ABSTRACT
The popularity of matchmaking services that tout the importance of compatibility suggests physical attraction may be influenced by characteristics and processes that operate beneath the epidermis. In that regard, romantic relationships can be quite similar to same-sex friendships that are frequently based on principles that have very little to do with physical appearance. In romantically tinged relationships, physical attractiveness is often more important than attitude similarity. When physical attractiveness is held constant, romantic settings can produce attraction to a dissimilar individual. Classical and operant conditioning theories predict that attraction will always increase unless the situation is neutral—that is, not perceived as either pleasant or unpleasant. In a similar vein, others have argued that attitude similarity and attraction are mostly related in atypical communication settings, such as the psychological laboratory. A more recent study provides a more clear-cut picture of similarity and dissimilarity in attraction.
