Flashcards
Interpersonal Attraction
Cards in this deck (23)
- 1What are the determinants of liking?Proximity, familiarity, similarity, reciprocity, and physical attractiveness.
- 2Proximityaka propinquity
This is a measure of how far apart you live. If you live closer to the person, they're more easily available, as you're likely to see each other and interact. Interaction also comes at a lower cost, as it takes less time, money, and forethought to see them.
Because we have to interact with them often, it would cause cognitive dissonance to be interacting with them but not like them. In order to keep our actions consistent with our beliefs, we're more likely to like the people we have to associate with more often.
The anticipation of interaction also increases liking, as found in a study which showed that if participants believed they would meet one person later on but not another, they rated the one they would meet more favourably.
The influence of proximity was seen in a study where residents were randomly assigned to apartments in a building. Those who lived closer together became more friendly. - 3FamiliarityFamiliarity leads to the mere exposure effect, whereby exposure to a stimulus leads to increased liking. This has been seen in people, as well as Chinese characters. In a study, people saw different faces at different frequencies. Those shown at the highest frequencies were liked the most.
This is evolutionarily adaptive, as unfamiliar things are threatening, and familiar things are predictable.
The first step to liking something is improved recognition, which is facilitated by seeing it more.
We also assume that things that are familiar to us are similar to us. - 4What are the limitations of familiarity?The initial relationship between people can be only either positive or neutral, but not negative, to increase liking.
Pre-existing conflict is only intensified by exposure.
Excessive exposure can lead to boredom. - 5SimilarityThis regards similarity in attitudes, interests, background, personality, and even appearances.
This is due to the matching principle, wherein we choose mates who are similar to us (e.g. age, intelligence, religion, etc.). This is because: you're more likely to agree on things, making interaction rewarding and avoiding the cognitive dissonance of liking someone you don't agree with; and you're more likely to be accepted into a person's world if you're similar.
In a study, participants who were assigned roommates who were very similar to them grew to like each other. If they were very different, they disliked each other.
However, love and friendship have been seen to transcend these bondaries. - 6What are the limitations of familiarity?Differences between people can be rewarding - for example, you make up for each others' weaknesses, facilitating effective teamwork.
Differences also add to the pool of knowledge shared between you.
Similarity can feel threatening if something bad happens to someone who is similar to you, since you'll be afraid it might happen to you, too, leading you to push that person away. - 7Physical attractivenessWe tend to like physically attractive people. This is because of the Halo effect, by which we assume that physically attractive people also have other good traits.
This may be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as physically attractive people are better-liked, they feel more accepted by society, and thus interact with others more often and more positively, leading them to feel comfortable and confident in social situations.
There are some cultural differences in the specific features that are considered attractive, but there is also global agreement on others. For example, statistically "average" faces, created by blending faces together, are considered more attractive than the individual faces that were blended. Facial symmetry is also attractive. - 8What is the influence of online dating?Online dating make a much larger number of people accessible, and allows matching of people based on compatibility. It also allows computer-mediated communication.
However, success rates of online dating are no better than face-to-face dating.
People also may use misleading or deceptive photos. 81% of people lie on their profiles about at least one characteristic, e.g. about their height, weight, or age. There are no gender differences in this statistic. - 9What are Berscheid and Walster's two types of love?Passionate love is wildly emotional and uncontrollable. It's characterised by physiological arousal, as well as preoccupation with and idealisation of the other person. It strikes suddenly, but fades quickly.
Companionate love develops slower, and is the basis of an enduring relationship. This is the affection we have for the people in our lives. It's characterised by trust, caring, and tolerance. - 10What is the triangular theory of love?Love is made up of three components: intimacy (trust, connectedness), passion (longing, desperation, preoccupation with the other), and commitment (the prioritisation of the relationship, and a feeling of being settled).
These components can be combined in the following ways to form types of love:
Intimacy + passion = romantic love
Passion + commitment = fatuous love
Commitment + intimacy = companionate love
All combined = consumate love
These can be depicted by a triange, which is either equilateral and thus balanced, or isosceles, and thus unbalanced. - 11What were Mary Ainsworth's contributions to our understanding of love?Ainsworth defined three types of attachment. In a secure attachment, the child was distress upon separation from the caregiver, but easily comforted upon her return. Anxious-ambivalent children were highly distressed upon the caregiver's separation, but upon reunion, showed anger toward the caregiver. Avoidant children showed no distress upon separation, explored without the caregiver as a base, and avoided contact upon reunion.
Ainworth's home observations revealed that in secure attachments, the caregiver was sensitive to the child's needs consistently, whereas in anxious-ambivalent attachments, the caregiver was either inconsistent in caring, or was interfering, giving unnecessary care. In avoidant attachments, the caregiver was consistently rejecting or neglectful. - 12What is an attachment system?This is the mechanism by which a child elicits care from the caregiver. It is innate, and its evolutionary purpose is to elicit protection from the caregiver.
