The Science of Attraction

It's February! Aside from it's only a few days before the UP Fair,  it's the time of the year again when the world is filled with roses, chocolates, love songs, love! You probably have heard more love songs these past few days or have seen more couples display their affection with each other as you pass by the street. While there you are, wondering what's with this irrational celebration of consumerism or why you haven't found your partner yet. But wonder no more, because believe it or not, there's science behind all of these.

(Image source: http://www.oxytocin.org/oxytoc/love-science.jpg)

Here are some scientific reasons why you might just get attracted or attract someone:

1. Proximity - According to a research conducted by Richard Moreland and Robert Zajonc (1982), and Zajonc (2001), people tend to get attracted to the ones they share with the same proximity. Studies by Moreland and Scott Beach in 1992 even coined a term for it! They call it the mere exposure effect theory in which repeated exposure to stimuli increases the possibility that you'll be liked. So, one friendly tip? Get close to the people you've been eyeing for so long! Get that courage to start up a conversation!

2. Association - People get to like you more if they can associate you with a good experience or thing! For example, you went to a great concert together and you really enjoyed, the ones you're with tend to get more "pogi/ganda" points.

3. Similairty - Contrary to the popular belief that opposites do attract, you might want to consider the idea that like poles could actually like each other. A study by by Donn Byrne (1971) proved that many couples actually share many hobbies/interests together. It is also supported by Byne's research(1971) which concluded that "the more alike people are, the longer their liking will last." Sharing the same school might not be a strong basis for similarity, but it could be a start! Go ask your GE crush!

4. Physical Attractiveness - This one links to Darwin's crazy idea of survival of the fittest. According to Belot and Francesconi, 2006; Finkel and Eastwick, 2008, physical attraction plays the most important determinant whether two people on a first date would like each other. Attractiveness is highly linked to a healthier and happier life. Women tend to get attracted to males who appear to be strong and dominat because they could secure and support their offspring while males tend to get attracted with women with youthful looks because they are linked to fertility (Gangestad and Simpson, 2000).

5. Reciprocal Liking - As oppose to the notion that unrequitted love is stronger, we actually tend to like people who like as back because they give as a sense that we are in fact, likeable. When we feel good around someone, we tend to get a higher level of liking towards that person (Forgas, 1992; Zajonc & McIntosh, 1992). This is supported by the Reward Theory of Attraction which states that people will like someone as long as the benefit received from liking them is greater than the cost. Sounds more like of economics? Yep.

So here you go, you might just want to reflect and reevaluate your feelings before you ask someone out this Valentines! It's good thing to actually realize that science has something to say with all these uncontrollable feelings inside our chests.


Sources:
http://www.scienceofrelationships.com/home/2012/5/17/top-5-classic-studies-in-the-psychology-of-attraction.html
http://allpsych.com/psychology101/attribution_attraction.html
https://suite101.com/a/the-science-of-attraction-and-who-we-find-attractive-a244276

by Diane Sabulao