INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION IN PSYCHOLOGY

INTERPERSONAL  ATTRACTION IN PSYCHOLOGY

There are some “rules” for those whom people like and find attractive. Liking or having the desire for a relationship with someone else is called  interpersonal attraction, and Several factors are involved in the attraction of one person to another, including both superficial physical characteristics, such as physical beauty and proximity, as well as elements of personality.

PHYSICAL  ATTRACTIVENESS : physical  beauty is one of  the main factors that  influence individuals’ choices for selecting people they want to know better, although other factors may become more important in the later stages of relationships (Eagly et al., 1991; Feingold, 1992; White, 1980).

PROXIMITY CLOSE TO  YOU : Proximity  refers to being physically near someone else. People choose friends and lovers from the pool of people available to them, and availability depends heavily on proximity.

             One theory about  why proximity is so  important involves the  idea of repeated exposure to new stimuli, sometimes called the  mere exposure effect.people are in physical proximity to each other, repeated exposure may increase their attraction to each other.

BIRDS OF A  FEATHER SIMILARITY : Proximity does not guarantee attraction, just as physical attractiveness does not guarantee a long-term relationship. People tend to like being around others who are  similar to them in some way. The more people find they have in common with others—such as attitudes, beliefs, and interests—the more they tend to be attracted  to those others (Hatfield & Rapson, 1992; Moreland & Zajonc, 1982; Neimeyer & Mitchell, 1998). Similarity as a factor in relationships makes sense when seen in terms of validation of a person’s beliefs and attitudes.

OPPOSITES  ATTRACT :Some people find that forming a relationship with another person who has complementary  qualities (characteristics in the one person that fill a need in the other) can be very rewarding (Carson, 1969; Schmitt, 2002). Research does not support this view of attraction,  however. It is similarity, not complementarity, that draws people together and helps them stay together (Berscheid & Reis, 1998; McPherson et al., 2001).

RECIPROCITY OF  LIKING : people  have a very  strong tendency  to like people who like them, a simple but powerful concept referred to as  reciprocity of liking.

INTERPERSONAL  RELATIONS ONLINE : No discussion of friendships and “liking” can be complete without some mention of the growing importance of social networking online. For example, which social network sites a college student selects may be related to racial identity and ethnic identity (Duggan et al., 2015).