Attraction - Class Notes Flashcards
What is known about the brain chemistry of love?
When people are in love, they experience an upsurge of oxytocin for the first 6 months after falling in love.
What traits do people who are in love tend to gain?
Higher self-esteem, as well as more diversity of self concept. As if the self-concept is opening up to allow the other person into the self.
What is a potential reason for the cultural prominence and importance of love?
It has replaced religion as the dominant transcendent worldview. We may put so much emphasis on love because our brains need it.
What are the three factors that affect interpersonal attraction?
Familiarity, similarity, and physical attractiveness.
What is familiarity?
How often we see someone.
Why does familiarity affect attraction?
More interaction allows for people to find more common ground. The mere exposure effect also plays a part.
Do birds of a feather flock together? Or do opposites attract?
People who are similar tend to get together and stay together more than people who are fundamentally different.
What is the matching phenomenon?
People at the same level of physical attractiveness tend to pair off together.
What are the exceptions to the matching phenomenon?
When people are particularly lonely, they will lower their standards. Men with money can attract more attractive females.
Similarity in which values tend to indicate lasting relationships? (8)
Ethnic background, social class, religion, politics, attitudes, interests, educational level, and sense of humour.
What is the terror management theory behind similar relationships lasting?
If you are with someone who constantly disagrees with you, it can undermine your mechanisms to warding off existential terror.
What does research indicate about terror management and similar attraction?
Reminding someone of death, then priming them to think about their partner’s differences from them, then asking them how committed they feel to the relationship, those who are different from their partners will report low commitment.
What is a general rule to follow when it comes to similarity and attraction?
In the short term, opposites attract. In the long term, people who are similar stick together.
What are 3 reasons why physical attractiveness is important for attraction?
Attractive people are more sexually arousing, we want the aesthetic appeal of being with an attractive person, and the physical attractiveness stereotypes.
Is the physical attractiveness stereotype true? What is the exception?
No, the exception is sociability.
