Chapter 12

Love & Attraction

Attraction

• Positive attitude towards another person– Behavioral tendency (approach)– Affective response (happiness, excitement)– Cognitions (positive evaluation of person)

• Attraction associated with positive feelings, beliefs and approach behavior

• What features are viewed as attractive?

Attraction

• Physical attraction key component– Universals

• Clean skin, teeth, hair, muscle tone, steady gate

– Vast cultural differences – Slender in US v. plumpness in preliterate societies

– Central Africa: long necks, round lips

– Gender & individual differences• Women like tall men

• Men like short, slender women w/ large breasts

• Preferences developed via unique learning histories

Attraction

• Gender-roles key– Feminine women attracted to masculine,

dominant men– Masculine men prefer demure women

• Names key– Kathy, Jennifer > Gertrude, Ethel

• Why?

Pheromones

• Hormones which evoke instinctual behavior– Male dogs R to bitch in heat

• May be important for humans as well– New research suggests smells impact sexuality

• Video– Vomero Nasal Organ?

– How does smells impact sexuality?

Attraction

• Long-term relationships– Honesty, fidelity, warmth, emotional stability– Gender differences

• Men emphasize physical appearance > than women

• Women emphasize resource acquisition (status)– Evolutionary v. social/cultural explanations

Item Male Female p

IQ 3.28 3.24 ns

Emotional Stability 4.10 3.58 ns

Honesty 3.17 2.19 .02

Wealth 8.90 9.32 ns

Health 6.48 6.62 ns

Kind 3.93 2.84 .02

Weight 5.52 7.82 .001

Religion 7.48 7.84 ns

Race 7.38 8.63 ns

Attractive 3.00 5.12 .001

Height 8.28 8.32 ns

Family 9.83 8.53 .05

Attraction

• Matching hypothesis– Attracted to partner of similar attractiveness– More than beauty

• Race, age, SES, religion

• What about attitudes?

Attraction

• Do opposites attract?– Similarity in attitudes -> attraction– Only for key attitude objects/domains– Why?

Attraction

• Evolutionary theory - similar others more likely to share our genes– Like, protect our own genes

• Consensual validation - consensus is pleasant– Confirms our view of the world

Attraction

• Affect Centered Approach

• Positive moods -> positive evaluations & attraction– Vs that impacts mood can impact attraction

• Physical proximity/repeated exposure -> attraction

• Why? – New things make us anxious– Repeated exposure reduces anxiety

Love

• Emotion– What is emotion?

Nature of Emotions

• Multidimensional, adaptive response system – Physiological (ANS, limbic system)– Conscious (valence + arousal)– Behavioral (coping)– Cognitive (appraisals)

• Synchronized emotional system– Patterning different for different emotions

• Anger: ANS, Negative valence and high arousal, move against, unjustified loss

Function of Emotions

• Direct Adaptive Behs: Evolutionary Theory– Max’d survival how?– Motivated fundamental life tasks– fight/flight, reproduce, obtain food

• Love evolved to…– Aid infant caretaking

• Caregiver-child (attachment: Seen in non-human primates)

• Parents

Love

• Emotion characterized by– 1.) Physiological arousal (ANS)

• Hypothalamus, endorphins, phenylethylamine(PEA), testosterone, dopamine, serotonin

– Video

– 2.) Positive valence + high arousal– 3.) Approach behavior

• Intense longing for union, closeness & intimacy

– 4.) Positive, idealized evaluations, appraisals– 5.) Attachment, bond to love object

Love

• Ubiquitous in ~all cultures– ~All Janus Ps reported love is important– Most will be in love during their lifetime (Class: 85% yes)

– Love key for marriage and > 90% marry

• Culture influences meaning, display rules– Western world idealizes love, for marriage– Eastern cultures love less critical for marriage

• Arranged marriages

Love

• Can be source for great unhappiness– Negative valence + high arousal

• Unrequited love/rejection

• Loss of loved one

• Addicted to love– PEA and multiple affairs

Contemporary Models of Love

• Sternberg’s triangular theory of love– Intimacy

• Experience of warmth toward another person

– Passion• Intense romantic or sexual desire for another person

– Commitment• Dedication to the relationship

• Types of love depend on balance of these 3

Sternberg Triangular Theory

IntimacyIntimacy

PassionPassion CommitmentCommitment

ConsummateLove

Contemporary Models of Love

• Infatuation – Passion alone

• Romantic love– Passion & intimacy

alone

• Companionate love– Intimacy &

commitment

• Non-romantic love can involve – Intimacy - best friend

– Intimacy + commitment• Parents, sibling

Reaction Paper V: Love

• Have you ever been in love? What was the experience like? What type of love was it?

Conclusion

• Attraction influenced by physical appearance as well as host of other factors– Gender, culture

• Love is an emotion that likely evolved to aid child-care– Cultural meanings, and models differ in their

emphasis