Foundations of Interpersonal Attraction

Foundations of Interpersonal Attraction is intended to provide students of interpersonal relationships with a source book that reviews, integrates, and elaborates basic material concerned with interpersonal attraction-the affectional component of social relationships. All interpersonal relationships can be characterized, in part, by the strength and nature of the affectional tie between the persons involved. The ubiquity of attraction phenomena, and the extensive data that have begun to emerge concerning its nature, antecedents, and interpersonal correlates, provided the original rationale and impetus behind the development of the book. The book contains 16 chapters organized into five parts. Part I briefly highlights the history of attraction research and lays out some central themes related to conceptualizing and researching attraction. All persons develop attachments through social interaction, but the nature and antecedents of such feelings differ depending on the age and cognitive-developmental level of the persons involved as well as on the sociocultural context in which the interaction takes place. Part II is devoted to detailing these issues. Parts III and IV consist of a series of contributions that provide conceptual frameworks for studying attraction. Part V is devoted to romantic attraction.

List of ContributorsPrefacePart I Introduction 1. A Perspective on Interpersonal Attraction I. Introduction and Overview II. Problems with Conceptualizations of Attraction III. Attraction as a Multifaceted Attitude IV. The Measurement of Attraction V. Social Relationships and Attraction VI. The Reward Hypothesis VII. Concluding Comments ReferencesPart II The Contexts of Attraction 2. A Cognitive-Developmental Approach to Interpersonal Attraction I. Introduction II. The Cognitive-Developmental Conception of Social Motivation III. Developmental Changes in Attachment in Early Childhood IV. Cognitive-Structural Levels of Moral Development and Interpersonal Attraction V. The Development of Formal Logical Operations VI. The Development of Inference and Understanding of Social-Psychological Causality VII. Levels of Ego Development as a Framework for the Study of Attraction VIII. Conclusion References 3. The Social Context of Interpersonal Attraction I. Introduction II. The Field of Desirables III. The Field of Available IV. Normative Adherence V. Normative Definition VI. Social Structure, Role Definition, and Interpersonal Attraction VII. Conclusion References 4. Cross-Cultural Perspective on Attraction I. Introduction II. Attraction and Freedom of Choice of Spouse III. Cultural Context of Attraction IV. Interaction in the Building of Attraction V. Personal Characteristics and Attraction VI. Ceremonies and Ritual in Commitment Building VII. Long-Term Development of a Relationship VIII. Conclusion ReferencesPart III Conceptual Frameworks 5. A Three-Level Approach to Attraction: toward an Understanding of Pair Relatedness I. Introduction II. Levels of Human Relatedness III. Behavioral Indices of Relatedness IV. The Context of Interpersonal Reinforcement V. Summary References 6. The Communication of Interpersonal Attitudes: an Ecological Approach I. Introduction II. An Ecological Orientation to Interpersonal Relationships III. A Conceptual Framework of Interpersonal Attraction IV. Behavioral Indicators of Social Penetration V. Summary References 7. A Reinforcement-Affect Model of Attraction I. A Description of the Model II. A Multilevel Conceptualization of Theory Construction and Theory Testing References 8. The Role of Reward in the Formation of Positive Interpersonal Attitudes I. Introduction II. The Meaning of Reward III. Sources of Reward IV. Interpersonal Attraction and the Reward Hypothesis References 9. Attributions, Liking, and Power I. Introduction II. Some Unexplained Findings III. The Nature of Attraction IV. Attraction as a Power Resource V. Interpretations of the Evidence VI. Some Final Thoughts References 10. A Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Attraction I. Reconceptualizing Interpersonal Attraction II. The Problem of Interpersonal Attraction III. Determinants of Alter's Character IV. Determinants of Ego's Attachment to Alter's Character V. Conclusions ReferencesPart IV Antecedents of Attraction: Affective Feedback, Attitudes, and Situational Factors 11. Affective Reactions to Appraisal from Others I. Introduction II. Personal Evaluations Taken of Face Value III. The Evaluation Incongruency Pseudoqualification IV. The Internal States Qualifier V. Characteristics of the Evaluator VI.