Factors affecting attraction

• Physical attractiveness

  A key factor in attraction in romantic relationships
• Physical attractiveness


  • Facial symmetry
  • Body symmetry
  • Favourable hip to waist ratio for females
• Appearance indicates a person's level of genetic fitness and fertility
• Physical attractiveness

  Linked to good evolutionary choice of a mating partner
• Men


  • More likely than women to report appearance as important in attraction in long-term relationships
• Both men and women


  • Consider appearance important for a short-term partner e.g. a one-night stand
• Halo effect


  A cognitive bias which causes people to assume the attractive person has positive traits (e.g. a pleasant personality), therefore further heightening romantic attraction
• Physically attractive individuals create a halo effect
• Matching Hypothesis


  We are attracted to those individuals who closely match our perceptions of our own level of physical attractiveness
• Walster (1966) suggested our choice of partner is a 'compromise'


  1. Desire to obtain a physically attractive partner

  2. Wish to avoid being rejected by someone 'out of our league'

  3. People have the tendency to seek partners of a similar level of attractiveness to themselves

  4. By opting for partners of similar desirability, an individual can maximise their chances of a successful outcome
• Matching hypothesis

  The idea that people prefer partners who are similar in physical attractiveness to themselves
• Research supporting the matching hypothesis

  • Walster (1966) 'computer dance' study
  • Walster & Walster (1969) adapted research
  • Murstein (1972) study on genuine and non-genuine couples
• Walster (1966) study


  • Found people prefer attractive partners regardless of their own attractiveness
• Walster & Walster (1969) adapted research


  • Allowed participants to have choice about prospective partner in terms of physical attractiveness and to meet them beforehand
  • Found partners who were similar in terms of physical attractiveness expressed the most liking for each other
• Murstein (1972) study


  • Participants rated physical attractiveness of photographs of genuine and non-genuine couples
  • Genuine couples were more likely to be judged as similar in physical attractiveness than the non-genuine couples
  • Strong positive correlation between attractiveness ratings of real partners, suggesting people with similar physical attractiveness are more likely to enter romantic relationships
• Both Walster and Walster and Murstein's studies offer support for the matching hypothesis
• Matching hypothesis

  An explanation for attraction in romantic relationships
• The matching hypothesis is undermined as an explanation for attraction in romantic relationships because of mixed research evidence
• Complex matching


  The tendency to compensate for a lack of physical attractiveness with other desirable qualities such as status and money
• People are able to attract partners far more physically attractive than themselves by offering compensatory assets, for example an older, wealthy man may pair with a younger, attractive woman because he offers resources
• Physical attractiveness is one, but not the only factor, in attraction and it can be used as a 'bargaining tool' for relationships
• Physical attractiveness

  More important in initial attraction, lessens as relationship progresses
• Research findings

  • Taylor et al. (2011) found people aim for someone more desirable than themselves in initial stages of romantic attraction without considering their own physical attractiveness
  • Pasch & Bradbury (1998) found both men and women more satisfied in relationships if partners were supportive and trustworthy
• Physical attractiveness in a partner

  Depends on the 'type' of romantic relationship desired
• Physical attractiveness is much more important in short-term relationships
• Longer term relationships may be better explained by the Matching Hypothesis
• Physical attraction as a key factor in romantic relationships

  Does not acknowledge cultural differences in choosing a partner
• Cultures and sub-cultures that practice arranged marriage

  • Factors other than physical attractiveness drive the choice of potential partner (e.g. wealth to help support the family)
  • Physical attractiveness is seen as an 'added bonus' rather than the main reason for a match
• Relationship research on physical attractiveness and the Matching Hypothesis has an inherent cultural bias
• A Western perspective of relationship formation is accepted as a universal explanation of attraction behaviour
• This is an example of imposed etic
• Self-disclosure


  The extent to which a person reveals and shares personal information, such as their intimate thoughts, feelings and experiences about themselves to another person
• Effects of self-disclosure

  • Increases attractiveness and closeness
  • Encourages reciprocal disclosure
• Self-disclosure has a vital role in the development of romantic relationships beyond initial attraction


  • People reveal more intimate information to those who they like
  • People tend to like somebody more if that person has self-disclosed to them
• Reciprocity in self-disclosure

  • For a relationship to develop there needs to be a reciprocal (two way) element to disclosure
  • The more one person discloses to another, the more disclosure is expected in return
  • There needs to be a balance of self-disclosure between both partners in order for a romantic relationship to be successful
• Breadth and depth of self-disclosure

  • Breadth is narrow with many topics off limits at the start of a relationship
  • Over-disclosure, particularly in the initial phases of a relationship, can significantly lessen attraction
  • As the relationship develops self-disclosure becomes deeper to reveal our true selves and encompassing a wider range of topics, concerning those things that matter to us most
  • Eventually we are prepared to reveal intimate high-risk information for example, painful memories and experiences
• Derlega & Grzelak (1979) suggest a moderate level of self-disclosure in the early stages of a relationship where disclosure should be neither so personal that the discloser appears indiscriminate for revealing deeply personal material to a relative stranger, nor so impersonal that the listener is unable to know the discloser better as a result
• Self-disclosure

  Positively related to relationship stability
• Reciprocal disclosure condition


  • Individuals reported more liking, closeness, perceived similarity and enjoyment of the interaction than those in the non-reciprocal condition
• Turn-taking self-disclosure reciprocity is more likely to lead to positive interpersonal outcomes