Attraction

Attraction

the interest in and liking of one individual by another, or the mutual interest and liking between two or more individuals

Interpersonal attraction

may be based on shared experiences or characteristics, physical appearance, internal motivation (e.g., for affiliation), or some combination of these

Attraction 1

in environmental psychology, a quality affecting proximity between individuals. For example, male–female and female–female pairs who enjoy each other’s company position themselves closer to each other than do pairs who feel no personal liking or affection for each other

Environmental influences

such as noise, heat, and humidity, decrease attraction between pairs of individuals

Beauty

There’s outer beauty, which contains the makings of classic physical attraction or chemistry, and there’s inner beauty, which refers to your traits, character, or soul. Basically, how you look or how you are can make someone attracted to you. The bias here is obvious; beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

outer beauty

which contains the makings of classic physical attraction or chemistry

inner beauty

which refers to your traits, character, or soul

Survival of the Prettiest

"There are universal standards of attraction, and they're not skin deep but rather fundamentally anchored in adaptive problems that men and women have to solve in mate selection"

David Buss

a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of The Evolution of Desire

female fertility

peaks in the mid-20s and declines to zero around age 50

female attractiveness

youth and health have evolved into a universal standard of ____________________________________

Beauty standards

bright eyes, clear skin, full lips, symmetrical features, a sprightly gait, and a narrow waist in comparison to the hips

Evolutionary standards of attraction

work both ways: Women are drawn to physical characteristics indicating good health and a likely ability to provide and protect—broad shoulders with narrower hips, athleticism, a strong jawline, and a deep voice

ancestral conditions

"In spite of how much the environment has changed, our evolved mindset is based on______________________”

Clothes, hairstyles, and makeup

can give some advantages

type

But even within one culture or time period, perceptions of beauty greatly differ. It’s called having a _______

sources of our biases

• stereotypes of groups to which a current desired partner may belong (racial, religious, occupational, intelligence, and so on).

• TV shows and movies we watch can influence our preferences.

mere exposure effect

the more often two people see each other (all things being equal), the more likely they will become attracted to each other

Proximity

is necessary for true attraction but is rarely

more likely

someone is ___________ to be attracted to you if you and they see each other (vs. if you never met)

Similarity

Birds of a feather flock together. We are more attracted to others who are similar to us in appearance, beliefs, interests, and so on.

dominance-submissiveness

There’s only one dimension that may support the opposites-attract idea, namely

Dominant personality types

may be more attracted to those who like being ordered around (and vice versa).

assortative mating

• The concept holds that people who couple up "tend to have correlated attractiveness levels,“(Davis psychology professor Paul Eastwick.)

• So it's more important to be well matched with your partner than to catch the most beautiful person in your circle.

• It can also have a significant impact on genetic inheritance.

Couples

whether same-sex or heterosexual, tend to fall within similar ranges of size, education, religious beliefs, values, and socioeconomic status

couples with widely divergent levels of physical attractiveness

The exceptions say they often knew each other well as friends or acquaintances before becoming romantic, Eastwick says

Study at Sweden's Karolinska Institute

found that individuals with a mental disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were more likely to partner with others who have mental disorders than would be expected by chance. This makes those couples much more likely to pass these disorders on to their children and grandchildren.

some exceptions to assortative mating

such as the tendency of many men to shy away from women who are equally (or more) intelligent or successful than they are

2016 study

researchers at the Warsaw School of Economics analyzed data from a Columbia University speed-dating experiment

speed-dating experiment

the men and women preferred people whom they rated high on both qualities(physical attractiveness and intelligence). But men's interest in a woman's intelligence peaked at a rating of about 7

In the experiment

In fact, scoring a perfect 10 in the brains department lowered some men's interest. Women rating men, however, said that for them, the smarter the better.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

most male participants reported that they'd like to be with a woman who was smart, even one who scored higher than they did on a math or verbal test. But when they actually took a math test while seated next to a woman, and then learned that she had scored higher, their ardor quickly faded

Evolutionary theorists

believe that a woman who has the demonstrable ability to occupy the role of provider can decrease a man's sense of power and purpose and compromise his self-evaluation or feelings of manliness

You Liked Them First

• Someone is more likely to be attracted to you if they first learn that you are attracted to them

• potential processes here is again ego. If you find them attractive, they may be flattered and think you have good taste. And then once they show interest in you, you may be flattered and think they have good taste

Non-Sexual Arousal

• misattribution of arousal

• Brains can be tricked into mistaking our non-sexual arousal for sexual arousal

• In the classic scary-suspension-bridge study, men appeared to confuse their bridge-induced physiological arousal (such as elevated heart rate and respiration) for attraction to a woman who entered the bridge (Dutton & Aron, 1974)

What Makes Someone Physically Attracted to You

1. Beauty

2. Survival of the Prettiest

3. Assortative Mating

4. You Liked Them First

5. Non-Sexual Arousal