Chapter 11: Interpersonal Attraction and Rejection

attraction

anything that draws two or more people together, making them want to be together and possibly to form a lasting relationship

social acceptance

a situation in which other people have come to like you, respect you, approve of you, and include you in their groups and relationships

rejection (social exclusion)

being prevented by others from forming or keeping a social bond with them; the opposite of acceptance

need to belong

the desire to form and maintain close, lasting relationships with other individuals

ingratiation

what people actively do to try to make someone like them

self-monitoring

the ability to change one’s behavior for different situations

matching hypothesis

the proposition that people tend to pair up with others who are equally attractive

reinforcement theory

the proposition that people and animals will perform behaviors that have been rewarded more than they will perform other behaviors

propinquity

being near someone on a regular basis

social allergy effect

the idea that a partner’s annoying habits become more annoying over time

what is beautiful is good (halo) effect

the assumption that physically attractive people will be superior to others on many other traits

ostracism

being excluded, rejected, and ignored by others

rejection sensitivity

a tendency to expect rejection from others and to become hypersensitive to possible rejection

loneliness

the painful feeling of wanting more human contact or connection than you have

bad apple effect

the idea that one person who breaks the rules can inspire other people to break the rules also

unrequited love

a situation in which one person loves another but the other does not return that love

stalking

persisting in romantic, courtship, or other behaviors that frighten and harass the rejecter in a relationship