PerCo

Dev 12 Name___________________________________ Score ____________ Prefinals

MODULE
MODULE
22 Interpersonal Attraction
What Is Interpersonal Attraction?
Interpersonal attraction is traditionally defined in social psychology as a positive attitude or evaluation regarding a particular
person, including the three components conventionally ascribed to attitudes:
 behavioral (tendency to approach the person),
 cognitive (positive beliefs about the person), and
 affective (positive feelings for the person).
Another approach treats attraction as the desire to form a friendly or romantic relationship with a particular person. Attraction is
often treated as equivalent to liking. 

Loving, particularly being ‘in love,’ with someone, is sometimes seen as a very strong or special kind of attraction— ‘romantic
attraction’—including exclusivity and sexual interest. Attraction in the above senses is distinguished from  attractiveness—
characteristics of people such as good looks or desirable personality that make others be attracted to them.

Interpersonal psychology
Of all attitudes, one of the most interesting is the attitude of others and factors that influence interpersonal attraction. Attraction is
mediated by:
 Physical attractiveness: while individuals do not rate this as important, research suggests it does play a major part. People
are rated more favorably if with an attractive partner, and photos of attractive people are rated as being more popular.
 Proximity: research suggests that one of the best predictors is how close people live to each other. Being in close proximity
to someone is likely to promote friendship.
 Familiarity: proximity also promotes familiarity and familiarity also increases liking for something or someone.
 Similarity: couples tend to have similar interests or outlooks, similar psychological characteristics, e.g. intelligence and
physical attributes – assortative mating.

Stenberg’s Triangular Theory of Love

Robert Sternberg's triangular theory of love proposes that love is composed of three distinct but interrelated components: 
1. Intimacy- Feelings of closeness and connectedness in relationships, which include experienced happiness, high regard, and
mutual understanding.
2. Passion- Feelings of romance, physical attraction, and sexual arousal in a relationship.
3. Decision/ Commitment- This consists of two aspects: short-term or the decision to love someone else, and long-term or the
commitment to maintain that love. This component is essential for getting through hard times in a relationship.
The interrelationships of these three components give rise to different kinds of love.
Kind of Love Description
1. Nonlove The absence of all three components and pertains to casual, everyday interactions that do not include
love at all.
2. Liking Refers to feelings of friendship, such as closeness, bondedness, and warmth. It involves only the
intimacy component.
3. Infatuated love “Love at first sight” by experiencing passionate arousal without the intimacy and the
decision/commitment components. These can arise quickly, and dissipate just as immediately.
4. Empty love This kind of love arises when one is committed to loving someone, but both the intimacy and passion
components are absent. It is found in stagnant relationships that have been going on for years, but have
lost the physical attraction and emotional involvement they once had.
5. Romantic love A combination of the intimacy and passion components. Put simply, it is liking and being physically
attracted to someone. When intense, passionate love becomes lukewarm, this triggers disillusion,
especially for those who believe romantic love is essential for a marriage and its continuation.
6.Companionate love Evolves from a combination of the intimacy and decision/commitment components. Unlike the wild
emotions of passionate love, companionate love is a deep, steady, and affectionate attachment that is
just as real. This is often seen in stable, long-term marriages and can last a lifetime.
7. Fatuous love A combination of the passion and decision/commitment components, and often manifests on whirlwind
romances. Commitment is made based on passion, but the relationship isn’t stable because there is not
intimacy.
8. Consumate love A full combination of all three components, and the kind of love many of us aspire for in romantic
relationships. Maintaining this kind of love is more difficult than achieving it.

