Attraction, Friendship and Relationships
Introduction
Think about your social world….friends, family, classmates, and intimate relationships in
your life. How have these relationships shaped you into the person you are today? How do
social relationships and social support influence us? What about dating—how do we tend
to choose a mate? Do opposites indeed attract or are we more attracted to those who are
similar to ourselves? In this section, we will review the importance of social relationships
and social support and examine the various factors that influence social relationships and
attraction. After completing the readings in this section, you will be able to do the following:
Learning Objectives
• Understand the importance of friendships and social support on our overall health
and well being
• Understand and describe various factors that contribute to attraction
• Examine the impact that our physical state may have on our feelings of social
connectivity
• Understand what attracts us to others.
• Review research that suggests that friendships are important for our health and
well-being.
• Examine the influence of the Internet on friendship and developing relationships.
• Understand what happens to our brains when we are in love.
• Consider the complexity of love.
• Examine the construct and components of social support.
Group Discussion
1. How importance of friendships and social support on our overall health and
wellbeing?
2. Describe various factors that contribute to attraction
3. Examine the impact that our physical state may have on our feelings of social
connectivity
