Deck 7: Romantic Attraction

Question 1

The experience of evaluating another individual as an attractive,potentially intimate,partner,with or without a sexual element,refers to:

A) romantic attraction.
B) dating.
C) sexual attraction.
D) mate selection.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements about physical attractiveness is FALSE?

A) Distinctive or unusual faces tend to be rated as more attractive than average ones.
B) The physical attractiveness of potential partners affects the mate choices of men and women to about the same degree.
C) People tend to pair up with mates whose physical attractiveness matches their own.
D) People tend to believe that physically attractive individuals are also attractive in other ways.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A horizontal attribute refers to qualities on which people ________,whereas a vertical attribute refers to qualities on which people ________.

A) can be ranked hierarchically;differ,but cannot be judged as better or worse
B) differ,but cannot be judged as better or worse;can be ranked hierarchically
C) are similar;differ
D) differ;are similar

Answer 3

B

Question 4

When it comes to romantic attraction:

A) shared interests are equally as important in predicting attraction as physical appearance is.
B) physical appearance is the largest predictor of attraction for men and women.
C) women are more influenced by physical appearance than men are.
D) men are more influenced by physical appearance than women are.

Question 5

Research about personality and attraction shows that:

A) those who are rated as fun,rather than good,are perceived as more attractive.
B) people are most attracted to others with the same personality traits.
C) personality has little effect on attraction.
D) the association between personality and attraction is complex.

Question 6

Miguel is a college freshman of average physical attractiveness who waits tables at the campus café to help pay his tuition.Based on what you have learned about attraction research,which of the following women would you expect Miguel to most want to spend time with?

A) Jolanda,a stunning freshman who does some modeling to help pay her tuition
B) Mandip,a freshman of average physical attractiveness who works as a cashier at the local grocery store
C) Casey,a senior of average physical attractiveness who works at the campus library
D) Brenda,a somewhat unattractive senior who works part-time as a waitress

Question 7

Snyder's (1977)research examining telephone conversations between unacquainted men and women found that:

A) attractiveness of a conversation partner has no effect on the nature of the interaction.
B) men who think they are talking to an attractive woman are friendlier than women who believe they are talking to an attractive man.
C) women who think they are talking to an attractive man are friendlier than men who believe they are talking to an attractive woman.
D) women and men believed to be attractive by their partners behave in a friendlier manner.

Question 8

Anderson's (1968)list of the top 10 most likeable and least likeable personality traits suggests that:

A) being trustworthy is more attractive than being fun.
B) no one finds dishonest individuals attractive.
C) friendliness is the most attractive personality trait.
D) individuals with a few negative qualities are not attractive.

Question 9

What are women likely to report are the most important aspects in a potential partner?

A) earning potential and emotional expressiveness
B) physical appeal and personality
C) earning potential and personality
D) emotional expressiveness and physical appeal

Question 10

The matching phenomenon suggests that people tend to pair with partners who are similar in their:

A) social skills.
B) intellectual capacity.
C) socioeconomic background.
D) physical attractiveness.

Question 11

One reason why we find people who are similar to us more attractive is because they:

A) are easy to get along with and are validating.
B) increase our confidence and facilitate self-expansion.
C) are probably going to like us.
D) increase our confidence and share our vulnerabilities.

Question 12

Brian is taking a cooking class.On the first day of class,Brian is paired with Brittany.As they are talking,Brian realizes he likes the way he feels around Brittany and thinks she is beautiful.By the last cooking class,Brian feels a strong urge to ask her on a date.Brian's feelings best demonstrate the process of:

A) romantic attraction.
B) misattribution of arousal.
C) mate selection.
D) the primacy effect.

Question 13

Dr.Brenner is an evolutionary psychologist who hypothesizes that more attractive children will be healthier as adults.After conducting a longitudinal study,what result is Dr.Brenner likely to find?

A) Being attractive is positively associated with physical health.
B) Girls who are rated as more beautiful have better health,but attractiveness is not associated with health in boys.
C) Boys who are rated as more handsome have better health,but attractiveness is not associated with health in girls.
D) Being attractive is not associated with physical health.

