Attraction

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to factors influencing interpersonal attraction as outlined in the lecture notes.

Proximity

One of the simplest reasons for forming relationships, close proximity allows people to get to know one another and breeds familiarity.

 

Familiarity Breeds Affection: Research indicates that familiarity tends to lead to liking and affection.

Familiarity Breeds Affection

Research indicates that familiarity tends to lead to liking and affection.

Environmental Spoiling

Increased proximity can lead to negative feelings, as bad qualities may outweigh the good.

Even those whom we initially liked

Evolutionary perspective:

●Familiarity + liking = safe

BUT

Caveat: If an initial impression of dislike is present, increased proximity and familiarity can intensify that dislike rather than mitigate it.

●Increased proximity with someone that is disliked can 

increase the dislike if there is no improvement in interactions

Interaction Accessibility

The ease with which individuals can interact, often enhanced by social networking sites, which can facilitate relationships despite geographical distance.

Its actually interaction accessibility rather than physical proximity that determines attraction.

Internets role in attraction

• The internet and social networking sites serve as a medium that significantly enhances interaction accessibility.

  • Overcoming Distance: They allow users with diverse interests to connect regardless of geographical distance.

  • Relationship Progression: The capacity for online interaction can facilitate a transition to in-person meetings, potentially sustaining relationships over time

●However, this transition is likely to occur for older men with degrees who work full-time (Di Gennaro & Dutton, 2007). 

 

●Often relationship research can be limited by participant characteristics – not generalisable.

 

Interpersonal Rewards

The degree to which interaction with another person is rewarding, influenced by social exchange theories.

In line with the behaviorist perspective, attraction can also be influenced by how rewarding the relationship is

Social Exchange Theories

Theories suggesting that individuals choose relationships that will provide maximum return on their investment of time and effort.

Why? 

●Relationships take time and effort

Individuals choose relationships that are expected to yield the maximum return on their investment (time, effort).

 

Resources or “assets” :The rewards or assets exchanged in a relationship can be diverse including :

●physical attractiveness, charm, wit, intelligence, material goods

 

People often choose others who share similar values because both are trying to maximize the value in their mate.

Similarity

research shows that similarities in personality, attitudes, attractiveness, and interests breed attraction.

most important similarity domains, across the three relationship types (friendships, casual/short-term, and long-term) were: 

●political views, career goals, food preferences, travel desires, and music preferences. 

No sex differences

Similarly is more important in the longer term relationships than in the short term

Homophily

The tendency for individuals to affiliate with similar others, especially during adolescence.

Physical Attractiveness

An important factor influencing attraction, even in platonic relationships.

Physical attractiveness plays a more impactful role in romantic relationships.

Compared to heterosexual and lesbian women, gay men experience pressure to ensure they are as attractive as possible to potential partners 

 

In undergrads, attractiveness plays an important role in initial attraction with males regardless of the gender of their sexual partner and more likely than females to value appearance 

Matching Hypothesis

The concept that people tend to choose partners perceived as equally attractive to themselves.

Standards of attractiveness also vary cross-culturally

 

BUT facial attractiveness is rated similarly across the world

Correlations between raters >.60

 

Physical attractiveness was rated higher than mental acuity, positive personality, and family-oriented characteristics for both homosexual and heterosexual men and women when seeking a potential partner 

Neuroscience of Attractiveness

Eye contact with an attractive person activates the ventral striatum, an area of the brain associated with reward.

This activation decreases when eye contact is broken.

Evolutionary Perspective on Attractiveness

Suggests that attractiveness symbolizes youth, fertility, good health, and strength, which are related to successful reproduction.

Limitations of Attraction Studies

Many studies lack external validity and focus on undergraduates, limiting generalizability.

●Lacking external validity (conducted in labs)

●Lack of studies including participants who are gender and sexually diverse

●Most include undergrads limiting generalizability

●Attractiveness typically plays more important role in adolescence and early adulthood than later in life