded as positive and exciting because of difference to own qualities come to be regarded as negative and irritating.
What is complementarity
Fitting together- drawing on each other’s strengths to make a functioning whole
What is the bridge study
Dutton and Aron
Higher bridge found men were more likely to ask out women in a stimulating situation
What do we know about beauty?
What is beautiful is good
What are the benefits of attractiveness?
Earning potentional and social success
Beautiful children are treated favourably
HOWEVER
lower rating of attractive same-sex job candidates by low self-esteem interviewers.
What did kendrick find
Exposure to beautiful women (playboy) diminish men’s appreciation of female partner.
Why do we have a beauty bia
Promixal reason- aesthetics. Beauty is pleasurable.
Assumption that beautiful people will be good and will have more social skills.
Just world effect- beautiful (and hence good) people deserve their success
What is the michaelangelo effect
They shape and bring out the beauty in one another and bring out good qualities in your partner.
What is the beauty myth?
Naomi Wolf- beauty is a social construct.
What is the prediction about beauty as a social contrast?
Perceptions of attractive should be arbitrary and should vary considerably across cultures
