4/16-4/18: Attraction

• Factors leading to Attraction
• Proximity
• Reciprocal liking
• Similarity
• Physical attractiveness
• Proximity- people become friends with people that's near their location
• Festinger (1950)
• studied friendship formation in housing complex
• randomly assigned to apartments
• asked to name 3 closest friends in complex
• Results
• 41% next door neighbors = close friends
• 22% two doors down = close friends
• 10% opposite ends of hall = close friends
• Next to 1st floor stairwell = more close friends on 2nd floor
• How = More Contact over time, Like them More (Dislike More)
• Reciprocal liking-  liked by someone, like them (like for like)
• Curtis and Miller (1986)
• "Get acquainted" conversation with confederate
• Allowed to overhear confederate express dislike or liking of subject
• Another, videotaped, conversation
• Results 1(low liking) to 7 (high liking):
• Overheard Dislike = 3.8
• Overheard Like = 5.6
• Similarity- similarities between people lead to liking; birds of a feather flock together
• Similarity-attraction paradigm
• measure attitudes/personality
• form judgment of target person based on limited info: Manipulation- degree info provided is similar to subject's
• similar condition - target person like you
• dissimilar condition- target person opposite of you
• Results 
• more Similarity------> more Attraction
• Reason: Similar person----->Validates our Reasoning
• Two adages: true or false?
• "Opposites attract" - False
• Similarity------>Relationship/Attraction
• "We are attracted to those whose characteristics complement our own" - False
• Similar characteristics >>>complementary
• Physical attractiveness- applies to everyone, every relationship kind, all ages  
• Attraction and physical attractiveness
• Babies reaction to attractive/unattractive masks
• attractive>>>>unattractive
• Mothers of attractive/unattractive
• more playful and attentive with attractive babies
• Blind date 
• physical attractiveness = strongest predictor of liking and wanting another date
• Matching Hypothesis - we're attracted to similarly attractive others
• Research
• Same sex friends
• roommate similar attractiveness---->likely to get along
• Dating
• similar in physical attractiveness-----> date and keep dating
• similar-----> more public affection
• Marriage
• similar in physical attractiveness-----> marry and stay marriage
• Gender Difference in Attraction
• Men: primarily Beauty, also Youth
• Women- Handsomeness, also Wealth, Status, and Older
• Physical Attractiveness Stereotype: physical beauty-----> other positive characteristics
• Perceived to be: more sociable, dominant, sexually warm, mentally healthy, intelligent, socially skilled
• Only truth = Physical attractiveness------>socially skilled
• self-fulfilling prophecy: treated better, easy to respond well
• Downside of Physically Attractive
• more Undesired Sexual Advances
• more Resentment
• people your own gender resent you
• Difficulty Interpreting Positive Feedback "Sucking up stereotype"
• who's sucking up and who's truthful
• Used to advantage- Backfires
• Thornton and Moore (1993)
• Rate own attractiveness
• Two conditions
• model photographs in room
• control
• Question: Do pictures of beautiful people affect ratings
• Results:
• Man: self-rating drops a bit
• Woman: self-rating drops more strongly
• Major (1984)
• Attractive/unattractive subjects write essays
• Told would be evaluated by member of opposite sex
• Two conditions
• Seen 
• Unseen
• Received positive feedback, Rate own work
• Results (1-7): Attractive factor in "sucking up" stereotype; Unattractive does opposite "must like me even in spite of my appearance"
• Attractive seen- 4.1
• Attractive unseen- 5.1
• Unattractive seen - 4.4
• Unattractive unseen - 3.2
• Sigall and Ostrove (1975)
• Mock jurors sentence defendant
• Three defendant conditions:
• Attractive defendant
• Unattractive defendant
• Control
• Two crime conditions
• Burglary
• Swindle (face-to-face use of beauty)
• Results:
• Swindle
• Attractive = 5.45 years
• Unattractive = 4.35 years
• Control = 4.35 years
• Burglary
• Attractive = 2.80 years
• Unattractive = 5.20 years
• Control = 5.10 years
• What do we find attractive in a Face?
• Particular Facial Features
• Both men and women = "Babyface" (Large eyes, Small nose)
• Innocence appearance
• Warmth and nurturing appearance
• Men = Prominent Cheekbones, Large Chin
• Women = High Cheekbones, Narrow Cheeks, Small Chin
• Symmetry
• Average
• Mere Exposure effect - easier on the eyes
• No Extremes of anything even desirable features
• What do we find attractive in a Body?
• Males 
• average weight 
• shoulder:hip ratio forming a "V"
• Females  
• around average weight 
• waist 1/3 of hips
• Evolutionary Perspective on Attraction
• Male preference: healthy, fertile-looking female (pass along quality genes)
• Female preference : strong, dominant-looking male (protect and provide resources)
• Attachment Styles
• Percentage breakdown
• Secure= 56%
• Anxious-ambivalent = 21%
• Avoidant = 23%
• Secure
• Caregivers: warmly responsive to their needs
• showed positive emotions in interactions
• Encourage, not force, exploration
• lets them explore by self and support when needed
• As Adults: trusting of others
• other person will continue provide love and support
• Beliefs about self, others, romantic relationships[Optimistic]
• Self = I'm Likeable
• Others = Goodhearted
• Romantic Relationships = Can Last
• Anxious-ambivalent
• Caregivers: Inconsistent
• preoccupied to notice child's needs
• Overbearing and Intrusive
• Discourage exploration
• As Adults: Fear of Abandonment
• Unfulfilled needs feeling
• Beliefs about self, others, romantic relationships
• Self = doubts, feel i'm hard-to-get-to-know
• Others = few willing to do what it takes to get to know me
• Romantic Relationship= easily fall in/out of love
• Avoidant
• Caregivers: Consistently Distant
• Physically there, Emotionally away
• Force exploration
• As Adults: Protective Detachment
• don't want to get involved with others to protect self
• Beliefs about self, others, relationships
• Self = hard-to-get-to-know
• Others = hard to find someone to love
• Romantic Relationship = Rarely last
• Correlates of Attachment styles
• Secure
• more positive emotions during relationship
• longer relationship
• more adaptiveness 
• least loneliness
• Anxious-ambivalent
• more negative/unstable emotions
• spill all on first date
• shorter duration of relationship
• Avoidant
• more negative emotions (anger, boredom)
• rare believe true love
• greater loneliness
• more distance
• Passionate vs Compassionate Love
• Passionate love- Intense longing for union
• physical/sexual matters
• physiological arousal "butterflies in stomach"
• typically 1st step; can lead into compassionate love
• Compassionate love - Affection and Intimacy feeling
• sometimes, friends----->love connection
• deep connection, deeper than physical
• not as intense/emotionally based
• key to lasting relationship