Ruairidh: Online Dating
Social psychology was one of my favorite classes in university because I found that it was so applicable to my life, especially my relationships. It can be tough finding a balance with university work, part-time jobs, and maintaining a social life. As stressful as all of this can be, I’ve always found going on dates is a great way to de-stress. One of the most interesting concepts of attraction is how similarity is one of the key determining factors for how relationships develop. People who are similar to us in age, socioeconomic status, hobbies, and so on validate our own views about the world, and this leads to an increased chance of being attracted to them. As social media continues to dominate, I’ve found that online dating has become the norm. It can give you opportunities to meet people with similar interests as you that are close in proximity.
However, a downside of online dating is that you can begin to create an idea of a person based off their photos and how they communicate via text. Sometimes when you finally meet, they are completely different from what you were expecting, and you’re left searching for more similarities. The causal arrow of attraction and similarity comes into play; as perceived attraction influences perceived similarity, perceived similarity influences our attraction. In some cases, you meet people who try to take a selfie with you one hour into the first date, and other times they confess to you that they have no empathy, which could possibly prompt you to ask if they are a sociopath. Moving past that, I have also had the good fortune of meeting people I am very attracted to who have many similarities to me, and these have always been opportunities for growth. Social psych taught me to recognize that similarity is a huge determinant for attraction, but it should not overshadow how the person makes you feel. University is stressful, and you deserve to find a like-minded, attractive individual who treats you right. Just remember, first-date selfies are most definitely not the best move!