Interpersonal Theory Of Attraction

Romantic Attraction
Humans are born with the need to affiliate, they have a natural inclination to form bonds with one another through social interactions. Romantic attraction is one of the products of social interactions. Romance is the expressive and pleasurable feeling from an emotional attraction towards another person associated with love. According to Sterberg, (1988) different forms of love arise from different combinations of three basic components which are intimacy, passion and commitment. The theory states that they are eight different forms of love namely Non-Love, Liking, Companionate Love, Empty Love, Fatuous Love, Infatuation, Romantic Love and Consummate Love.
There are a number of theories attached to Romantic Attraction
crèche and schools, therefore creating an atmosphere for one to build social skills and the need to socially compare ourselves to others. This may establishes the desire to have a sense of belonging and to experience positive and negative relationships. In some cases interaction may lead to building relationship which may later lead to attraction. For attraction to take place there are factors that need to be taken into account. Attraction between individuals may result from internal and external determinates. This is described in the Interpersonal Theory of Attraction. An example of an Internal determinates would be the fulfilment of the need to belong and affiliation with others. According to social psychology this need is essential to our existence. Emotions and moods play a role in our need to affiliate with others. Affect refers to the emotions or moods that we may experience. The need to affiliate can be based on the positive feeling that others evoke in us or the positive events that occur simultaneously in the presence of others. This would in-turn cause one to affiliate more with those that produce what is deemed to be positive by the person experiencing it. External determinates exist outside of the individual and can encourage or discourage liking between people. Physical Proximity refers to close physical space that individuals repeatedly find themselves in
Friendships and romantic relationships differ in many significant ways. Yet males and females can create bonds with clearly defined boundaries. Understanding the difference between love and liking can assist in building meaningful relationship. By using Sterberg, 1988 triangular theory of love we can further understand the different kinds of love. The triangle states that love can be understood in terms of three components that together can be viewed as forming a triangle. The three component are Intimacy, Passion and Decision/Commitment. Intimacy refers to feelings of closeness, connectedness and boundedness in a loving relationship. Passion refers to deep emotional and/or sexual feelings. Decision/Commitment refers to the determination to stay in a long-term relationship. A combination of the different vertices of the triangle produces a different kinds of love. There are eight types of love, namely Non-Love, Liking, Companionate Love, Empty Love, Fatuous Love, Infatuation, Romantic Love, Consummate Love. Non-Love refers to the absence of all the components of love. Liking experiencing only the intimacy component of love. Infatuous Love “love at first sight” results from experiencing passionate arousal. Empty Love refers to staying committed in the absence of passion and intimacy. Romantic Love is a combination of intimacy and passion. Companionate Love combination of intimacy and commitment.