Psychodynamics of Interpersonal Attraction

Are there significant experimental or theoretical questions which can best be answered by observation of dimensional characteristics of the attraction behaviour itself, rather than by the study of the time intervening between issues? Among the foremost issues are ‘what binds individuals together?’ ‘Why we like one person better than another?’ “How do we attract others and in turn are attracted towards others ultimately falling in love with significant others?” In examining these questions, a research paradigm is developed by intensive use of the techniques drawn from both the Pavlovian and Hullian traditions of behaviour analysis on the one hand, and the ‘Reinforcement-affect’ model (Byrne & Clore) on the other. ‘Psychodynamics of Interpersonal Attraction’ extends the analysis of classical and instrumental conditioning to the measurable properties of individual responses as they are systematically influenced by both overt stimulus characteristics such as sex and physical attractiveness, and covert factors viz non-attitudinal similarity in personality and dynamics of reciprocated liking. The present book lucidly explains the mechanism of interpersonal attraction as geared by personality variables and physical attractiveness. Important factors leading to interpersonal attraction are, no doubt, the physical attractiveness of a stranger, personality similarity between the perceiver and stranger and reciprocated favourable responses of the stimulus person, but the interaction among these factors in relation to the sex of the perceiver and the perceived would be contemplated with even greater interest than an isolated single factor in producing attraction behaviour. The book, gets added attraction due to the use of 2 (4x2x2) ANOVA with repeated measure in the analysis of the data. The book presents the whole findings in such a comprehensive and coherent way that readers will enjoy it and feel encouraged to undertake further research in this area.