Psychology of Attraction - 1620 Words

What makes us attracted to certain people more than others? The science of Psychology explains how people become attracted to one another. Certainly some aspects of beauty are cultural; fashion and trends change over time. Also, society and the media influence us into thinking what traits are attractive. Some reasons for attraction have to do with familiarity and proximity. Biology also plays a role in determining what traits we will possess. Biology and Psychology work hand and hand to help us pick our mates. The media plays a major role in determining what is and isn’t attractive. In Breeding Between the Lines: Why Interracial People Are Healthier and More Attractive, Alon Ziv (2006) writes,† When it comes to picking a mate, society†¦show more content†¦Ziv (2006) writes, â€Å"For centuries, women have known that a narrow waist and wide hips are appealing and have gone great lengths to accentuate these features with corsets, bustles, and petticoats† (p. 118). Ziv also writes, â€Å"The appeal of the woman’s hourglass figure is nearly universal. Curves separate the girls from the boys, and apparently the hot from the not† (p. 118). Psychologist Devendra Singh of the University of Texas studied peoples waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). She states that â€Å"Women with a WHR of 0.7—indicating a waist significantly narrower than the hips—are most desirable to men† (Carey, 2006, Those hips,  ¶ 1). â€Å"Hourglass† figures ar e desired by men because the hips show fertility. In an analysis of hourglass figures of Playboy models and Miss America contestants, it showed that the majority of these women had a WHR of 0.7 or lower (Carey, 2006). What exactly is encoded in the hip ratio? It is a sign to whether the person will have enough energy to care for offspring. Also, people who have the ideal hip-ratio range are less likely to get diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and diabetes, studies have shown (Carey, 2006). A trait that is important to attract mates it clear skin. Ziv (2006) writes, â€Å"As much as fashion and beauty can vary across cultures, clear skin in universally admired† (p. 118). Subconsciously, when humans see clear skin, they are relieved. The reason they have relieved is that clear skin means that there aren’tShow MoreRelatedAttraction in Social Psychology2034 Words   |  9 PagesAttraction in Social Psychology PSY 326 Introduction: Attraction in Social Psychology is one of the key areas where there is still research going on to understand what are the various elements in a human that makes him/her to behave in a specific manner how these variations are processed by the brain. 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Repeated exposure to a certain stimulus, allows individuals to develop stronger impressions and greater familiarity towards the stimulus, promoting interpersonal attraction (Zajonc, 1968), while similarity between individuals enhances ini tial attraction (Vinacke, Shannon, Palazzo Balsavage, 1988), and allowsRead MoreEssay1006 Words   |  5 Pages This study resulted in a nonsignificant difference between the attraction to either of the racially typical names. This null finding does not support the school of thought that opinions are formed based solely on race. Some researchers have challenged Norton, Frost, and Ariely’s findings because their data is thought to be inaccurate for real-life situations. 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But in a field that is not tangible, such as social psychology, defining attraction is a bit more complex, as there is no magnetic force between humans. There are often no words to explain why one becomes attracted to a specific individual. Psychologists have proposed five factors that best determine attractions. These factors