Attraction & close relationships pt.2

Why do muscular men have little influence on attractiveness

because of myths;

• contribute to heart disease

• made men slow and inflexible

• was given by God as a mark of low class

• vulgar

In the early 19th century, mainly in Europe, what was the ideal man

a gentle-man

• had no muscles because he didn't do physical work

• he was pale and tall because he is well-nourished

In the 21st century, what in men’s physical appearance most attractive

• muscular fit men are considered healthy

• toned muscles with low body fat percentage

Why are muscles seen as a privilege status

because it indicates they can afford workouts in expensive gyms, eat healthy food and wear expensive clothes

What do men’s muscles indicate today

unclear

• may indicate:

  • health

  • narcissim

  • manliness

What did the study “What is beautiful is good” by Dion, Berschied, & Walster, (1982) examine

examined whether the stereotype “what is beautiful is good” existed

• they examined:

  • whether physically attractive people are assumed to have more social desirable personalities compared to unattractive people

  • whether physically attractive people are assumed to lead better lives than unattractive people

What was the research procedure for the study “What is beautiful is good” by Dion, Berschied, & Walster, (1982)

• 60 students participated (30M + 30F)

• given 1 photo of each:

  • physically attractive person

  • average attractive

  • unattractive

• asked to rate each photo according to:

  • 27 different personality traits

  • person’s future happiness

  • occupational success

What were the results of the study “What is beautiful is good” by Dion, Berschied, & Walster, (1982)

• unattractive people have the lowest (56.31) social desirability of personality, average attractive people at second (62.42), and attractive people having the highest score (65.39)

• unattractive people have a higher parental competence (3.91) than attractive people (3.54), with average attractive people having the highest score of parental competence (4.55) out of all three

• unattractive people have lowest total happiness at (8.83) but average attractiveness and attractive have the same score at (11.60)

Describe the Income study, Hamermesh & Biddle (1994)

participants perceived 5-10% higher earnings for average and physically attractive people than unattractive people

Describe the Social Life study, Feingold (1992)

participants perceived physically attractive people to be less lonely, more popular, more socially skilled, more sexually experienced

What is the association between physical attractiveness and personality measures and mental ability

there is no significant association

• no evidence of a connection

• observed pattern was just a random chance

Is physical attractiveness in a partner of a greater importance to women or men

• more men than women reported that ‘good looks’ were important

• women judged importance of different characteristics for their ideal relationship

Describe the study Sex Differences & Attraction in married couples, Buss & Barnes (1986)

• 92 married couples recruited via newspaper adds

• completed battery of assessments:

  • marital preferences: rating of 76-item questionnaire

  • Eysenck personality questionnaire

  • temperament questionnaire

What were the results for the women preferences in the study Sex Differences & Attraction in married couples, Buss & Barnes (1986)

female marital preferences:

• considerate

• honest

• dependable

• kind

• understanding

• fond of children

• well-liked by others

• good earning capacity

• ambitious & career oriented

• good family background

• tall

What were the results for the male preferences in the study Sex Differences & Attraction in married couples, Buss & Barnes (1986)

male marital preference

• physically attractive

• good looking

• good cook

• frugal

What are the two theories of relationships

• reinforcement theory

• social economic theories:

  • social exchange theory

  • social equity theory

What is behavioural learning theory

reinforcement approach based on human nature/desire to experience pleasure and avoid pain

What is the reinforcement-affect theory, Byrne & Clore, (1970)

• we learn to associate positive feelings with people/situations that reward us

  • classical conditioning: learning by association

• we like people who reward us and make us feel good

  • e.g. friendly, smiling, acting positively towards us

  • operant conditioning: learning from positive/negative consequences

What is the social exchange theory, Kelly et al., (2003)

• reward-cost ratio: what do I get (reward) for my effort (cost)?

