INTERPERSONAL

ATTRACTION & CLOSE

RELATIONSHIPS
CHAPTER 5
 INTERPERSONAL
ATTRACTION

Why people like or dislike each other?

There are three factors that cause us to like others which

are; internal factors, external factors and interactive factors.
1) INTERNAL DETERMINANTS
OF ATTRACTION
 1) The Need to Affiliate
The desire to affiliate with other people is a basic human
trait.
 2) Situational Influences
The existence of external events can temporarily boost or
reduce someone’s need to affiliate with others.
2) EXTERNAL DETERMINANTS
OF ATTRACTION
1) Proximity
We are most likely to become
friends with people who live or
work in proximity to us.

Repeated exposure effect - the

more often we are exposed to a
new stimulus such as a new
person, new idea, or a new
product, the more favourable
our evaluation of it tends to
become.
 2) Observable
Characteristics
One of observable characteristics
is physical attractiveness.

attractive people are judged to be

healthier, more intelligent and
more trustworthy.

they are also viewed as

possessing desirable social
characteristics such as kindness, Selena Gomez is ranked as the most
generosity and warmth. beautiful women in the world 2018
3) INTERACTIVE DETERMINANTS
OF ATTRACTION
1) Degree of Similarities to
Others

We like to associate with people who are similar to us.

Individuals are attracted to people from similar social and

cultural backgrounds so that they share social, cultural and
economic values and lifestyle expectations.
 Consensual Validation
The reason why people are attracted to others is explained
by the concept of consensual validation.

Our own attitudes and behaviour are supported when

someone else attitudes and behaviour are similar to ours;
their attitudes and behaviour validate ours.

We enjoy doing things with another person who has similar

tastes and attitudes.
Do Married Couples Really Look Alike?
 Similarity-Dissimilarity
Effect?
The consistent finding that people respond positively to
indications that another person is similar to themselves and
negatively to indications that another person is dissimilar
from themselves.

In other words, similarity arouses positive feelings and

dissimilarity arouses negative feelings. These were
explained in the balance theory.
 Balance Theory
Proposed by Newcomb and Heider.

Suggests that people naturally organise their likes and dislikes in a

symmetrical way.

Balance - when two people like each other and discover that they
are similar in some specific respect

Imbalance- when two people like each other and find out that they
are dissimilar in some specific respect

Non balance - when two people dislike one another

 2) Mutual Liking

Liking is usually mutual.

According to Kenny and

Nasby (1980), one
person’s liking for another
does predict the other’s
liking in return.