Arousal and attraction: A response-facilitation alternative to misattribution and negative-reinforcement models.

Abstract

Previous explanations of arousal-attraction phenomena have focused on misattribution and reinforcement processes. Two studies were conducted to test an alternative response-facilitation explanation of these findings. In general, both studies followed previous methods, with the addition of conditions in which Ss attention was directed to the actual source of their arousal. Study I was based on the fear-arousal method used by Button and Aron (1974) and found enhanced attraction to a confederate in high-fear-arousal subjects. Contrary to the misattribution model, the focus-of-attention manipulation had no eifect on attraction. Study 2 used a nonthreatening source of arousal (exercise) and also included a focus-of-attention manipulation. Contrary to the misattribution model, arousal facilitated sexual attraction even when subjects' attention was directed to the actual arousal source. Although the results of Study 1 are consistent with a negative-reinforcement model, the findings from Study 2, and from several other studies in the area, are not. The simple responsefacilitation model best explains these results and provides a parsimonious alternative explanation for several other sets of data.What role does cognitive labeling play in emotional experiences? Schachter and Singer (1962) proposed that all emotions have a common set of underlying physiological symptoms: We discriminate fear from anger from joy by attending not to differential physiological cues but to the context in which we experience the arousal. Berscheid and Walster (1974) applied the two-factor theory to the emotion of romantic love. According to this viewpoint, romantic love occurs when we experience physiological arousal in the presence of a member of the opposite sex whom we find attractive. One implication of this view is that romantic attraction can be increased by any extraneous source of physiological arousal that coincides with exposure to a potential lover.Original Support for a Misattribution Model Berscheid and Walster (1974) interpreted a number of findings within the misattribution framework. For instance, Stephan, Berscheid, and Walster (1971) found increased attraction for a potential blind date in subjects who had been previously exposed to a sexually arousing story. Jacobs, found that women who met an attractive man were more attracted to him when they had recently had an unrelated upsetting experience, and Driscoll, Davis, and Lipetz Study 1 was conducted as Michael A. McCall's master's thesis at Arizona State University.

The Nature and Role of Affect in Consumer Behavior

“…B. Allen, Kenrick, Linder, & McCall, 1989). A third explanation, consistent with the affect-as-information hypothesis, is that individuals misattribute their incidental arousal as indicating the strength of their integral affective response to the target, which again results in more polarized evaluations (Pham, 2004).…”

Marquemos o encontro ao cimo da escada: O papel da activação fisiológica na atracção interpessoal

“…Os indiví-duos que se sentiram activados fisiologicamente e não tinham uma razão saliente no meio para tal, após se dissociarem da situação de activação (passar algum tempo), tenderam a fazer uma atribuição enviesada do que estavam a sentir para um estímulo ambíguo -neste caso a pessoa alvo -julgando-se como mais atraídos, pelo menos em termos gerais, comparativamente com as pessoas que não realizaram qualquer exercício físico. Assim, parece ter havido uma tendência para que as pessoas activadas devido ao exercício físico transferissem o que estavam a sentir para um estímulo ambíguo presente no meio, na altura em que lhes foi pedido para darem uma designação aos seus sentimentos (Allen et al, 1989;Cotton, 1981;Foster et al, 1998;Mandler, 1992). Salienta-se, porém, a fraca magnitude do efeito em estudo.…”

“…Esta perspectiva sugere que perante uma situação desencadeadora de excitação fisiológica, para a qual não parece existir explicação, o indivíduo tenta dar uma designação ao que sente com base no contexto que o rodeia (Allen, Kenrick, Linder & McCall, 1989;Cotton, 1981). Ora se uma determinada situação deixar no indivíduo resí-duos excitatórios, tal leva a que as suas reacções emocionais em situações subsequentes podem ser aumentadas (Zillmann, 1971).…”

“…A maioria dos estudos acerca dos factores que influenciam a atracção utiliza pessoas muito atractivas ou pessoas pouco atractivas, sendo vasta a literatura que sugere o desencadeamento de diferentes graus de atracção, consoante a atractividade física da pessoa alvo (Allen et al, 1989;Foster et al, 1998). Note-se, porém, que ao contrário dos homens, as mulheres tendem a não dar tanta importância a características físicas, mas sim a outros atributos tais como as ambições futuras da outra pessoa, a sua profissão, entre outros aspectos.…”

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“…Selfreported sexual attraction has been shown to increase following increases in physiologi cal arousal (Allen, Kenrick, Linder, & McCall, 1989;Dutton & Aron, 1974). Although this phenomenon has not been documented in conjunction with the red effect, it is likely that positively arousing images will enhance the red effect through this same mechanism.…”