Factors Influencing Attraction in Relationships
Explore the history of relationships research, predictors of physical attraction, evolutionary perspectives, sex differences in mate preferences, and more to gain insights into the complexities of human attraction and relationships.
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Presentation Transcript
RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONSHIPS
Papers What have you done for your paper? What is your theory and study design? Rough draft deadline
Practical application What did you learn or read about that you can apply to your own relationships?
History of relationships research Pre1960s Festinger, Schachter, & Bach, 1950 1960s-70s Newcomb, 1961 Byrne, 1961 Walster, Aronson, Abrahams, & Rottman, 1966 Dutton & Aron, 1974 1980s Love, Investment model 1990s Evolutionary psych 2000s Real relationships People say that physical attraction isn t that important, but research shows that it is
Predictors of physical attraction What factors affect perceptions of physical attractiveness across cultures? Where are there cultural differences? Who is it more important for? Why does attractiveness matter? Why is there an attractiveness halo?
What else affects attraction? Other target or perceiver or situation variables? What s the story on similarity vs. complementarity?
Evolutionary psych more generally Parental investment model (Trivers, 1972) Buss (1989) 37 cultures study Eagly & Woods critique Eastwick et al. critique Sexual strategies theory (Buss & Schmitt, 1993) Strategic pluralism (Gangestad & Simpson, 2000) What factors have evolutionary theories examined? What are some critiques of the area?
Sex differences in mate preferences (Walter et al., 2020) What are typical sex differences? What explanations have been given for these? Evolutionary approach (Buss, 1989) Biosocial role theory (Eagly & Wood, 1999) Pathogen prevalence (Gangestad et al., 2006; also evolutionary, but ecological) Any other possibilities?
Walter et al., 2020 What did they do differently here? What effects would these potentially have? Critiques? Predictions: Explain Table 1 Results: Explain Figures 1 and 2
Where are there differences? And why? (Figure 3) Predictions of pathogen prevalence: Table 3 (explain) Predictions of biosocial model: Table 4 (explain) Was it a fair test of the other explanations? What are some critiques of the study or ways it could be improved?
Love (80s) Rubin s love scale https://www.verywellmind.com/rubins- scales-of-liking-and-loving-2795339 Companionate vs. passionate love (Berscheid & Walster, 1978)* Sternberg s triangular theory (intimacy, passion, commitment)* Love styles (Henrick & Henrick) eros, ludus, storge, mania, agape, pragma Sternberg s love as a theory (scripts)
Passionate vs. companionate love Passionate: intense longing with arousal. I would feel deep despair if X left me. My thoughts are often on X. I would rather be with X than anyone else. X always seems to be on my mind. Companionate love: intimacy and affection. I have confidence in the stability of my relationship with X. I am committed to X. I expect my love for X to last the rest of my life.
Major theoretical approaches Social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) Interdependence theory (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) Investment model (Rusbult, 1990)* Equity theory (Walster, Walster, & Berscheid, 1978) Attachment theory (Hazan & Shaver, 1987) Evolutionary psychology (Buss, Kenrick) Communal vs. exchange relationships (Clark)
Investment Model (Rusbult) Predicts 50-90% of commitment in relationships of all types (dating, marriage, domestic abuse, homosexual, jobs) Predicts willingness to accommodate EVLN How does it differ from equity? From social exchange?
Attachment Bowlby Ainsworth Strange Situation Secure, Avoidant, Anxious-ambivalent Hazan & Shaver, 1987 Avoidance vs. Ambivalence as separate dimensions (Bartholomew) Secure Preoccupied Fearful avoidant Dismissive avoidant
Attachment theory (Bowlby, Hazen & Shaver, Feeney, Simpson) Views of others vs. views of self What is the problem with looking at these categorically? When does someone become an attachment figure? What is main point of attachment theory? Is it evolutionary?
Secure I find it relatively easy to get close to others an am comfortable depending on them and having them depend on me. I don t often worry about being abandoned or about someone getting too close.
Avoidant I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others. I feel it difficult to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone gets close and often romantic partners want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being.
Anxious/ambivalent I find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesn t really love me or won t stay with me. I want to merge completely with another person, and this desire sometimes scares people away.
More recent measures of attachment Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985) List of measures
ASEM Model (Arriaga, Kumashiro, Simpson, & Overall, 2018) What is new with this model? Explain Figure 1 How stable is attachment, according to this theory? When and why would it change? What is it affected by?
What are examples of situations that might trigger anxious or avoidant responses? How can partners respond to assuage attachment threats in the short term? (concrete examples). Table 1
What about in the long term? Do similar processes operate within other types of relationships?
Gottman research http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oB6z NcLIH0 4 horsemen of the apocalypse Contempt Stonewalling Defensiveness Criticism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- fTAKtDB8fY
Manipulations of closeness Aron, Melinat, Aron, Vallone, & Bator, 1997
Next week Helping chapter Replication article on bystander intervention 2 positive psychology well being and psychological richness Don t forget your paper