Question 14

Nalini is a college senior majoring in mathematics.To help pay her tuition,she works part-time waiting tables at a local restaurant.She enjoys playing soccer and going for hikes.Her friends would describe her as outgoing,kind,funny,and pretty but not beautiful.Based on the matching phenomenon,which of the following men is Nalini most likely to form an intimate relationship with?

A) Trevor,a senior in the math department who plays on the same soccer team as Nalini
B) Jagdeep,a fairly good-looking senior in the physics department who works at the same restaurant as Nalini
C) Tremayne,a somewhat unattractive junior in the math department with whom Nalini goes hiking every other weekend
D) José,an extremely attractive senior in the math department who volunteers in a local elementary school helping disadvantaged children with their math skills

Question 15

How are Sam and Jaydee likely to rate the physical attractiveness of a wide array of photos?

A) They are likely to agree on most of their evaluations of attractiveness.
B) They are likely to disagree in many of their evaluations of attractiveness.
C) They are likely to rate strong characteristics as more attractive than average features.
D) They are likely to agree that men with broad shoulders and tall statures are attractive.

Question 16

You conduct a study about what people find physically attractive by creating computer-generated composites of photographs and asking people to rate the attractiveness of each.Your results show that the composite made up of ________ faces is rated as most attractive.

A) 2
B) 4
C) 16
D) 32

Question 17

Leona tells her friend about her ideal partner: "He would be handsome,rich,and share my love for cooking." Leona is seeking a partner on the basis of:

A) horizontal attributes.
B) vertical attributes.
C) both horizontal and vertical attributes.
D) neither horizontal nor vertical attributes.

Question 18

What aspects of physical attraction appear consistent across a variety of cultures?

A) Culturally diverse men and women tend to regard men with large eyes,a small nose,and high cheekbones as attractive.
B) Culturally diverse men and women tend to regard women with a wide smile and broad jaw as attractive.
C) Culturally diverse men and women tend to regard women with large eyes,a small nose,and high cheekbones as attractive.
D) Culturally diverse men and women tend to regard men with broad shoulders and tall stature as attractive.

Question 19

Elaine Hatfield and her colleagues randomly matched University of Minnesota freshmen for a Welcome Week dance.When the students were asked to evaluate their dates,the physical attractiveness of the date was the best predictor of whether someone wanted to go out with that person again.What was the second-best predictor?

A) similarity of values
B) sense of humor
C) intelligence
D) There was no second-best predictor.

Question 20

The beauty stereotype suggests that physically attractive people are kinder,more sensitive,and more interesting than less attractive people.What is a downside to being physically attractive?

A) Attractive people are judged as equally vain as less attractive people.
B) Potential partners are only interested in attractive people's reproductive fitness.
C) Attractive people find it difficult to trust positive feedback from others.
D) Employers are more likely to offer attractive people a job after an interview.

Question 21

Research on unrequited love shows that:

A) unrequited love is relatively rare because being romantically attracted to someone who is not romantically attracted to us in return is not rewarding.
B) because it causes heartache,feelings of unrequited love fade quickly once it becomes clear the other person is not attracted to us in return.
C) being the object of unrequited love is a particularly flattering experience.
D) feelings of unrequited love are likely to persist because we believe that if we work hard enough we may eventually win the affection of the person we desire.

Question 22

Which of the following factors is the most significant predictor of hookups?

A) sexual drive
B) emotional connection
C) intoxication
D) physical attraction

Question 23

Speed dating is:

A) a smartphone application that matches individuals' preferences and characteristics to determine whether they would be a good couple.
B) the most common way American college students determine if they are romantically interested in others.
C) common among individuals who jump in and out of committed relationships regularly.
D) an event in which participants talk one-on-one with many individuals to see if they are romantically attracted.

Question 24

Research about reciprocity has shown that:

A) the effects of being liked influences feelings of attraction more strongly than the effects associated with the qualities of the individuals.
B) the effects associated with the qualities of the individuals influence feelings of attraction more strongly than the effects of being liked.
C) the effects of being liked influence feelings of attraction as strongly as the effects associated with the qualities of the individuals.
D) the highest levels of liking another correlate with the highest reciprocated feelings of liking.

Question 25

Bev participates in a speed-dating study.On the prestudy questionnaire she reports that physical attractiveness in a potential romantic partner is very important to her.Yet,at the end of the study,the people she reports wanting to meet again are not those she rates as being most physically attractive.How can we explain this discrepancy?

