College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education

2014/2015 – 2016/2017

SOCI 323

Social Psychology

Session 13 – Interpersonal Attraction

Lecturer: Dr. Peace Mamle Tetteh, Department of SociologyContact Information: ptetteh@ug.edu.gh

godsonug.wordpress.com/blog

Session Overview

Social Psychology

Human beings have a basic innate need to bond with others. Thisneed is hypothesized to be as basic to your psychological wellbeing as foodand water is to your physical wellbeing. Despite this need however,people pick and choose who they want to affiliate with based oncertain distinctions or assessments of people and/or the situation. As weassess others, they also do the same assessment about us. Hence, youmay find out that you like someone who does not like you and vice versa.But how does this how does this happen? Why do you become attractedto some people and not to others?

At the end of the session, the student will:•be able to define the concepts of affiliation and interpersonal attraction•be able to identify and explain the factors/determinants of interpersonalattraction

Session Outline

Social Psychology

The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Defining Interpersonal Attraction

• Determinants of interpersonal attraction

• Sample Question

• Session Summary

• References

Reading List

Social Psychology

• Please read chapter seven (7) of the required text andthe article on this session posted on Sakai.

Topic One

DEFINING INTERPERSONAL

Social Psychology

ATTRACTION

What is Interpersonal Attraction?

A persoŶs desire to approach another iŶdividual (Franzoi, 2000).

The evaluations we make of other people-thepositive and negative

attitudes we form about them (Baron & Branscombe,2012)

•The dimension ranges from love/ strong liking (most positive), mildliking, neutral (indifference), strong dislike, hate (most negative).

•Thus, interpersonal attraction could also refer to an attitudinaldimension involving the evaluation of others in relatively positive ornegative terms.

•Such evaluations reflect how we feel emotionally about otherindividuals and determine how we behave towards them. Attractionranges from a negative extreme of hate to a positive extreme of love.

Social Psychology

Topic Two

DETERMINANTS OF ATTRACTION

Social Psychology

Determinants of Attraction

• Individual Characteristics (Evolutionary heritage,

personalitybackgrounds).

• Observable

differences, socio-cultural

Characteristics of others(Attractiveness, similarity, complementarity).

• Situational Factors (Proximity/propinquity,familiarity, anxiety)

Social Psychology

Topic Three

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND

Social Psychology

ATTRACTION

Evolutionary Heritage

Social Psychology

• The explanation here is basically that humans are extremely socialcreatures. We all have an innate need to interact with others thatis essential to our survival as humans.

• Research indicates that on average, teenagers spent about seventy-five percent (75%) of their waking up time with others- making themhappier, more alert, more excited than when alone (Larson et al, 1982).

• Again, one research points out the higher death rates amonginstitutionalized orphan children who had all their physical needsprovided but had less human/ social interaction and nurturance (Spitz,1945).

• Thus, we as humans have an inherited, natural tendency to seekout

others.

Personality Differences

• Though seeking out others is innate, we differ in our motivation to seek orsatisfy such social contact.

• OCoŶŶor and RoseŶďergs (1996) social affiliation model proposes thatthe processes underlying everyday affiliation operates according to ahomeostatic principle.

• The homeostatic principle suggests that we all seek to maintain anoptimal range or level of social contact, but what is optimal differsfor each individual.

• Thus, according to this model, when people deviate from this raŶge,- say,too much or excess social contact, it causes them to seek solitude whilsttoo little contact causes them to seek affiliation.

• Basically, at any point in time, individuals try to re-establish or maintainthe optimum (necessary) range of social interaction.

Socio-Cultural Factors

• Affiliation needs are also(individualism/ collectivism)

shaped by cultural factors

• Research, (Geert Hofsteedes, 1980) study of twenty-twocountries has found a positive correlation (r=.46) between acultures degree of individualism and its affiliative needs.

• Individualistic societies have numerous social relationsthough less intimate. The reverse is true. People inindividualistic societies have many acquaintances but thereare no special, loyal bond of intimacy and vice-versa.

