Running Head: Factors of attraction 1

ENOCK OBONYO WESONGA

REG. NO: C01/0465/2017

DEOERTMANT: PSYCHOLOGY

UNIT: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

CONTINOUS ASSESSMENT TEST

ADMINISTERED TO: ADAMS KIHORO

TUESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2018

 Factors of attraction 2

Paul Karanja had been relating with criminal for 27 years while in committee Maximum Prison.
This implies that most of the behavior that he has learned is that of criminal who only relate with
other in a manipulative manner. Therefore, for Paul Karanja to begin looking for a wife he must
first learn to form the first impression of people.

Information about people with whom we interact is difficult to obtain before we meet
them. Therefore, Karanja will be forced to form the first impression of people using only scanty
evidence. When he meet that person for the first time, he will now use the external cues such as
clothes, gestures, manner of speaking, tone of voice or even the firmness of the hand shake to
form the first impression. This will enable to easily interpret and remember that other person
because he would have her schema in mind. Paul will now have to develop interpersonal
attraction, i.e. having positive feelings towards other person. This encompasses a variety of
experience including liking, friendship, admiration, lust and love.

There are other factors that would determine if Karanja and the girl that she meet will like
each other as explain below.

Proximity: This means that the more Paul and his girlfriend will be close the more they would
like each other and develop the mutual attraction. Thus, I would advise him to maintain
closeness to the partner.

Similarity: This refers to the similarity of attitude and interest. Paul should look for a person
whom they both share attitude and interests. This is because it would it would increase the
positive feeling towards the other partner. The higher the proportion of attitude that two share the
stronger the attraction between them.

Complementarity: Paul should for a partner possessing the characteristics that she lacks, i.e.
ideas and personal traits by which they can complement each other. For instance the women who
show a need to take care of others are often married to men who need to be nurtured, like Paul.

Attractiveness: This is the principle by which people tend to associate physical attractiveness
with other positive qualities such as warm intelligent sociable. Paul should look for a partner
who is attracted to his eyes, that is, in terms of physical appearance.
 Factors of attraction 3

Reciprocity: This is the principle by which people tend to be attracted to people who are
attracted to them. In general, the research shows that we tend to like those people who show that
they like us and that we tend to see that others tend to see others as liking us more if we like
them. Accruing from the above for Paul to be liked or loved by other female partner he would
first have to like the girl or show to love her. This implies that liking breeds liking and loving
promotes loving. By this, the girl is likely a strong obligation to reciprocate the same love.

Paul must therefore be ready to comply with the attitude or the personality of the other
partner in a friendly manner that is being accommodative. Knowing that difference might arise
later but that should not be the point of separation or divorce. Paul should learn to bear with his
partners weaknesses with genuine love.