A) Bev misunderstood the prestudy questionnaire and does not think physical attractiveness in a potential romantic partner is important.
B) Mate selection is essentially random so Bev's preferences are not important.
C) The prestudy measures are unable to assess dynamic processes,such as how each person Bev met made her feel.
D) Most people think physical attraction is important,but humor plays a larger role in attraction.

Question 26

The process through which a committed relationship is formed is called:

A) hooking up.
B) mate selection.
C) behavioral synchrony.
D) the matching phenomenon.

Question 27

According to Lykken and Tellegen (1993),why is similarity not a strong predictor of romantic attraction?

A) There are infinite ways to evaluate similarity with others.
B) Similarity is one predictor of romantic attraction,but context plays a larger role in predicting romantic attraction.
C) People tend to seek partners who have traits that they lack.
D) People tend to seek partners who are opposite than themselves.

Question 28

Which of the following is supported by research about complementarity?

A) Complementary traits are more predictive of relationship satisfaction than similar traits.
B) Couples may adopt complementary patterns of behavior when they are together.
C) People report being more attracted to individuals whom they think have personality traits that they themselves lack.
D) There is no evidence that complementarity is attractive.

Question 29

You participate in a study where you meet four other students and work one-on-one with each on a series of activities (i.e. ,first you are paired with one student,then with a second,etc. ).After each activity,you overhear your partner talking to the experimenter about you.According to research by Aronson and his colleagues,which of the students will you like more?

A) Kenisha,who likes you at the beginning of the study and still likes you at the end of the study
B) Will,who likes you at the beginning of the study but not at the end of the study
C) Jamie,who does not like you at the beginning of the study but likes you by the end of the study
D) José,who does not like you at the beginning of the study and still does not like you at the end of the study

Question 30

To understand people's mate choices,it is enough to know about the qualities of the two individuals involved.

A) True
B) False
C) This is true except when partners share temperament qualities.
D) This is false except when partners share qualities that indicate loyalty.

Question 31

Research based on sexual strategies theory shows that:

A) men derive benefits only from pursuing many short-term relationships.
B) women have nothing to gain from pursuing short-term relationships.
C) men are willing to lower their standards to engage in short-term relationships.
D) women are willing to pursue a short-term relationship as long as the male partner is dependable.

Question 32

Social psychologists Donald Dutton and Art Aron had an attractive female research assistant offer her phone number to men in the middle of the high,rickety Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver,British Columbia,and to men on a nearby low,sturdy bridge.The main finding was that the men on the suspension bridge were ________ likely to call the research assistant because they ________ the swaying bridge was the source of their physiological arousal and so attributed their feelings of arousal to ________.

A) less;did not realize;the research assistant
B) more;mistakenly thought;the bridge
C) less;correctly realized;the bridge
D) more;did not realize;the research assistant

Question 33

Jake is presented with four fictional women.According to Hatfield,Pilavin,and Schmidt's (1973)study,whom is he most likely to be interested in asking out?

A) Kanna,who expresses she would date anyone
B) Nadia,who expresses interest in most men,but not Jake
C) Adele,who rejects most men,but expresses interest in Jake
D) Merle,who expresses she is uninterested in dating anyone

Question 34

Who is most likely to have the highest standards for selecting a partner for a one-night stand?

A) Adam,a man at a party
B) Inigo,a man in a café
C) Niko,a woman at a bar
D) Marjan,a woman at a library

Question 35

Blaine is a college student who is interested in one of his classmates,Kendall.What is Blaine most likely to do?

A) ask Kendall to spend time with him in a group setting
B) ask Kendall out on a one-on-one date
C) ask Kendall to hook up with him
D) ask Kendall to be his girlfriend

Question 36

Ana is extremely attracted to Mark,a coworker;however,Mark is unaware that Ana even works for the company.Ana makes every effort to be near Mark,including sitting next to him during meetings and attending company social events that Mark has RSVP'd to.Ana's behavior can best be described as an example of:

A) unrequited love.
B) consummate love.
C) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
D) mate selection.

