Sociocultural theories of attraction

Question 1

What does sociocultural approach (particularly Zajonc) argue about rationale and decision-making

Answer 1

Zajonc argues that we make judgments first and then seek to justify them by rationalization.

Question 2

Mere-exposure effect

Answer 2

The mere exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them. The more frequently we are exposed to something, the more we like it.

Question 3

Moreland & Beach

Answer 3

Aim: To test the Mere Exposure Effect (MEE) in a naturalistic setting.

Method: Field experiment using psychology students.

Sample: Four female confederates posing as students.

Procedure:
Each woman attended a different number of class sessions:

Woman A: 0 sessions

Woman B: 5 sessions

Woman C: 10 sessions

Woman D: 15 sessions

They didn’t interact with anyone — just sat, listened, and took notes.
At the end of the semester, students rated each woman on a 1–7 scale for traits like attractiveness, intelligence, warmth, etc.

Results:
The more lectures a woman attended, the more positively she was rated, even though students didn’t consciously recognize her.
This supports the Mere Exposure Effect — we tend to develop a preference for things we’re exposed to more often.

Question 4

Role of culture in attraction

Answer 4

Research has shown that culture plays a role in attraction and how relationships are formed. For instance, cultural psychologists argue that, in the West, marriage symbolizes the culmination of a loving relationship whereas in cultures where arranged marriage occurs, marriage is what ultimately produces feelings of love (rather than the other way round).

Question 5

Gupta & Singh (1982)

Answer 5

Surveyed couples in India and found that those who married for love reported diminished feelings of love if they had been more married for more than 5 years. On the other hand, those who had arranged marriages reported higher levels of love.

Question 6

Levine et al. (1995)

Answer 6

2nd support for role of culture in role of attraction.

Found that individualistic countries were more likely to rate love as essential for marriage and that the feeling of disappearance of love is enough reason to end a marriage.

Question 7

Levine et al - 1 pro, 1 con

Answer 7

• Cross Cultural comparison (multiple countries) (increased external validity)
• Social desirability may be at play since data was self-reported and they may want to appear to act in alignment with their culture

Question 8

2 pros, 1 con of Moreland & Beach

Answer 8

• Experimental design = Higher internal validity = Easier to replicate (can potentially increase reliability)
• High ecological validity
• Sampling bias (university students only)

Question 9

Gupta & Singh 1 pro, 1 con

Answer 9

• High temporal validity (over 5 years showing insights how feelings evolve)
• Social desirability once again because especially in collectivist cultures, discussing dissatisfaction might bring shame or guilt.