PSYC 1250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Physical Attractiveness, Cognitive Dissonance, Balance Theory
19 Jun 2018
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Characteristics of the Situation and Attraction
Proximity
The location of people relative to one another
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How close you are to someone/something
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65% of people who were rated as "best friends" lived in the same
apartment block
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Familiarity
Repeated exposure effect
The more exposure, the more apt you are to like it
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The initial exposure must be positive or at least neutral for the
attraction to occur
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There can also be overexposure, like when you love a song but they
play it too much so you hate it
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How many time you are in contact with the person can increase attraction
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Physical attractiveness
A predictor of attraction, the way you look is how people perceive you
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If you hang out with people who look better than you, people will think
that you also look better, the same happens for the other way around
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If you are first presented with a better looking stimulus, the less attractive
person will receive a lower rating
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If you are first presented with an unattractive stimulus, and then an
average person walks in, they will receive a higher rating
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WILL NOT BE ON THE EXAM
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Characteristics of Others and Attraction
Physical attractiveness
Factors influencing physical attractiveness
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Similarity
Demographics
Gender, age, place of origin, class, etc.
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Attitudes
QUESTION ABOUT WHO WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO WILL BE ON
EXAM, IT IS THE PERCENTAGE NOT THE TOTAL OF COMMON
LIKES/DISLIKES
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Physical
If two people look alike they are more likely to be attracted to one
another
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Why are Similar Others Attractive?
Self-validation through social comparison
People who are like me reflect back my own life to me
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Evolution•
Balance theory
Frits Heider
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We seek cognitive consistency
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When we have thoughts that are not consistent we will work to make
them consistent
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A relationship is unbalanced when the two people like each other, but
they disagree on a major issue
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Complementarity and attraction
Opposites do not attract, they are not opposite, they compliment one
another
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Each person brings a different set of traits to the relationship
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Reciprocity and attraction•
Intimate Relationships
Blending of the self-concepts
Attribution process
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Resource allocation
Less distinction between self and other when allocating resources
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When you don’t order yourself a drink but then you drink all of your
friends' drinks
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Communal vs. exchange relationships
Living with a roommate and keeping track of who is doing all of the
work
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When you are in an intimate relationship everything is shared
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Parents provide food, love, shelter, education, etc. but kids give
parents finger paintings and messes but because you are in an
intimate relationship this is okay
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Self-schemas
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Transactive memory
Shared memory
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When in an intimate relationship you "share" a memory
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I remember all of the birthdays so that my significant other doesn’t
have to
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Friendship
Superficial friendships
You are still doing that cost vs. given relationship
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Developed friendships
How to increase intimacy in a relationship
Self-disclosure
Social penetration theory
Talking about the weather, sports, what classes you
have, etc. on a first date
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On the next date you share more important info like
family/siblings/etc. but you do not jump into marriage
plans
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Depenetration
On date 10 and you're back to talking about the
weather and sports, this isn't good
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I hate it when you do this, I hate it when you do that
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Gender differences in friendship
Face-face vs. Side-side
Women have face-face where they care about the other individuals
and they share personal information
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Men have side-side where they perform activities together and they
don’t share as much personal information
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Romance vs. Friendship
1970s Zick Rubin
Some expressions of dependency between romantic partners
Do you depend on them for things?
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Greater indication of absorption or inclusion in a romantic partner's life
Do you have many secrets?
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Greater desire to help a romantic partner
Would you change someone's disgusting gauze after they get into a
car accident?
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Different Types of Love
Passionate
Physical and intimate
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Compassionate
More reliable, less focused on physicality
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Lecture 04/04
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
11:27 AM
