Interpersonal attraction between people often leads to friendship and romantic relationships. Many factors lead to interpersonal attraction such as physical attractiveness, attitude similarity, reciprocity, and proximity. The following are different theories on attraction:
· Matching Hypothesis: Based on the view that interpersonal attraction is more likely to occur when the other person's physical attractiveness is similar to our perception of our own physical attractiveness.
· Equity Theory: Based on the view that people are most comfortable in a balanced relationship in which their perceived contributions and benefits are relatively equal to their partners.
· Evolutionary Theory: Based on the view that interpersonal attraction is more likely to occur when someone has physical features that indicate that they are fertile. According to this theory, the only purpose of relationships is reproduction and so weinvest in someone who appears fertile and increases the chance of our genes being passed on to the next generation.
· Social Exchange Theory: Based on the view that we consider the costs and benefits of a relationship with other possibilities and choose the one person who seems to give us the most reward.
· Reinforcement Theory: Based on the view that attraction results from a positive reinforcing emotional experience and that we tend to like others who like us and make us feel good about ourselves.
Which one of these theories best explains your development of friendships and development of romantic partners?