Misattribution of Arousal and Dating

Introduction

• Commonality between amusement parks, scary movies, and rock climbing walls: they all get your heart pumping.
• These activities make great first dates because they induce arousal, which can be misattributed as attraction.
• Misattribution of arousal is a psychological phenomenon where the source of arousal is mistakenly identified.

Understanding Misattribution

• Definition: Misattribute means to make a mistake.
• Our brain often misattributes information, leading to incorrect perceptions or memories.
• Misattribution of arousal involves confusing genuine excitement or fear with attraction.
• Arousal: Can mean awakening a feeling, not just sexual arousal. It includes responses like increased heart rate, sweating, and anxiety.

Human Response to Arousal

• Similar physiological responses occur during arousal irrespective of the cause (e.g., love or fear).
• Humans seek to attribute meaning to their feelings, sometimes mistaking excitement for attraction.

Key Study: The Bridge Experiment (1974)

• Conducted by Donald Dutton and Arthur Aaron.
• Male participants crossed two types of bridges:
  • Sturdy, low bridge.
  • High, less sturdy suspension bridge inducing fear.
• Met a woman who gave a thematic apperception test.
• Men on the high bridge were more likely to include sexual themes in their stories.
• Men were more likely to contact the woman after crossing the high bridge due to misattributed arousal.

Additional Research on Misattribution

• 1974 Experiment: Replicated with a male experimenter; less impact on participants.
• 1981 Study: Explored how arousal affects perception of attractiveness:
  • Aroused men rated women as more attractive.
  • Exercise-induced arousal heightened subjective attractiveness ratings.
• 2017 Study on Women: Explored musical arousal:
  • Women exposed to music were more likely to find neutral male faces attractive.

Conclusion

• Misattribution can play a significant role in perceived attraction during dates.
• Important to gain self-awareness to understand genuine feelings versus external arousal.
• Encouragement to explore more about social psychology and self-awareness.

Call to Action

• Awareness of misattribution can enhance self-understanding and avoid misplaced feelings of attraction.