Attraction

Group 5

Essential Question

• What is the psychological chemistry that binds us together to form special forms of attachments?

The Psychology of Attraction

• Proximity: geographic nearness- is friendships most powerful predictor

• Provides opportunity for aggression but much more often breeds liking

• Mere Exposure Effect: repeated exposure to novel things increase our liking for them

• Men liked other men and women liked other women when their faces incorporated some more features of their own

• Evolutionary perspective says that our ancestors bonded with those who were familiar and weary of those unfamiliar

Who are you attracted to?

Appearance

• Once proximity affords new contact, what most affects your first impression: APPEARANCE

• In a research study done in the University of Minnesota, both men and women liked good looking dates best

• People’s physical attractiveness also predicts their frequency of dating their feelings of popularity, and others’ initial impressions of their personalities

• Attractive and well dressed people are more likely to get hired and have occupational success

• People’s attractiveness is unrelated to happiness and self esteem

• Strikingly attractive people are sometimes suspicious that praise for their work may simply be a reaction to their looks.

• Beauty is in the eye of the culture • Americans now spend more on beauty than education and

social services combined!• There is a general idea of beauty

– Ex: men are usually attracted to younger women, women like muscular and fit men

• It’s lead to believe that someone has appealing traits people perceive the person as more physically attractive

Similarities

• The more similar people are the more liking endures

• If we believe someone is like us it leads them to like those people more

• The reward theory of attraction states that we like those whose behavior is rewarding to us and we will continue relationships that offer more rewards than costs

Romantic Love• Passionate love: an aroused state of intense positive

absorption in another usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

• Experiments:– Adrenaline makes the heart grow fonder

• Compassionate love: a deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwine

• Equity: when both partners receive in proportion to what they give

• Self disclosure: revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

Focus Questions

• Why do we befriend or fall in love with some people but not with others?

• How does romantic love typically change as time passes?

• What role does proximity and physical attractiveness and similarity play on our liking for one another?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcovKsjvVgM