Do Opposites Really Attract?

News flash! Just about everyone thinks that opposites attract — but they don’t. Many relationship experts write that people seek partners whose traits complement their own. It’s a myth that opposites attract, says Matthew D. Johnson, Chair & Professor of Psychology and Director of the Marriage and Family Studies Laboratory, Binghamton University, State University of New York. “Love stories often include people finding partners who seem to have traits that they lack,” he writes, “like a good girl falling for a bad boy. In this way, they appear to complement one another  … The question is whether people actually seek out complementary partners or if that just happens in the movies.” “As it turns out, it’s pure fiction,” Johnson adds. “There is essentially no research evidence that differences in personality, interests, education, politics, upbringing, religion or other traits lead to greater attraction.” In a 2012 study, psychologists Matthew Montoya and Robert Horton found an irrefutable association between being similar to and being interested in another person. “In other words, there is clear and convincing evidence that birds of a feather flock together,” Johnson concludes. “For human beings, the attractiveness of similarity is so strong that it is found across cultures.” Arranged Marriages Shed Light on the Topic The case for similarities attracting is supported by truths about arranged ma...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Communication Marriage and Divorce Relationships Source Type: blogs