The Different Types of Attachment Styles

Attachment styles are characterized by different ways of interacting and behaving in relationships. During early childhood,
these attachment styles are centered on how children and parents interact. In adulthood, attachment styles are used to describe
patterns of attachment in romantic relationships. 
 As adults, those who are securely attached tend to have to trust, long-term relationships. Other key characteristics of
securely attached individuals include having high self-esteem, enjoying intimate relationships, seeking out social support,
and an ability to share feelings with other people.
 As adults, those with an ambivalent attachment style often feel reluctant about becoming close to others and worry that
their partner does not reciprocate their feelings. This leads to frequent breakups, often because the relationship feels cold
and distant.
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 As adults, those with an avoidant attachment tend to have difficulty with intimacy and close relationships. These
individuals do not invest much emotion in relationships and experience little distress when a relationship ends.
Social exchange theory
This theory suggests that people like their partner more according to the rewards received compared to those given. Relationships
can be divided into ‘exchange’ relationships (rewards exchanged predominantly) and ‘communal’ relationships (rewards given out
of concern for other). ‘Exchange’ relationships are characterized by insecurity and dissatisfaction
Equity Principle of Attraction
This states that the outcome people receive from a relationship is proportional to what they each put into it. Those in an
enduring relationship eventually stop keeping track of how much they are giving and getting. Self- disclosure is being able to reveal
intimate aspects of oneself to others, as often seen in deep, companionate relationships. The disclosure reciprocity effect is the
tendency to match the self-disclosure of one’s partner. In short, letting ourselves be known as we are nurtures love.
Love does not always last. The end of relationships is usually a sequence of events that begin with focusing on the loss of a
partner, followed by deep sadness, and eventually, detachment or letting go of the old and focusing on someone new.
When relationships suffer, those who are invested or without better alternatives seek different ways of coping with the
relationship, including:
 Loyalty- waiting for the relationship to improve
 Neglect- ignoring the partner and letting the relationship deteriorate
 Voice- taking active steps to improve the relationship through discussing problems and attempting to change

Good relationships are fun and make you feel good about yourself. The relationships that you make in your youth years will
be a special part of your life and will teach you some of the most important lessons about who you are. Truly good relationships
take time and energy to develop. All relationships should be based on respect and honesty, and this is especially important when
you decide to date someone. In a healthy relationship, both partners:
 Are treated with kindness and respect
 Are honest with each other
 Like to spend time together
 Take an interest in things that are important to each other
 Respect one another’s emotional, physical and sexual limits
 Can speak honestly about their feelings
Basic Rights in a Relationship
• The right to emotional support
• The right to be heard by the other and to respond
• The right to have your own point of view, even if this differs from your partner's
• The right to have your feelings and experiences acknowledged as real
• The right to live free from accusation and blame
• The right to live free from criticism and judgment
• The right to live free from emotional and physical threat
• The right to live free from angry outbursts and rage
• The right to be respectfully asked, rather than ordered
FT1. Determine what is being asked.
1. The feelings of intimacy and affection we have for someone that are not accompanied by passion or physiological arousal.
2. An intense longing, we feel for a person, accompanied by physiological arousal.
3. Companionate love can often be seen in long-term marriages, and it lacks ______.
4. According to Robert Sternberg, the type of love that has intimacy, passion, and commitment is called _____.
5. Refers to the drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, sexual consummation, and related phenomena in loving
relationships.
6. It refers simply to the absence of all three components of love.
7. According to Sternberg's triangular theory of love, the combination of intimacy and passion produces _________.
8. Susan and Manny's relationship is characterized by warmth, closeness, and sharing. Their relationship would be considered
as?
9. Steve and Pat's relationship is marked by a high level of commitment but low passion and low intimacy. According to
Sternberg, their relationship is best characterized as ________.
10. According to Sternberg's triangular theory of love, when passion, intimacy, and commitment are all present in a
relationship, then is said to exist.
FT2. Provide a concrete example for each kind of love.
1. Nonlove-
2. Liking-
3. Infatuated love-
4. Empty love-
5. Romantic love-
6. Companionate love-
7. Fatuous love-
8. Consumate love-
FT3. Using a Venn diagram, distinguish the differences and similarities between the types of attachment styles, further, provide and
examples how is it being displayed or shown.
FT4. Visit the Edmodo page, and download the PDF file posted. Moreover, answer the file sincerely and interpret the result after.
END