Bev Participates in a Speed-Dating Study

question 42

Multiple Choice

Bev participates in a speed-dating study. On the pre-study questionnaire she reports that physical attractiveness in a potential romantic partner is very important to her. Yet at the end of the study, the people she reports wanting to meet again are not those she rates as being most physically attractive. How can we explain this discrepancy?

• A) Bev misunderstood the pre-study questionnaire and does not think physical attractiveness in a potential romantic partner is important.
• B) Mate selection is essentially random so Bev's preferences are not important.
• C) The measures did not assess dyadic processes, such as how each person she met made Bev feel.
• D) Most people think physical attraction is important, but other qualities such as humor play a larger role in attraction.

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Definitions:

Stimulus Discrimination

The ability of an individual to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond to them differently.

Selective Retention

The psychological process by which individuals remember information that is consistent with their beliefs and attitudes while forgetting or ignoring contradictory information.

Routine Problem Solving

The use of simple, habitual decision-making strategies in buying situations that are familiar and not considered to be of high importance.

Behavioral Learning

Behavioral learning theory suggests that learning is the result of conditioning, where behavior is shaped through reinforcement or punishment, leading to a change in behavior patterns.