Question 37

Javeed has a fear of flying,and every time he has to fly,his heart races and his palms get sweaty.On business trips,Javeed usually travels with his colleague Franco,but on a recent trip,a new female colleague,Blanca,accompanied him.Meeting her for the first time at the airport,Javeed found himself extremely attracted to her.Based on the chapter's coverage of attraction,what best explains Javeed's attraction to Blanca?

A) disclosure reciprocity
B) behavioral synchrony
C) misattribution of arousal
D) proceptivity

Question 38

According to Glenn and Marquadt (2011),hooking up is defined as:

A) a physical encounter with the expectation to date.
B) a physical encounter without any further expectations.
C) kissing an individual outside of a committed relationship.
D) having intercourse outside of a committed relationship.

Question 39

The distinction between unrequited love and stalking:

A) is clear-unrequited lovers are sweet and harmless,whereas stalkers are dangerous.
B) may be difficult to assess-unrequited lovers and stalkers both believe they can win over the objects of their affections.
C) may be difficult to assess-it depends on how clearly the object of unwanted attraction communicates his or her lack of interest;he or she may just be playing hard to get.
D) is nonexistent-it all depends on the interpretation made by the object of unwanted attraction.

Question 40

Romantic attraction is to ________ as mate selection is to ________.

A) commitment;desire
B) love;liking
C) desire;commitment
D) liking;love

Question 41

Discuss how personality is related to romantic attraction.

Question 42

According to Muehlenhard and colleagues (1986),what is the strongest sign of a woman's interest in a potential partner?

A) leaning forward
B) speaking with animation
C) touching while not laughing
D) touching while laughing

Question 43

Relationship development often involves romantic attraction and mate selection.Discuss the similarities and differences of these subjects.

Question 44

Fan is telling her friends about how she hooked up with one of her classmates a couple months ago.She is describing that it was an awful experience.What experience is she likely to mention?

A) That the hook-up led to a few dates,but did not develop into a relationship.
B) What the person's name was and where they lived.
C) That she felt used and pressured to have sex.
D) That she was attracted to the person,but was not interested in a relationship.

Question 45

What predictions would NOT follow from Altman and Taylor's social penetration theory?

A) As you get closer with your roommate,you will discuss more personal information with him or her.
B) If your partner is supportive when you discuss slightly personal information,it is reasonable to assume that he or she will be supportive when you discuss topics that are more intimate.
C) Depth of disclosure between partners tends to be fairly equal across all topical areas.
D) The pace of disclosure tends to slow as disclosures become very intimate.

Question 46

Research about commitment suggests that:

A) whether a relationship becomes more or less committed depends on the enduring qualities of the two partners.
B) how quickly partners make a commitment to each other depends on the speed of their self-disclosures.
C) committed couples tend to avoid discussing threatening topics.
D) relationships can become more or less committed for reasons that have little to do with the qualities of the two partners.

Question 47

What are the two categories of self-disclosure according to social penetration theory?

A) task-orientation and relationship-orientation
B) reports and inquiries
C) romance and friendship
D) breadth,the variety of information shared,and depth,the personal significance of the information shared

Question 48

When he first moved from another state,your friend Annand used an online dating service to look for a girlfriend.Annand is of average attractiveness,plays soccer twice a week,and likes sci-fi movies.Although he continually claimed to be interested only in very attractive women,his girlfriend of one year (whom he met through the service)is of average attractiveness.Based on the matching phenomenon,how would you explain this apparent contradiction between Annand's claims and his actual choice of a romantic partner?

Question 49

Relationship development is commonly thought of in terms of:

A) turning points.
B) rigid sequences of events.
C) phases that are not necessarily chronological.
D) levels of commitment between partners.

Question 50

Proceptivity is to ________ as behavioral synchrony is to ________.

A) attraction;proximity
B) proximity;attraction
C) signaling;mimicking
D) mimicking;signaling

Question 51

As mentioned in the attraction chapter,behavioral synchrony refers to ________.

A) the idea that we become more attracted to people (and objects)that we have been exposed to more frequently
B) the fact that sharing common experiences leads us to want to disclose other experiences to an attractive person
C) how people interested in each other unconsciously mimic the other's movements
D) a research method used to study the determinants of physical attraction (e.g. ,hip-to-waist ratio)

Question 52

After taking this class and mastering the material on attraction,you go to a bar on a Friday night,take a corner table,and observe how people meet and form couples.Which of the following individuals is likely to be the LEAST successful at finding a partner at a singles' bar?

