Chapter 10 questions

Chapter 10 Questions: Interpersonal Attraction: From First Impressions to Close Relationships

1.What role does “propinquity” play in attraction? Note the difference between physical and functional distance. Why does the propinquity effect occur?

• propinquity is proximity is the finding that the more we see and interact with people, the more likely they are to become our friends
• physical???
• functional????
• propinquity effect occurs when they see each other more - are more likely to be friends. 

2.What role does similarity play in attraction?

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For what kinds of attributes does similarity seem to be important?

attributes:

• interests
• attitudes
• values
• background
• personality

What are 3 reasons why we like people whose beliefs and characteristics are similar to our own?

1. tend to think those who are similar to us will like us and more likely to initiate the relationship
2. similar people validate our own characteristics and beliefs
3. we make negative inferences on people who disagree with us on important issues.

similarity matters - if you dont want commit- you'll go for someone different that you - fling

-opposites attract

3.What is reciprocal liking, and why does it matter for attraction?

just knowing that someone likes us fuels our attraction to that person. liking is so powerful that it can even make up for the absence of similarity.

How is the self-fulfilling prophecy involved in this effect?
if someone believes they are liked by the other person - they are more likely to agree with that person more and be more friendly. 

(IV: Person A is told Person B likes or dislikes them

experiment: put in a room to discuss a topic

DV: Person A's behavior toward B)

When A believed they were liked by B, they divulged more info about themselves, disagreed less and were friendlier. 

4.Note that physical attractiveness is a major determinant of liking in studies of first impressions. Is there a sex difference in the importance of physical attractiveness in a partner?
no. (p 313)

some studies say men place more importance on it - but it is probably that men are more likely to say that it matters more than women are. 

In simply behavior studies - they were equal

5.Is there agreement across cultures in what is considered physically attractive?

yes

Why might the “statistically average” face be seen as more attractive than individual faces?

because it has lost some of the atypical or unfamiliar variation of an individual face. People like typical and familiar faces

6.What is the underlying variable that links attractiveness, propinquity, and similarity?

"the crucial variable that explains interpersonal attraction may actually be familiarity"

we prefer familiar and safe to unfamiliar and potentially dangerous

7.Understand the “what is beautiful is good” stereotype. How might this stereotype produce a self-fulfilling prophecy?
The way we treat [people affects how they behave and ultimately how they perceive themselves.  The more beautiful, the more attention. p 318

8.What is social exchange theory?

the idea that peoples feelings about a relationship depend on their perception of the relationship...

it holds that how people feel (+ or -) about their relationships will depend on :

• their perception of the rewards they receive from the relationship
  
• their perception of the costs they incur from the relationship
  
• their perception of the what kind of relationship they deserve and the probability that they could have a better relationship with someone else

'getting more bang for your (emotional) buck'  

According to this theory, what are the factors that determine how people feel about their relationships?

how much they feel they put in to and get out of relationship , see above

9.What is equity theory? According to this theory, how do partners in a relationship respond when they are over- or under-benefited in a relationship?
idea that people are happiest when rewards and costs experienced and contributions made by both parties are roughly equal.   ---  if under or over - feel uneasy and try to restore equity

The over-benefited person is usually more uncomfortable and feels guilty

10.Distinguish between “passionate” and “companionate” types of love.

• Companionate :intimacy and affection felt when we care deeply for a person but do not experience passion or arousal in other's presence - Gma, Gpa Chinese value more
  
• Passionate:intense longing we feel accompanied by physiological arousal;when our love is reciprocated, we feel great fulfillment and ecstasy, if not, we feel sadness and despair., romeo and juliet --- Americans value more  (present in 147 of 166 cultures studied in an anthropological study)
• Taita of kenya - value both equally

 In the section on “culture and love”, pay attention to the section on how romantic love is defined and experienced differently in individualistic and collectivistic cultures.

• more passionate - americans more companionate-chinese  equal - kenya peoples
• how love is experienced differently in different cultures, review page 324 
• Jung - korean - strong connection - can be -
• Gen qing - china - fixing bike=love
• amae- japan - dependent love
• 
  

11.Understand evolutionary biology’s explanation of the experience of romantic love. Are there differences between men and women in the characteristics involved in mate selection and the different strategies of men and women in romantic relationships? What evidence supports sociobiological theory? What are some alternative explanations?

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12.What are the key assumptions of attachment theory? 

What we learn as kids becomes our working model for what relationships are like

What are the three attachment styles, and how do they differ? 

-attachment style generally comes from mother-strain theory (moms leave child in room to test how they react)
1)secure attachment-60% of children

• -child is uneasy when mom leaves room but is stable when mom comes back and seeks comfort from mom
  

2) avoidant attachment

• -generally doesn't care if mom is there or not
  

3) anxious/ambivalent

• -child is extremely upset when mom leaves and inconsolable to a certain degree when mom returns-difficult to comfort

*there is mixed support for gender differences in this theory

How is relationship longevity and satisfaction affected by partners’ attachment styles? 

easier and better for those with secure, then avoidant, then anxious 

Is a mix of attachment styles (e.g., one partner in a relationship has an anxious style; the other has an avoidant style) good for relationships? 

anxious woman with avoidant man works well

usually tho, its bad

Can attachment styles change over time?
yes. with practice :) I should date more. 

13.Understand Rusbult’s “investment model” of relationships. Note its similarity to social exchange theory, with the addition of the “investment” concept and prediction of “commitment”.

things that predict commitment , correlations from Vanlange study

• Investment- .23 kids, home, time
  
• Satisfaction .58
  
• Alternatives -.23 more alternativesm less committed

14.How do concerns about equity differ depending on whether partners are involved in a communal or exchange relationship? (Note that this idea will be discussed in class under the “social norm” approach theory).
equity is more concerned on needing to be paid back, feeling expoited for favors, and keeping track of who is contributing

communal is just being happy being friends. 

15.In the section on “ending intimate relationships”, understand 

a) Rusbult’s four types of behavior that occur in troubled relationships

1. actively harming, destructive behavior
2. passively allowing to deteriorate, destructive
3. actively trying to improve relationship, constructive
4. positively remaining loyal, constructive

 b) “fatal attractions.” 

• the very qualities that were initially attractive became the very reasons why it ended

[You’ll probably be interested in this whole section for your own personal benefit, but for testing purposes I’ll only focus on these 2 parts of the section!]
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