The attachment system is activated when a threat is perceived. If the caregiver is available during this time, the child feels loved and secure, and is able to explore their surroundings. If the caregiver is inconsistent, the child feels anxiety, and retains close proximity to the caregiver, not showing exploration behaviour. The attachment system is still activated in this case. If the caregiver is consistently not available during this time, the child feels unloved, and develops a defensive process of avoidance to prevent these negative feelings. - 13What was Hazen and Shaver's contributions toward our current understanding of love?Hazen and Shaver argued that early attachments and mental representations of care influence our adult relationships.
They argue that there are three criteria of attachment relationships:
The attachment system is activated (e.g. feeling ill, perceiving a threat), leading them to seek proximity. They then use the person as a safe haven. This then provides a secure base from which you can explore the world, knowing they will be there.
Children who developed a secure attachment are comfortable with intimacy and interdependence.
Children with an early anxious-ambivalent attachment fear abandonment, and are clingy and jealous.
Children with an early avoidant attachments are uncomfortable with closeness and dependence, and thus are self-reliant. - 14What is Bartholomew and Holowitz's model of adult attachment?There are two dimensions: the model of self (function of dependence) and model of other (function of avoidance). If both are high, the attachment is secure. A high model of self but a low model of other leads to a dismissing attachment. A low model of self but a high model of other leads to preoccupation with the other. If both are low, the person is fearful of being hurt, and pulls away.
- 15Interdependence theoryThis describes the way in which you calculate outcomes by subtracting costs from rewards, and evaluate these according to their profitability, as well as your comparison level (what you believe you deserve based on past experience) and comparison level of alternatives (potential happiness in other relationships/no relationship).
Outcomes are coordinated to maximise the profits for both people. This is easier when you're similar people, and thus have similar goals, so what's good for them is good for you. When there's a conflict of interest, some negotiation must occur, which is aided by social norms and roles.
Research has found that, when your rewards are high enough, however, the reward level of your partner isn't important to your happiness. - 16What are the three characteristics of personal relationships?Frequent interactions over a long time, different kinds of activities done together, and strong mutual influence on each other (wherein your outcomes are influenced by each other).
- 17What are the assumptions of interdependence theory?People try to maximise their outcomes.
Rewards can be maximised using rules of fairness.
Perceiving inequity leads to distress of both the overbenefitor (who feels guilty) and the underbenefitor (who feels used). They then try to restore equity by altering the costs and benefits, or by reframing their perceptions and distorting reality to view their outcomes as being equitable. - 18What is the significance of interdependence theory over time in a relationship?At the beginning of a relationship, there is a emphasis on fairness. However, in a long-term relationship, fairness only becomes a concern when there's a stressor (e.g. a new baby may lead a couple to negotiate about who takes care of it when).
- 19How does interdependent theory explain different kinds of relationships?In exchange relationships, equity is more important, as you feel the need to keep a fair relationship. You keep track of each others' contributions, and feel exploited when favours aren't returned. Helping in an exchange relationship also doesn't elevate your mood.
In a communal relationship, there is a higher responsiveness to each others' needs. People in these relationships often dislike being immediately repaid, and don't keep track of contributions, or feel exploited when favours aren't returned. Helping in this relationship does elevate mood. There's a greater sense of 'oneness' in these relationships. - 20SatisfactionThis is the subjective evaluation of the quality of a relationship. It's better when the rewards exceed the costs, and the outcome exceeds the comparison level. Having joint activities, humor and affection are also beneficial. Criticism, hostility and arguing decrease it.
- 21CommitmentThese are the cumulative forces (both positive and negative) which act to keep a person in a relationship. It's increased by satisfaction, values & morals, barriers, and investments. It's decreased by the comparison level for alternatives.
- 22Why do couples with low satisfaction stay together?Higher investments, low comparison for alternatives, moral commitments, and low personal control.
- 23Conflict resolution techniquesThese are the possible reactions to dissatisfaction. They are measured on two dimensions: passive vs active (visible effort required), and positive vs negative (done to the benefit or price the relationship).
Voice is the technique by which the person tries to improve the situation via discussion compromise, getting help from others, or changing themselves, the partner, or situation. This is active positive.
Loyalty is a passive positive technique. The person passively waits from things to improve.
Neglect is a passive negative technique, by which they passively allow the relationship's deterioration.
Exit is an active negative technique, wherein the person leaves the relationship.
Happier and more committed couples are more likely to use the voice and loyalty techniques.
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- Social Psych Flashcards on Interpersonal Attraction, created by Jamie Otten on 13/01/2019.
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- Jamie Otten
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