Critical Evaluationg of Psychological Theories of Interpersonal Attraction

Critical Evaluationg of Psychological Theories of Interpersonal Attraction

Interpersonal Attraction suggests as attraction between people, and

although it may not in terms of a romantic relationship scenario as

the phrase suggests, it nethertheless suggests an important attraction

to create a relationship with a particular person. It may by that we

are attracted to a particular person or a social relationship because

we find them pleasant or because we find life alone unpleasant or

unrewarding. Schacter (1959) conducted a study in which female

participants were told that they were going to receive an electric

shock in a following experiment. Half of the subjects were told it

would be painful and the other half were told it would not be

painful. Each group were given the option to wait with another person

or on their own for the experiment. A significantly higher number of

people from the group who expected a painful electric shock waited

with another person. This showed the importance of social

relationships in the reduction of anxiety and the sharing of

experiences.

However, why is it that we are attracted to some people more than

other people? Wilson (1986) argues that sexual attraction can be

explained through an understanding of ‘survival efficiency’. By way

of ‘bargaining’ between men and women, our relationships have become

defined and characterised. It is in the ‘Interest’ of males to

impregnate as many women as possible because he is capable of

producing many sperm, whereas the women’s best chance of her genes

surviving is to ensure the healthy survival of the relatively few

offspring she is capable of mothering...

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