Attraction

Proximity Proximity is rewarding. MIT study (Festinger, Schachter, & back, 1950) The closer people lived together, the more likely they were to become friends. Within Buildings A resident named a close companion 1 door away – 41% of the time 2 doors away – 22% 3 doors away – 16% 4 doors away – 10% Same results obtained for within buildings and between buildings. A few feet can make a big difference! It’s more rewarding to be able to see, touch, hear people. MIT study – residents were randomly assigned to apartments in 17 different buildings. They were asked to list their 3 closest companions. Only 88 feet separated rooms that were four doors apart.

Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder?

Distance Is Costly Long distance relationships are more costly. Long distance relationships are less rewarding. A relationship that once was rewarding when partners were in close proximity may suffer more than what was expected. Costs – phone bills, hours on road. Less rewarding – talk with emails, on the phone, less rewarding than actually talking in person, touching.

Does Familiarity Breed Contempt?

Familiarity Proximity makes it likely people will cross paths. Exposure to someone usually increases our liking of him or her. Ex: Moreland and Beach (1992) Moreland and Beach – college women attended certain classes 5 times, 10 times, or 15 times. The women never talked to anyone. Real students were given pictures of the women – the more often a woman attended a class, the more the students like her.

Limits to Proximity Saturation can set in when overexposed. Proximity accentuates feelings – if we think someone is obnoxious, proximity might make it worse. Both friends and enemies tend to live nearby (Ebbesen et al. 1976) People only despised those who lived nearby.

Bias for Beauty We like physically attractive people. We think beautiful people are: vivacious, socially skilled, intelligent, well adjusted Beauty does not affect our opinion of how compassionate or how honest a person is We think beautiful people are vain and promiscuous HOT OR NOT

What kind of women are pretty? Baby faced features are pretty. BUT only when combined with signs of maturity. This is universal Baby faced features – large eyes, small nose, a small chin. Mature features – cheekbones, narrow cheeks, broad smile.

What Kind of Men are Attractive? This is more complex Strong jaws and broad foreheads are sometimes considered attractive But sometimes more baby-faced, femenized men are considered more attractive (Leonardo DiCaprio).

There may be cyclical variations in women’s preferences Rugged, manly features are more appealing when ovulating More attracted to youthful boyishness the rest of the month

For Both Men and Women Proportionate features are attractive Symmetry is attractive Averageness is attractive

Original Right symmetry Left symmetry

Averageness Computer generated composite image of many faces is more attractive, in general, than the faces used to compose it (Langlois & Rodmann, 1990) This is true across cultures. True in china, Nigeria, India, etc

Average Faces Are: Proportionate Are lower in individual variation Seem familiar Have even skin Are symmetrical

Average Does Not equal Attractive Perret, May & Yoshikawa (1994) Created an average composite of average faces, and highly attractive composite of highly attractive faces Highly attractive composite rated more attractive even though less average Averaging increases attractiveness, but doesn’t = attractive

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What Makes an Attractive Female Body? Normal weight is attractive – not too heavy or too slender It is attractive when waists are narrower than hips The most attractive WHR is .7 meaning that the waist is 30 percent smaller than the hips

Playboy Centerfold Models Miss America Winners WHR for Playboy centerfolds increased slightly from .68 to .71 over the years examined, whereas Miss America contest winners had WHR decrease from .72 to .69 (Figure 1). Thus, WHR of both Miss America contest winners and Playboy centerfolds, in spite of reduction of body weight over years, remained within the .68 to .72 range

Waist to Hip Ratio Singh, 1993 Wanted to evaluate whether attractiveness was a function of weight or waist-to-hip ratio Had composite pictures created varying both weight and waist-to-hip ratio Male participants asked to rank order all female drawings, female asked to rank all male drawings Each participant asked to list their favorite top three, and their least favorite three

Evolutionary Perspective on Attractiveness People all over the world tend to agree on who is and who is not attractive Babies prefer faces that adults prefer People with symmetrical faces tend to enjoy better mental and physical health Hormones influences WHR by affecting distribution of fat. Women with around .7 WHR tend to get pregnant more easily and enjoy better health. Men with around .9 WHR also tend to be in better health. Physical attractiveness matters most to people who live in regions where there are many parasites and pathogens that can endanger health.

But Culture Matters Too Why are women considered attractive today skinnier than women considered attractive in the past? When a culture’s food supply is unreliable, heavy women are more desirable. We live in a time of economic prosperity in the United States.

Do Opposites Attract?

Actually, birds of a feather flock together Newcomb 1961: Male transfer students were given free rooms in exchange for participating in a study of developing friendships at University of Michigan. At the end of the semester, the men’s closest friendships were with those they had the most in common. Byrne, Ervin, & Lamberth, 1970: Participants were matched up on blind dates with someone that either held similar social or political views, or different. Similar couples liked each other more. Griffit & Veitch, 1974: 13 men spent 10 days in a simulated fallout shelter. The men liked those with whom they had a lot on common, but would have thrown those who they had the least in common out of the shelter if they could.

What Kind of Similarity Partners tend to be similar demographically: similar in age, race, education, religion, and social class Partners tend to be similar in attitudes and values Partners also tend to have similar personalities. Attitudes and values – the more they have in agreement, the more they liked each other. You can’t really have too much in common. This is true for friendships too – chances are if you drank alcohol in high school, your friends did too. Couples who have similar personalities are happier than couples who do not. Happy people like happy people, and gloomy people are actually attracted to gloomy people.

What about physical attractiveness? We all like good looking people. But, alas, only good looking people are likely to get a good looking mate. Good looking people don’t want to date us average folks, and us average folks don’t want to date those who are “beneath us”. The result of this is that couples often end up with similar levels of attractiveness.

Some Twists to the Similarities Attract Concept Why do seemingly very different people then get together? Looks, money, talent, health, and fame are all examples of assets that can be traded on the dating market

Evolutionary Theory Men want to mate with healthy, fertile women to increase likelihood of reproducing successfully Youth is an indicator of fertility, and beauty an indicator of health. Kenrick & Keefe, 1992: Men who marry in their 20’s tend to have wives that are 2 years younger on average, but men who marry in their 50’s tend to have women that are 15 years younger on average.

Evolutionary Theory Men are able to reproduce for as long as they live, so women are not as concerned with youth. Instead, women want security and protection – they want powerful, high status men with resources that can contribute to their well being and that of their child. Women care about finances, and prefer men that are a few years older.

Rankings of Preferred Characteristics in Others RATED BY MALES Mutual attraction or love Dependable character Emotional stability and maturity Pleasing disposition Good health Education and intelligence Sociability Desire for home and children Neatness/refinement Physical attractiveness Ambition and industriousness Good cook and housekeeper Good financial prospects Similar education Favorable social status Chastity Similar religiosity Similar political background RATED BY FEMALES Mutual attraction or love Dependable character Emotional stability or maturity Pleasing disposition Education and intelligence Sociability Good Health Desire for home and children Ambition and industriousness Neatness/refinement Similar education Good financial prospects Physical attractiveness Favorable social status Good cook and housekeeper Similar religiosity Similar political backround Chastity

Another Twist to Opposites Attract Complementary behaviors can be attractive Some complementary behaviors are similar – warmth complements warmth Some are different – dominance and submission However, people like others who have similar personalities more than those who have different ones, and even dominant people like other assertive people more than those who are chronically submissive