Topic Four

OBSERVABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF

OTHERS AND ATTRACTION

Social Psychology

Physical Attractiveness

particular period of time or age.

• Even though we say you cannot judge a book by its cover or that beauty is onlyskin deep or fleeting, Aristotle, suggests that persoŶal beauty is a greaterrecommendation than any letter of iŶtroduĐtioŶ

-

• The link between physical appearance/attractiveness is based on a physicalattractiveness stereotype, a belief that physically attractive individualspossess desirable personality traits and lead happier lives than less attractivepersons. Physically attractive persons are also perceived to be less sociallyanxious and more socially skilled.

• The link between beauty and attraction also extends to children. Forinstance, attractive infants are perceived by adults to be more likeable, sociable,competent and easy to care for than unattractive ones (Casey & Ritter,1996). Attractive children are also more popular with peers than unattractiveones. ChildreŶs attractiveness sometimes influences teaĐhers/ pareŶtsexpectations of them.

• But the question is what is beauty? There is no universal definition or criteria forwhat it is. What is beautiful or attractive varies from culture to culture and withina

Defining Beauty

attractiveness of males.

• Recent research on the subject has indicated that though there may be no fixeddefinitions of physical attractiveness, there may be some for facial attractiveness.These include;

• Facial Symmetry: (Meahey et al, 1999): This is because symmetry indicatesphysical health and the lack of genetic defects, which are desirable traits orattributes in a sexual partner.

• Normality: usually, average faces are attractive than unusual ones. Thus, averagefaĐes are more proto-typically face like and thus seem more familiar (Langlois etal, 1994.) There are some suggestions that extreme beauty can alsobe problematic.

• Maturity of the individual (Based on American samples): Youthful immaturefeature (large eyes, full lips, delicate jaw, small nose etc) enhanced femaleattractiveness while mature facial characteristics related to social dominance(small eyes, broad forehead, thick eyebrow, thin lips, large jaw) increasedthe

Other Aspects of Appearance &Behaviour and Attraction

• Physique/Physical body build: these often tend to beculturally determined

• Youthful Walking Style: suggests good health,confidence

and elicits positive responses

• Firm handshake: perceived to beextroverted and emotionally

expressive

• Modesty, instead of arrogance isalso perceives as attractive

• First Names: Names consideredold fashioned may

undermine a persons attractivenessSocial Psychology

Similarity 1

Similarity is attractive because:•Humans have an innate tendency to be drawn to those they consider to begenetically similar to them or share similar genes to them. Thus, yourespond positively to those who you think have a bit of LJou in them.

•Humans tend to like that which is familiar because that which is familiar issafe. Often you respond to the unfamiliar with caution and distrust.

•Similarity leads to enhanced evaluation of us. Similarity is reinforcing. Ifother people have the same views about others or about objects as you do, itmakes you believe that your views are right.

•Thus, having your views of the world sustained, gives positive effect whilehaving your views attacked gives negative effect. Hence you like to havepeople who agree with you, instead of those who contradict and disagreewith you.

Similarity 2

• People are also attracted to others who are similar to them socio-demographically, attitudinally or in physical appearance.

• Demographic similarity is when you are attracted to people within yourin-group (age, sex, race, religion etc).

• Attitudinal similarity is when you share similar opinion, views of issues,say, politics, gambling etc.

• Some gender differences exist though. For instance, in a research ofcollege students it came to light that sharing of common values isa predictor of same sex attraction between women. Sharing ofcommon interests (sports, music etc) is a predictor of same sex attractionbetween men.

• Similarity in physical attractiveness is beneficial for friendship and evenmarriage lest inferiority and superiority complexes may develop ifthe differences are too wide. (See Mandatory Reader)

Characteristics of Others:Complementarity

• The sociological theory (NeedsComplementarity) suggests that people chooserelationships in which their basic needs can be met.

• Thus, people whointeractions tend to

enjoy dominating socialprefer or are attracted to

submissive rather than those like themselves andvice-versa.

