LAW 039

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

CHAPTER 4:
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP & ATTRACTION/ AFFILIATION

BY: NORSYAZRAH ZULKIFLI

CLOSE RELATIONSHIP &

ATTRACTION/AFFILIATION
O Definition of close relationship
O Development of close relationship
O Sequence of attraction

INTRODUCTION
Each and every people in the
world need to be around other
people. That is why people
attracted
to
each
other.
Attraction simply means to
engage or to draw attention
from other people. Specifically,
interpersonal attraction play role
in our daily live. Interpersonal
attraction refers to the desire to
approach other people.

DETERMINANTS OF
ATTRACTION
O INTERNAL DETERMINANTS:
1. Need to affiliate
2. Basic Role of Affect
O.EXTERNAL DETERMINANTS:
1. Proximity
2. Others observable Characteristics

1. Need to affiliate
O Def:

the basic motive to seek and maintain

interpersonal relationship
This relates to two factors:
i) Individual differences
We need to be alone some time and want to spend most
of time with others. Individual needs to feel belong; live
peacefully among others, hurted when left out by others
ii) Situational influences
When you are in the situations that you need others to
help you, the need to affiliate will become higher.
Example during flood, what you will do?
Help people: why?
Because: to communicate, to be with others, to make
decisions

2. Basic role of affects

O The positive affect leads to positive

evaluation towards people (LIKING)

while negative affect leads to negative
evaluation towards people(DISLIKING).
O This is a direct emotions on attraction.
O You are attracted to hear something
good rather than bad.
O Example:
1. What a beautiful dress you wore!
2. Where did you this ugly dress?

Cont.
O The associated effect of emotions on attraction

occurs when another person is simply present

at the same time that ones emotional state is
aroused by something or someone else.
O Example: you will be happy if you see the first
person that you met after getting a good result
in your exam.
# the emotions on attraction/ we are persuaded
to choose whatever that we like.

1. Proximity
O It can be referred as geographical nearness.
O The

physical surroundings will shaped your

interpersonal behaviour.
O People tend to interact in the settings(classroom,
office, events) that bring them into close proximity.
O Example: you feel good if you see the same person
sits beside you in the class.
O This refers to repeated exposure( exposure effect):
the positive response to a stranger, a drawing, a
word in an unknown language or whatever that being
observed multiple times occurs simply on the basis
of exposure.
O Familiarity is perceived as a positive effect but
unfamiliarity always at least potentially dangerous.

2. Observable Characteristics of
Others
O Sometimes will never interact with the person who sits
beside us, maybe it because of their physical
attractiveness.
O We hold stereotypes based on how people look (focus on
the appearance of the people). This is based on the
assumption that what is beautiful is good. This is the belief
that physically attractive individuals possess socially
desirable personality traits and lead happier lives than less
attractive persons.
O Most of the assumption is incorrect because bad man may
be good looking and intelligent people such as Bill Gates
may be unattractive.
O Sometimes people tend to assume that beautiful woman is
materialistic and selfish.

Other aspects of appearance and

behaviour that influence attraction
O Clothing
O Neatness
O Eyeglasses
O Body type
O Overt behaviour
O First name

Cont.
Most of the people really concern
about their appearance (how they
look).
This is because people experienced
appearance-rejection sensitivity :
from time to time these people worry
about their appearance and fear that
others may snub them because they
dont quite measure up on this
dimension.
It will effect the self esteem and
capacity to form satisfying relationship
with others.

Interaction with others:

similarity v mutual liking
O Similarity will produce attraction.
O This similarity-dissimilarity effect found

that people will respond positively to

indications that another person is similar to
themselves and negatively to indications that
another person is dissimilar from themselves.
O The focused is on the attitude similarity (the
extent to which two individuals share the same
attitudes).
O Attraction will be determine by the proportion
of similarity that is about the number of the
specific indicators that two people are similar
divided by the number of specific indicators
that two people are similar plus the number of
specific indicators that they are dissimilar.

REPULSION
HYPOTHESIS
O This Rosenbaums (1986) provocative proposal

that attraction is not increased by similar

attitudes but simply decreased by dissimilar
attitude.
O The basic idea is that information about
similarity has no effect on attraction but people
are simply repulsed by information about
dissimilarity.
O Even this theory is incorrect but it was true that
dissimilar attitudes tend to have negative
effects that are stronger than the positive
effects of similar attitudes

BALANCE THEORY
O This theory by Heider(1958) and Newcomb(1961)

explained why does similarity elicit positive affect

while dissimilarity elicits negative affects.
O People are naturally organize their likes and dislikes
in a symmetrical way; if they like each other in some
similar aspect, it will constitute balance (emotionally
pleasant) while it will be imbalance if they find the
dissimilarity.
O However, it can restore the imbalance by changing
their attitude OR JUST DISLIKE EACH OTHER
O When they dislike each others, it will be non balance;
it is either unpleasant or not because they are
indifferent about similarities or dissimilarities

SOCIAL COMPARISON
THEORY
O This theory of Festinger (1954) sugested that people

compare themselves to others because for may domains

and attributes, there is no objective yardstick with which
to evaluate the self, so we compare ourselves to others to
gain this information.
O The only way to evaluate the accuracy and normality is by
finding that other people agrees with you.
O You will feel good if somebody feels the same as you.
O This relates to adaptive response: any physical
characteristics or behavioural tendency that enhances the
odd of reproductive success for an individual or for other
individuals with similar genes.
# normally, we have strong, inherited and tendency to fear
anyone that is indifferent with ourselves.

