Attraction Factors of Attraction

Factor 1: Proximity/Propinquity We tend to like people who are closer to us (geographic nearness)

Factor 1: Proximity/Propinquity Mere exposure effect: Repeated exposure to something breeds liking. Studies: Taiwanese Letters – 1-25x; guess meaning – More times seen, more positive meaning given The Westgate Housing Project (Festinger, Schacter & Back, 1950 ) Moreland & Beach (1992) Mirror-image preference of self

Westgate Housing Project Street - G.I.s with families - College housing - Tracked friendship formation

Westgate Housing Project Street

Westgate Housing Project Street

Westgate Housing Project Street Less than 1/2 as many friends NAME 3 CLOSEST FRIENDS: - 65% = in same building Close friends: -41% of next door neighbors -22% of 2 doors down -10% from opposite end of hall Those with rooms next to the mailboxes = more likely to have friends Why?? Closer friends with people who lived near

Factor 1: Proximity/Propinquity Mere exposure – Moreland & Beach (1992): women coming into class; the more they came to class, the more other students liked her

Factor 1: Proximity/Propinquity Why do you think proximity increases attraction? 1) More opportunities to meet, interact 2) People are likely to live near people of similar economic, social backgrounds 3) Mere exposure 9

Factor 2: Reciprocal Liking You are more likely to like someone who likes you. Why? May be a result of the feeling we get about ourselves knowing that we are likable When we feel good when we are around somebody, we tend to report a higher level of attraction toward that person Except in elementary school!!!!

Factor 3: Similarity Opposites do NOT attract. Birds of the same feather do flock together. Similarity breeds content.

Similarity – Couples tend to be similar in age, race, religion, social class, personality, education, intelligence, physical attractiveness, and attitudes – Personality similarity related to marital happiness. – Perceived similarity more strongly associated with marital satisfaction than actual similarity 12

Similarity Why do we like people like us? Why does similarity increase relationship satisfaction? 13

Why does similarity matter? We expect that people who are similar to us will also like us –Increases the probability of initiating contact Self-validation Disagreement is aversive

Mimicry-Similarity in Behavior When we want to belong to a group or want others to like us, we mimic their behavior. We like people who mimic our behavior. But don’t be too obvious!!! 15

Mimicry: Similarity in Behavior Behavioral Mimicry 16

People get more similar over time Zajonc et al. (1987) Dissimilar looking couples at marriage look more similar 25 years later. Happier couple look more similar Decades of shared emotions? 17

Similarity Robert Zajonc – 25+ yrs. of marriage = easy to i.d. spouse from choice of pix; not from pix from early in relationship Why? – Diet? – Environment? – Empathetic responding & effects on facial muscles Most similar = most satisfied

Factor 4: Liking through Association Classical Conditioning can play a part in attraction. I love Charlie’s wings. If I see the same waitress every time I go there, I may begin to associate that waitress with the good feelings I get from Charlie’s.

Factor 5: Physical Attractiveness

Physical Attractiveness We tend to choose people who we believe to be attractive and who are close to how we see our own physical attractiveness