Criticisms of the complementaryNeeds theory

• CouldŶt personality needs be met just as easily outsidesay, the couples relationship as through mate selection –eg, cant one who has a need to be dominant findsatisfaction in a job where he is a supervisor?

• What is a complementary need as opposed to a similarvalue- ie, is complementarity not a sharing ofsimilar values?

• DoŶt people (as well as their needs) change as they age?Could a dependent person grow to becomeassertive… and no longer in need of being dominated?

Topic Five

SITUATIONAL FACTORS AND

ATTRACTION

Social Psychology

Proximity/Propinquity

• Propinquity or physical proximity has a significant effect on attraction.This is evident in the Westgate ApartŵeŶt research which examined thelink between proximity and liking.

• The emphasis with propinquity is not just mere distance, but functionaldistance that is important. The explanation is that, having people withinthe same area is good for attraction but the proximity should be one thatwill allow for contact and interaction.

• Though it might appear that if we put enemies close together, they mightbecome friends, its important to state that propinquity does notonly promote liking, it can also lead to disliking.

• Research (Ebbe Ebbesen et al, 1976), establishedthat people made

enemies of people living close by. This is due to what is termedeŶviroŶŵeŶtal spoiliŶg. Those more likely to have loud night parties,

burn trash, pile up garbage etc, and do many things that neighbors do toget on oŶes nerves.

Familiarity (Mere Exposure Effect)

caution is a preparation for danger- a need to survive!

• Zajonc has proposed that more exposure to something leads to theliking of that thing. Thus, the more familiar you become withsomething or someone, the more you tend to like them.

• For instance, media exposure of products or people makesthose products or people familiar to you.

• Especially in relation to people, you may even come to think youknow them and may like or love them because you constantly seethem on T.V. Familiarity leads to liking because it is part ofour evolutionary nature.

• You tend to view unfamiliar objects or people with cautionand hesitation, even fear, but familiar ones in the oppositeway. The

Anxiety

verbal behavior. Simply, common danger makes common friends.

• The initial research between anxiety and attraction was by Schacter(1999). The findings of the research were that misery doeslove company.

• A follow up research on the anxiety-affiliation hypothesis sought toinvestigate whether people would choose just anybody forcompany when they are anxious. The findings suggested thatmisery loves not only company, but equally miserablecompany. Thus people want to affiliate only with others in similarsituations.

• Thus, even when they are not allowed to talk, anxious persons stillwanted to be with equally anxious people because of socialcomparison. They are able to compare their emotional reactions tothe stressful situation with that of others by observing their non-

Critique of the Anxiety-AttractionHypothesis

stressful situation itself (Van der Zee et al, 1998).

• Though the anxiety hypothesis has found support largely, there aresome limitations. The first has to do with embarrassing situations.When people are faced with embarrassing situations, theyoften want to be alone and not with others.

• The second is the issue of cognitive clarity- a desire toobtain information from others regarding the nature anddangerousness of a threat (Sharer & Klinnert, 1982). Thus, peoplewill not only seek out similar others, but those who hadalready gone through or experienced the event and can tell themwhat to expect.

• Thus your need for affiliation is not based only on your needto

compare our emotional states with others but also to appraise the

Sample Question

• AttraĐtioŶ is a fuŶĐtioŶ of prodžiŵ itLJ. DisĐuss.

Social Psychology

Session Summary

Social Psychology

• We have established in this session that seekingaffiliation with others is an innate human need. Thestrength of this need however varies fromone individual to another across different situationsand cultures

• Whether a person would be attracted to another ornot is also dependent on several factors rangingfrom personality and physical looks, externalfactors and observable behavior and looks of others

References

• Robert, B. and Branscombe, N. (2012). Social Psychology.13th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc.

• Aronson, E., Wilson, T. & Akert, R. (2007) SocialPsychology.

6th Edition. Pearson Education Inc.

• Aronson, E., Wilson, T. & Akert, R. (2010) SocialPsychology.

7th Edition. Pearson Education Inc.

Social Psychology