  • outcomes are determined by two components: reward and cost

  • we want more of reward than cost

How do people weigh up costs and rewards (benefits) in a relationship (social exchange theory)

• behaviourist approach incorporates interaction between people and situation

• cost-reward ratio in relationships:

  • rewards: be with someone who loves/likes me, closeness, commitment

    • you always want to maximise rewards

  • costs: time, emotional turmoil

    • you want to minimise costs

How to know if this relationship is profitable to me (social exchange theory)

judgment depends on one’s comparison levels

• it develops over time by comparing previous outcomes with current costs and benefits

What does the social exchange theory take into account (social exchange theory)

differences between people

• e.g. you might think enjoying the same music is important (reward) but your partner might not

differences within people can change overtime and across different contexts

• e.g. you like company, but prefer to shop for clothes alone

Give me an example of what happens if the outcomes (rewards) > my previous outcomes

• I am satisfied and will stay in the relationship

or

• I might still decide to terminate this relationship if there is a better alternative that offers me better outcomes/rewards

Give me an example of what happens if the outcomes now < my previous outcomes

• I am not satisfied but will remain in the relationship

or

• I might terminate this relationship if I have a better alternative that offers me better rewards

What is the social equity theory, Adams (1965)

• a sub-theory of social exchange theory, based on social norms of fairness and justice

• people strive for equity in their relationships

  • where both partners see the ratio of inputs (efforts) to outcomes (rewards) to be the same for each one of them

• exchanges should be ‘fair and just’ (rather than ‘profit making’) and proportionate with effort

  • people make judgments on whether exchanges are fair or not

What is equity

people who work hard and put effort, get rewarded

• e.g. financial reward, success, love, respect

What is the principle of distributive justice (social equity theory)

rewards from exchanges should be proportional to the costs (i.e. efforts) one puts into creating a satisfying relationship

• if ratios of effort & reward are equal, people feel treated fairly

• disproportionate costs and rewards in exchange is likely to result in distress and dissatisfaction

What three factors help to maintain a relationship

• commitment

• attraction

• satisfaction

Describe the study on Relationship Commitment, Arriaga & Agnew (2001)

• conducted 2 longitudinal studies on dating couples’ relationships

• relationship commitment is a multidimensional construct with 3 distinct components

What are the three distinct components in the study on Relationship Commitment, Arriaga & Agnew (2001)

1. psychological attachment: to the relationship

• affective component

2. long-term orientation: caring for the relationship, trust and strong belief that it will remain intact into the distant future

• cognitive component

3. intention to persist: working, persisting in the relationship

• cognitive component; action

What are the results for the study on Relationship Commitment, Arriaga & Agnew (2001)

both longitudinal studies found that long-term orientation was a particularly important component of commitment in dating relationships

• so having a good relationship in dating couples comprises of:

  • psychological attachment, long term commitment, trust, and working on keeping the relationship

Describe the study on Relationship Commitment, Adams & Jones (1997)

relationship maintenance depends on three factors:

1. personal dedication:

• positive attraction to the partner

2. moral commitment:

• sense of obligation, religious duty, social responsibility

3. constraint commitment:

• lack alternatives, costly to leave relationship (social and financial investments)

What is the study rationale for the study of Physical Attractiveness & Marital Satisfaction, Meltzer et al., (2014)

research needs to examine satisfaction in marital relationships over time due to changes over time

What participants were used for the study of Physical Attractiveness & Marital Satisfaction, Meltzer et al., (2014)

• series of 4 longitudinal studies of newlyweds over 4 years

• recruited newlyweds via advertisements

• tested hypothesis: partner’s physical attractiveness predicts husbands’ marital satisfaction more than wives’

What was the procedure for the study of Physical Attractiveness & Marital Satisfaction, Meltzer et al., (2014)

• all couples completed self-report measures at baseline and at 6 monthly intervals for duration of 4 years

• participants rated facial attractiveness of their spouse on 1-10 scale (10 = most attractive)

What were the findings for the study of Physical Attractiveness & Marital Satisfaction, Meltzer et al., (2014)

• husbands with more attractive wives were more satisfied at the beginning and throughout 4 years of marriage

• this was not found for wives

What was the conclusion for the study of Physical Attractiveness & Marital Satisfaction, Meltzer et al., (2014)

partners physical attractiveness predicted husband martial satisfaction more than wives’ marital satisfaction

• supports 20+ years of their research that physical attractiveness is more important to men than women

What are three critiques for the study of Physical Attractiveness & Marital Satisfaction, Meltzer et al., (2014)

• inconsistent research findings regarding relevance of physical attractiveness for men vs. women

• some research indicates differences, but this could be due to research method employed (e.g. subjective self-report)

• other research indicates no differences, this may be due to type of relationship investigated (e.g. short-term vs. long-term, married vs. not married)

What are the theories of attraction

we are attracted to people who provide rewards and have low costs