What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Kathryn Barr
Dr. Salome Dubenetzky
PSY 301
January 7, 2013
LOVE
Attraction is defined as a person or thing that draws, attracts, allures, or entices; a characteristic or quality that provides pleasure, an attractive feature. Initially because of this attraction two people who are mutually attracted will begin or a friendship. In the beginning of a relationship love is strong and it covers a multitude of faults and weaknesses, but after the hormones settle it is important to look at the person next to you and have great respect and a genuine likeness for them. After all it is better to really like that person and their qualities, than being caught up in your emotions that may change at any time, actually what does love have to do with anything anyway. There are six factors that contribute to attraction. (1) People that we are close to; for example those that we work with, share apartment buildings with, or maybe those that we attend church with. I met my husband at work; I worked first shift, and he in worked the second shift in the same department. We always spoke on my way out, as I did what was called shift change, and the rest is history. One interesting by product of the just being exposed effect is our tendency to prefer mirror images of ourselves, while our friends prefer our true image. Because most people see themselves in a mirror more than they see their true image, they come to like their mirror image more than their true image. Friends and family rarely see our image in the mirror, so they prefer the true image (Mita, Dermer, & Knight, 1977). (2) We like people who are attractive; attractiveness seems to be one the most important factor in a relationship, even though that is so superficial and will not last. Studies have shown that newlyweds, attractive individuals were not any more satisfied with their marriage than those
References: Blieszner, R. & Adams, R. G. (2009). Adult friendship. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Byrne, D. (2008). the Attraction Paradigm. New York: Academic Press Feenstra, J. (2011). Introduction to social psychology. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. http://content.ashford.edu