Interpersonal Attraction – Research Studies
Discuss research studies into interpersonal attraction. (24)
SIMILARITY – Similarity of attitudes is an important ingredient in initial attraction.
A01 ---
Newcomb offered free accommodation to male students, who were strangers to
each other. The male students volunteered to let the researchers allocate them to their
living quarters for two years. The roommates were allocated randomly in the first
year. They found that the most stable relationships developed between roommates
who came from similar backgrounds and who shared similar attitudes.
Boyden found that gay men desired partners like themselves. For example, if
typically masculine themselves, they desired a partner who was logical (a
stereotypical masculine trait). And if typically feminine themselves, they desired an
expressive partner.
A02 --However, in the second year of university, roommates became friends much more
than when Newcomb first predicted on the basis of similarity. This suggests that
familiarity may have been more important than similarity in determining whether a
relationship is formed.
General Evaluation --- A02
1) Similarity may be important in relationships as it validates our own beliefs, making
us feel our own characteristics (the way we are) are acceptable and our beliefs are
right. In the same way we may avoid people who are dissimilar because dissimilarity
is uncomfortable and challenges our beliefs.
2) Kerckhoff and Davis argue for the view that opposites attract. They take a
longitudinal view of relationships and demonstrate that, although in the early stages of
a relationship similarity in values may be important, but in the later stages of an
established relationship – complementarity (the idea that complementing each other)
of needs is more important. Complementarity is the idea that one of us may lack the
characteristics others may have, but they go well together and we personally value
them. For instance, if you were quiet and not very talkative, a talkative friend or
partner would make up for the awkward silences by making conversation more often.
FAMILIARITY – We show a preference for people who are familiar to us.
A01 ---
Yinon studied students in university residences in detail in an Israeli university.
 In some residences the bathrooms and kitchens were private and in others they
were shared.
 Those students with shared facilities had a higher level of interaction and therefore
formed more relationships within the residence.
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Interpersonal Attraction – Research Studies
Saegart asked participants to rate the tastes of various drinks, rating them either as
pleasant or unpleasant. During this the participants encountered a stooge: one, two,
five or ten times. It was found that the rating of the person was related to the number
of times the participant met with the stooge, regardless of the drink’s taste – being
pleasant or unpleasant.
Thus, exposure (seeing the stooge more), on its own, can lead to positive feelings
towards the stooge.
A02 -- Familiarity doesn’t always lead to greater liking – and may breed contempt
(hatred) for the other person.

Swap found that repeated exposure to someone (seeing them too often) who
punished a participant resulted in greater disliking.
 It may be familiarity that leads to the intensity of feelings between people, which
can be both positive and negative.
 In contrast, Saegart found that this was not always true. Exposure was more
important than pleasantness or unpleasantness in some situations. (I.e. Being
familiar due to frequent exposure is more important than situation.)
SWAP vs. SAEGART
 Familiar things may become predictable, which is initially appealing because it
eliminates guesswork and risk. It may also lead to liking because during exposure
(seeing them) we are conditioned (reinforcement affect model---positive
experiences create positive emotions in us, which makes them attractive to us and
is therefore rewarding – it is rewarding, and the positive emotions are associated
with them, every time you see that person).
PROXIMITY – Being in close proximity with others can lead to relationships
developing.
A01 ---
Festinger studied friendship patterns of students living on campus in university
accommodation. Students were: Most friendly with those living next door to them.
 Less friendly with those living two doors away.
 The least friendly with those living at the end of the corridor.
This suggests physical proximity can be an important factor in establishing
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Interpersonal Attraction – Research Studies
friendships.
Segal studied police trainees in the USA and found that physical proximity had a
stronger effect on attraction in the short term than any other characteristic (e.g. age,
ethnic background).
The trainees were assigned to seats in classrooms and to dormitories on the basis of
the first letter of their surnames. It was found that:
The closer together in the alphabet the first letters of the surnames of any two
individuals (police trainees) were, the more likely they were to become friends.
A02 --However, physical proximity may increase the chances of disliking a person.
Ebbesen et al found that:  Those who live close by give us greater potential to engage in their behaviours
that annoy us, so increase the chance that we will dislike them. (E.g. You may
find a friend too talkative over a longer period of being close to them, due to
seeing them everyday, hence they may become very annoying).
 The reason as to why proximity is important in attraction can be explained in
terms of filter theory. Proximity may act as an initial factor in terms of who we
form a relationship with. How it is filtered (being positive or negative), and
whether we wish to begin a relationship with them, depends on initial impression.
(I.e. Like or hatred for the person who sits next to you in class is decided within
seconds of meeting them.)
 An alternative explanation to proximity increasing liking is that it may be
similarity that increases attraction, as similar people tend to congregate (group
together) in the same place.
 However when Byrne manipulated seating arrangements in a classroom, he
found that those seated in the middle became the most popular (due to being
nearest to everyone else). This shows proximity to be the main determinant of
attraction.
Byrne’s seating arrangement manipulation within a classroom:
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