FREE ESSAY ON INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION

INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION

Relationships with the individuals around us are key to ones social existence. Personal
accounts by people who have been isolated from the outside world serve as a reminder of
our dependence on others. What draws us into these "relationships"? Studies of
interpersonal attraction have concluded that people are attracted mostly to those that
they find physically attractive and who are geographically close.
The first step to understanding why we are attracted to certain individuals we must first
understand an individuals person perception or the process of forming impressions of
others. First impressions often help us to determine whether we are attracted to another
individual. Our first impressions of an individual has a great impact on our perception
of that person, even though we encounter that person for only a brief period of time.
When we perceive a person we account for both the positive and negative characteristics
of that individual. Although most people seem to be interested in another individual's
positive characteristics, the negative information is usually weighed so heavily that it
overrules all the positive information about that person.
What makes another person attractive? Researchers have identified five factors that are
important in determining whether we are likely to find another person attractive. These
factors are physical attractiveness, proximity, competence, mutual attraction or liking,
similarity or complementarity of interest and beliefs. 
Physical attractiveness is the most important factor in the early stages of
relationships. In general, people are more likely to interact with people who they find
physically attractive. As Krebs and Adinolfi once stated "there is a growing body of
evidence which shows that the average person drastically underestimates the influence of
physical attractiveness…". Although this factor is highly important in affecting
the initial attraction, it tends to diminish over time. 
Physical closeness or proximity is another important factor in interpersonal attraction.
Obviously, in order to meet, two people must share close proximity. The sharing of this
space will help you to get to know a person better. In some cases becoming more familiar
with an individual can lead to a dislike of that individual. More often, though, getting
to know someone leads to a deeper relationship with that individual. .
The third factor of interpersonal attraction is competence. People tend to be attracted
to individuals with the same qualities that they possess, such as intelligence, strength,
social skill, education, and athleticism. People who appear too competent may suffer a
loss of attractiveness, because the individual's around them feel inferior when near
them. 
Attraction is defined as a force that draws people together. Often times one individual's
attraction of another will lead to a liking in return. One possible reason for this is
that liking someone actually makes you more physically attractive. Many times a person
will improve on their physical appearance to get others to notice. For example, when one
wears more fashionable clothing. Another reason that one's attraction leads to mutual
attraction is that you tend to be nicer to the people that you like, which in return
makes you more attractive to them.
We are most attracted to and become more involved with individuals that share similar
backgrounds, educational levels, beliefs, values. But what about the theory that
opposites attract? The principle of complementarity states that people are attracted to
others whose traits or characteristics supplement or contrast their own. This is
illustrated by the belief that outgoing individuals are attracted to individuals who are
shy and reserved. Statistics show that individuals in long-term relationships prefer to
associate with other people who are similar to them. 
Application of interpersonal attraction do not deal just with the search for love, but
stem into the work environment and the classroom . Many researchers used personality test
to find suitable college roommates. Also, studies have concluded that students tend to
have higher grades if they relate well with the teacher.
In conclusion, people tend to be attracted to individuals who are physically attractive,
physically accessible and socially available; and similar in terms of purposes,
backgrounds, beliefs, and needs. However , interpersonal attraction is not the only
factor that effects the building of a strong and health relationship. A good relationship
requires communication and the ability to adapt to one another