A) Martin,who greets his friends with a loud insult and a punch in the arm
B) Tuan,who tends to mimic the behaviors of the people she finds herself talking to
C) June,who emphasizes her long hair by tossing it frequently
D) Terry,who openly shares personal details of his life shortly after he meets someone

Question 53

Two of your friends are arguing about what makes someone attractive.One of your friends claims,"opposites attract," whereas the other insists,"birds of a feather flock together." Both point to couples you both know to support their arguments.Based on the information presented in the chapter,what would you tell your friends about whether similarity or complementarity is more attractive?

Question 54

An experiment by Bernstein and his colleagues (1983)showed that men will crowd into a small viewing booth next to an attractive woman to view a film when different movies are being shown in two viewing rooms but will go to a separate booth when the same film is shown in both settings.An explanation for this finding is that:

A) the men didn't like the movie being shown in the other room.
B) when people have a choice of settings,perceived control makes crowding more tolerable.
C) men prefer watching movies in spacious environments when possible.
D) in the two-film condition,there was less risk of rejection.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about self-disclosure in relationships is NOT true?

A) Relationship development is associated with an increase in depth and breadth of information shared.
B) We like people more after we have disclosed personal information to them.
C) We expect more immediate reciprocal exchange of personal information from our closest friends and partners than either more distant friends or strangers.
D) A pattern of matching and deepening self-disclosures characterizes relationship development.

Question 56

Which of the following events is NOT necessarily associated with greater commitment in a relationship?

A) accepting a job in a different city
B) discussing intended involvement in the relationship
C) moving in together
D) saying "I love you"

Question 57

When someone shares something personal with another person,the other person usually shares something personal as well.This is known as:

A) disclosure reciprocity.
B) behavioral synchrony.
C) mate selection.
D) misattribution of arousal.

Question 58

Janet and Phil have been married for over 50 years.At what point in their relationship did they most likely avoid topics that would induce conflict,such as discussing past romantic partners?

A) when they first met
B) when they reported low levels of intimacy
C) when they reported moderate levels of intimacy
D) when they reported high levels of intimacy

Question 59

Your friend wonders why female celebrities who have unusual facial features are judged as being most physically attractive.Based on what you have learned about physical appearance and attractiveness,what do you tell your friend?

Question 60

Which of the following are topics commonly avoided in discussions by partners in romantic relationships?

A) the state of the relationship,activity outside of the relationship,and prior romantic relationships
B) feelings for one's parents,experiences that one is ashamed of,and general childhood experiences
C) dates shared by the partners,feelings regarding a partner's career,and aspirations
D) expectations regarding parenting,one's greatest fears,and negative experiences

Question 61

According to sexual strategies theory,how are men's and women's standards likely to differ in selecting a partner for a one-night stand? Additionally,discuss how standards for a one-night stand may differ,based on setting.

Question 62

Early research on reciprocity suggested that we are attracted to people who are like us.Explain how subsequent research about the role of reciprocity on attraction has refined this idea.

Question 63

Compare and contrast proceptivity and behavioral synchrony.

Question 64

Your friend Abdul claims he is in love with Maia,a woman in his health psychology class.He tells you that,so far,he has had no luck in getting her to agree to go on a date with him,but he is certain that,if he keeps trying,Maia will change her mind.After what you have learned in your intimate relationships course,you conclude that Abdul is experiencing unrequited love.Provide three reasons why Abdul would choose to continue to pursue Maia,despite her repeated rejections.

Question 65

Explain how situations can affect romantic attraction.

Question 66

Explain how the "social scripts" for getting to know a potential partner have changed over time.

Question 67

Kara and her girlfriend have just said I love you to each other for the first time.Why would researchers studying commitment describe this as a turning point in their relationship?

Question 68

Describe Altman and Taylor's social penetration theory.How does it relate to attraction?

Question 69

What is the problem with stage theories of relationship development? In what other way do relationship researchers conceptualize relationship development?

Question 70

Explain why we find people who are similar to us more attractive than those who are different.