Relationship and Attraction: The Attraction-Similarity Model

In his article, The Strategies of Finding a Mate, David M. Buss discusses the act of finding a mate and the characteristics that people are drawn to in a mate. He begins the article with a brief look at the history of mating and the theories that have previously been proposed. In particular he addressed Charles Darwin’s theory of sexual evolution and belief in preferential mate choice. Buss proposes that there are three components to human mating. He states that “human mating is inherently strategic… mating strategies are context-dependent… [and that] men and women have faced different mating problems over the course of human evolution and, as a consequence, have evolved different strategies” (Buss, 1994, p. 241). He uses this theory to propose nine different hypotheses to prove that despite humans being varied and different from each other, all humans look for similar characteristics when trying to find a mate (Buss, 1994).

I found it interesting that the authors found that actual similarity did not predict romantic attraction, that in fact similarity was significantly or marginally related to romantic liking for 6 of the 26 results were in the expected direction. They also found that significant effect of socio-sexuality similarity on liking, and socio-sexuality shares some conceptual overlap with extraversion.

I think that the effect that attraction has had on me in my relationships has a lot of who I dated when I was younger. I used to see a girl that I felt was attractive and try to ask her out on a date. Then as I got older I used to see a girl that was attractive to me and I would try to take her out and start a relationship with her based solely on the first initial attraction. I understand that a real and stable relationship takes a whole lot more than just looks to be a successful relationship and to be serious. I now am married to the most wonderful women on this planet and really and truly understand love. She is my

And did I mention about attraction and interest? Trust will show more interest, people will admire you and you will get noticed at the same time, which leads you to become more attractive to others.

This article argues that physical attractiveness is a gateway for a healthy relationship. Singles, of both sex, recognizes the importance of physical attractiveness, especially online. Only when the standard is meet would they investigate further into the personality. It also argues that excessive attractiveness is unnecessary, and people prefers “averagely” attractive partner. The author is a dating & mating psychologist, has deep study in relationships. I will use this article as a major point to support my thesis statement.

A trait that is important to attract mates it clear skin. Ziv (2006) writes, “As much as fashion and beauty can vary across cultures, clear skin in universally admired” (p. 118). Subconsciously, when humans see clear skin, they are relieved. The reason they have relieved is that clear skin means that there aren’t

B efore marriage, love or even dating, there is attraction, the unexpected force that draws two people together. Physical attractiveness is the physical traits which are perceived and believed to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. There are multiple factors which influence one person to be attracted to another. These factors can vary between many cultures, cultural and social aspects, and individual subjective preferences (Gangestad & Scyheyd, 2005). An individuals perceived attractiveness can have a significant effect on how they are judged in terms of employment or social opportunities, friendship, sexual behavior, and marriage (Townsend & Levy, 1990).

Critique: I found this essay to be enlightening in several ways. Not only was the information presented in an organized way, but it was also very interesting. I agree with the author’s statements about the trials and tribulations of relationships, and I find myself agreeing most with his biological theory of attraction. I especially liked the psychological direction of the essay, as it remained fairly objective and scientific while still presenting new and different ideas as witnessed by his inclusion of historical facts with the addition of his own unique analysis and commentary

I thought the section of intimate relationships was interesting that the matching hypothesis suggest we are likely to be with a person that is similar to ourselves in physical attractiveness and other assets, but it also similarities in our personalities, intellectual ability, education, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and attitudes.

Taken directly from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, this definition states in clear, scientific terms what attraction is. However, as every human knows, the power of attraction goes far beyond this cut and dried statement, reaching deep into our psyche, as well into our past. In this paper, the processes of attraction, its evolutionary roots and modern day implications are studied, in an attempt to answer the question "what causes us to be attracted to someone"?

Finkel, E.J., Eastwick, P.W., Karney, B.R., Reis, H.T., & Sprecher, S. (2012). Online dating: A critical analysis from the perspective of psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(1), 3-66.

This phrase is a standard part of our cultural landscape and it’s commonly seen in novels and movies (Top, 2010). Many think that people who are opposite to one another in their personalities, beliefs, looks, etc. tend to be more attracted to each other. However research suggests that this myth is backwards (Top, 2010). In fact, when it comes to interpersonal relationships opposites don’t attract to each other. Numerous studies have shown that people who have similar personalities and have things in common are more likely to be attracted to each other (Top,

The understanding of attraction between opposite sexes and the impact they have on each other has qualities of both mystery and accessibility. These complex issues are elusive and cannot be fully comprehended. Only small pieces of knowledge about them have been captured in literature, in scientific and analytical studies, and in individual's search and speculations.

In the research from Pieternel Dijkstra he had a looked into “similarity-attraction hypothesis” which is when an individual feels attracted to another potential partner who, in important domains, are similar as themselves. Almost the same people are assumed to be attractive because they validate their beliefs about the world and ourselves and reduce the risk of conflicts. Dijkstra had done numerous studies that require to examine closely to the truth that

The first stage of romantic love begins with attraction. Whether you have been best friends for a long time or you just met the person, you begin your romantic relationship when there is that feeling of