Attraction and RelationshipScientfic study of attraction & relationships doesn’t always line up with “common sense” Few people marrying now than ever before(94% in 1960 vs 85% in 2007)People waiting longer than ever before to marryAverage age: men 27, women 26Probability of first marriage ending in divorceWithin 5 years: 20%Within 10 years: 33% 2. Predictors of Attraciton- Attraction: the desire to approach or be with someoneo Attraction research has uncovered a number of “principles”- A. Familiarity: Liking those we encounter frequentlyo Proximity: Being physically nearbyo Mere exposure: people come to like stimuli to which they have been exposed repeatedly The classroom exposure study (1992)- Females posed as student in a large lecture class- They did not interact with anybody- IV = Exposure: the numb of class sessions they attended – 0,5,10,15 out of 40- Degree of exposure strongly predicted greater liking (nogender differences)- But didn’t predict students sense of familiarity - B. Similarity: we like people who (we think) are similar to uso Byrnes law of attraction” (1971) attraction positively related to the proportion of attitude similarity shared with that person The strongest effect is on attitudes and values  But don’t opposites attract?- We do like complementarily on dominance-submissiveness, but that’s it- C. Reciprocity: liking those who like uso An enormously powerful effecto Dale Carnegie book (1937) Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise”o If you want others to like you make sure they know you like themo But: the story with romantic attraction is more complicated We like people who like us uniquely - D. Physical Attractivenesso People are attracted to the physically attractiveo The computer dance study (1966) Incoming college freshman randomly paired for a dance The biggest predictor of desire to date the person was physical attractiveness (both sexes, rs ~ .70)o Stated preferences only? Men say attractiveness is more important to them than women do. But in practice physical attractiveness is the best predictor of attraction for BOTH sexes- What is attractive?o Is physical attractiveness “in the eye of the beholder?o In part. But there is huge cross-cultural consistency in attractiveness ratingso “Averageness”- E. Sex differences in Selectivityo 1. The thAnree questions study: College men and women were approached by moderately attractive opposite-sex confederate “I have been noticing you around campus. I find you attractive. Would you…- Go out with me tonight?- Come over to my apartment tonight?- Like to go to bed with me tonight?o 2. Embodies emotions and sex differences Maybe men are less selective because they are expected to approach women?  Speed-dating- IV: Men rotated vs women rotated (nontraditional) Approaching someone makes us eager and being approached makes us cautious Love and Relationships What is love?o “a desire to enter maintain, or expand a close, connected, and ongoing relationship with another person or other entity” (Reis & Aron, 2008) Types of loveo Passionate euphoria, intimacy, intense sexual attractiono Companionate affection, trust, concern for partner’s well-being Ideal relationships have both, but they develop at different times. o Passionate swift onset, declines over timeo Companionate progressive onset, relatively durable Anthropologists romantic love identified in 88% of cultures surveyed (Jankowiak & Fischer, 1992)o Not always a necessary component of