Can we see evidence for homophily at the
neural level?
How to ppl connect?
- Homophily ( closer on demographics like age / gender)
- Influence (they influence each other to be more similar over time)
Can we see evidence for homophily at the
neural level?
Study: Show ppl movie clips and see if they have similar neural patterns
When two people’s brains respond in a similar pattern over time, it suggests
they’re interpreting the movie in a similar way.
- Earlier research showed this brain-to-brain similarity reflects shared understanding of complex scenes.
- In this study, friends’ brain responses while watching the same clips were more alike than the brain responses of people who were strangers or less connected in their social network
Are close friends similar neurally due to Selection or convergence?
What is the evidence for selection?
➢ Similarity in neural responses to movie clips before acquaintance predicts proximity in a friendship network 8 months later
➢ Longitudinal research: similarity does not increase in married couples over
time
➢ Length of marriage does not moderate spousal similarity (with the exception of aggression) (aggression does converge)
Are close friends similar neurally due to Selection or convergence?
What is the evidence for convergence?
(What things do converge)
➢ Behaviour and habits (e.g., health-related behaviours like exercise or smoking)
➢ Physiological stress and emotional responses
➢ Synchronization at the neural level
Study on if people will neurally converge after a group consensus?
➢Phase 1: Participants watched ambiguous movie clip in an fMRI scanner
➢Phase 2: Consensus-building conversation in groups
➢Phase 3: Re-watch original clip + new clips from the same movie
Found: Groups that could reach a consensus were more similar on a neural level after rewatching and seeing new clips
(like they see though their groups mental framework)
Similarity between partners’ personalities
explains only small amount of variation in
satisfaction
What actually plays a bigger role?
Having a partner with desirable personality
traits (e.g., agreeableness, conscientiousness, low neuroticism) more important than matching
- Couples similar on unappealing traits less
successful than couples who are less alike on these traits - Matching on attitudes/values does not always predict satisfaction, but could be due to restricted range problem (Can’t study whole population - data = not generalizeable)
What is fatal attractions?
When you are originally attracted to a trait we don’t have, but become increasingly irritated by the traits
Someone who spends freely might be attracted to a cheaper person (then get angry with them)
Who tends to be happier?
Egalitarian couples
Traditional couples
Members of egalitarian couples happier than more “traditional” couples
➢ May help explain results of some studies showing higher satisfaction in gay and lesbian couples
Why do we think opposites attract?
- Peoples perception of similarity might be more important then the objective similarity
- It also takes time to learn about diff ppl (might take a while to discover how dissimilar u are)
- May pursue partners that represent our ideal selves
- Dissimilarity may decrease over time
What do men mean when they say they value humour?
Men like women who laugh at their jokes
What do women mean when they say they value humour?
women like men who make them laugh
Do preferences predict attraction?
Speed dating study (rate which traits they value before)
Before event: rate importance of physical
appearance, earning potential, & attractive
personality (e.g., ”friendly”, “trustworthy”) in ideal romantic partner
➢ During event: rate each interaction partner on above characteristics & indicate level of desire
➢ Ideal preferences failed to predict desire at the event
(Don’t predict attraction when you actually persue)
Samantha Joel (her lab friend)
Study on Promises of online dating
How did they study this?
Show them a potential partner with two deal breakers
- 74% will wanna date them
Have a speed dating study: Give participants a large questionnaire to try predict attraction
U can predict ppl desiring others (18% ish)
- When u pair up ppl (can predict less then 1%)
So attraction is very unpredictable until you physically meet the person
- Should focus on TYPE of relationship we are building
Explain these key terms:
Actor variance
Partner variance
Relationship variance
Actor variance: overall tendency to desire others
Partner variance: overall tendency to be desired by other people
Relationship variance: people’s desire for specific partners
What are some caveats to her friends study?
- Generalizability?
➢ Relatively homogenous sample undergraduate students - Desire measured after single 4-minute interaction
➢ Results may look different for long-term romantic compatibility
Do we have a ‘type’?
Study on current partner and Ex’s
Look at partner and their own traits
Found evidence of unique (distinctive) similarity between current partner’s profile & ex-partner’s profile
➢ Controlling for normative similarity (reflection of how people describe themselves in general), AND
➢ Self-partner similarity (ex. do u only date lawyers cuz u are a lawyer)
Subtle influences on attraction: What are Chemosignals?
We Process social chemosignals like sweat through main olfactory system?
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes play significant role in immune system; help recognize and respond to pathogens
= There would be an advantage to have a partner with diff cells cuz it would boot ur childs immune system
Study on Chemosignals and sweat?
➢ Women asked to rate odours of t-shirts previously worn by group of men
➢ Odours of men with dissimilar MHC antigens more attractive
➢ Moderated by oral contraceptive use (effect reversed on OCs)
- Subsequent replications, but not consistent—responses are multiply-determined, not like pheromone responses in non-human animal
How does response time in conversations impact your perception of the person / convo?
Minimizing time between responses / turns = a lot of cognitive work
Speed of the convo might show how our minds anticipate each other
- Round Robin study (like speed dating)
- Asked to rate ur enjoyment and connection with partners
= Faster response times positively predict enjoyment and social connection
Turn Taking
What happens when a convo’s response time is artifically:
- Shortened
- Lengthened
When an observer is watching
- Shortened= Observers thought the ppl were close
- Lengthened = thought they were less close
Explain this:
Likely a reciprocal relationship between response times & connection
➢Feelings of connection facilitate fast response times
➢Faster response times reinforce feelings of connection
When may slower response times be more desired?
- Sharing smth that makes u feel vulnerable
- With friends
- In help seeking situations (Dr- Patient)
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