Birds of a feather really do flock together?

O We will attracted to those who are

similar to us. This is known as

matching hypothesis (the proposition
that people are attracted to others
who are similar to them in particular
characteristics).
O Reason:
1. Desire for social comparison
2. Evolutionary heritage- recognition
to genetically similar person
3. We like that which is familiar.

Reciprocal liking/disliking :
liking those who likes us
O What are people desire in others?
O How they want to find the ideal person?
O A research conducted by Cottrell, Neuburg

& Li (2007) found that ideal person

included those who are:
1.Trustworthiness
2. Cooperativeness
3. Agreeableness ( being kind,
interpersonally warm)
4. Extraversion (outgoing, sociable)

CLOSE RELATIONSHIP:
INTRODUCTION
O We are seeing the social world through our culture.
O The culture will influence/shaped the relationship in

terms of:
- what to expect
- What are the obligations of the relationship
- How the relationship should be formed and
developed
Sometimes the culture cause enemyship: personal
relationship that based on hatred and malice in
which one person wishes to produce another person
downfall and attempts to sabotage that persons life
progress

INTERDEPENDENT
RELATIONSHIP: FAMILY
O Interdependence refers to an interpersonal

association in which two people influence each

other lives. They often focus their thoughts on
one another and regularly in joint activities.
O The parent-child interactions is the first contact
with another person. They will communicate and
reinforce actions to another by touching,
hugging and kissing.
O That is why children attached to their family.
Attachment refers to the strong emotional bond
that develops between infants and their
caregiver.

Parent-Child Interactions
O Bowlby (1969,1973) introduced the concepts of

attachment style by mothers and their infants.

Attachment styles refers to security experienced in
interpersonal relationships. Differential styles initially
develop in the interactions between children and
caregiver when the children acquires basic attitudes
about self-worth and interpersonal trust.
O It assumed two basics attitudes that infant received
from his mother:
i. Self esteem (loved, valued, important or vice versa)
ii. Interpersonal trust ( involves that belief that other
people are generally trustworthy, dependable and
reliable as opposed to vice versa)

ATTACHMENT STYLES
STYLES

CHARACTERISTICS

1. SECURE

-High both self esteem and trust

-Will form lasting, committed and satisfying
relationship throughout life
- associated with high need for achievement, low
fear of failure and strong curiosity about
environment

2. FEARFUL-AVOIDANT

3.PREOCCUPIED

-Low self esteem, high interpersonal trust

-strongly desire close relationship
-Believe they are untrustworthy
-Vulnerable to being rejected

4. DISMISSING

-high self esteem, low trust

-Fear genuine closeness(mistrust of potential
partners)
-tendency to reject others and avoid to being
rejected

Low self esteem and trust

Most insecure attachment styles
Tend not to perform close relationship
Have unhappy lives

Role of other family members & siblings

O The interaction in the family is

important because the young

person developing attitudes on
the meaning and value of trust,
affection, self-worth
competition and humour in it.
O The person who has no siblings
may be is more aggressive or
being victimized by other
persons
O Therefore, the attitude and
relationship is started at home.

INTERDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP: FRIENDS

O Close friendship is a relationship in

which two people spend great deal

of time together/ interact in a variety
of situations and provide mutual
emotional support .
O The characteristic of a friend may
include talk modestly, less likely to
cheat, speak as we or us,
generosity, sensitivity and honesty.

When social interaction becomes

problematic?

O Social anxiety: the unpleasant emotion

people experience due to their concern

with interpersonal evaluation.
O This is happened to people that try to
avoid social interaction; less likely to
begins interactions, talk less in
interactions and disclose less about
ourselves.
O Consequently, this people are more
attentive to face with negative
expressions; avoiding eye contact or
appearing nervous

Lonelines
O This is the unpleasant emotional and cognitive state based on desiring close

relationship but being unable to attain them.

O Consequences:
- Have only casual friends
- Unhappy
- Feels left out etc
O Why it is happen?
-inherited factors
- Environmental factor
- Attachment style
- Failure to develop social skill
O How to reduce?

1.Cognitive therapy
- To decreased negativity & encourage new thoughts and perceptions
2.Social skills training
- Train people to know the socially appropriate behaviour, learning to interacts

The end.