Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Chapter ThirteenLiking, Loving, and Close Relationships

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Predictors of Attraction - Nearness

• Propinquity

– proximity in physical space that creates the opportunity to meet someone

• Spatial ecology

– the physical layout of the environment influences likelihood of attraction

• Functional distance

– functional nearness of two people in the environment may override actual distance

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Predictors of Attraction - Likeness

• Similarity

– similarity of attitudes predicts liking

– being repulsed by others predicts liking

• Self-disclosure

– we like reciprocity in self-disclosure

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Predictors of Attraction - Cuteness

• Facial attractiveness

– there is cross-cultural agreement on what constitutes an attractive face

– facialmetrics identifies which facial features are seen as attractive

– faces with average features are rated as attractive

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Predictors of Attraction - Hotness

• Bodily features

– waist-to-hip ratio predicts attraction

– people show preferences for particular weights and heights in others

– we don’t much like stinky people

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Attraction and Evolutionary Theory

• Certain physical characteristics signal reproductive fitness

– clear skin, facial symmetry, waist-to-hip ratio

– what we find attractive may have an evolutionary basis to it

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Concept Review

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

The Social Benefits of Good Looks

• What is beautiful is good

– we often infer that physically attractive people also possess other desirable traits and abilities

• Do beautiful people actually possess other desirable qualities?

– Eh….sometimes yes, sometimes no

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Friendships Among Children

• Friendships among children show that popular kids are named frequently in sociometric ratings, and have a lot of friends

• Unpopular kids commonly engage in aggressive or awkward behavior, which contribute to their rejection by others

– rejected-aggressive children

– rejected-withdrawn children

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Friendships Among Adults

• The development of adult friendships over time has not been extensively studied

– some research has examined friendship development among college students

• Rejection hurts

– brain imaging studies show that social rejection may mimic physical pain

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Infant Attachment

• Attachment theory was originally proposed to account for infant-caregiver bonds

– secure attachment

– resistant insecure attachment

– avoidant insecure attachment

• Secure attachment shows cross-cultural consistency, insecure attachment less so

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Adult Attachment

• The original attachment model was extended to describe adult close relationships

– secure attachment

– anxious/ambivalent attachment

– avoidant attachment

• Adults are not children, of course, so attachment research with adults may differ from that conducted with children

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Close Relationships in Adulthood

• Social interdependence theory

– maximizing interdependent payoffs in a dyad characterizes close relationships

• Exchange relationships are characterized by record-keeping and book-balancing

• Communal relationships are characterized by benefits with no obligation to repay them

• People like equity in their close relationships

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Intimacy in Adult Relationships

• Intimacy occurs when a person feels understood, validated, and cared for

• Several factors are associated with intimacy

– self-disclosure

– responsiveness

– empathic accuracy

– extreme interdependence

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Love

• Passionate love is exciting and intense

• Companionate love is deep and enduring

• There are several styles of love

– eros - storge

– ludus - mania

– pragma - agape

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Triangular Theory of Love

• Intimacy

– a sense of closeness or connectedness

• Passion

– intense physical and sexual attraction

• Commitment

– dedication to maintain love

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

Social Psychology Alive, Breckler/Olson/WigginsChapter 13

When Relationships End

• Investment model of close relationships describes the reactions of partners in a dissolving relationship