Just as it happens in the physical world, attraction in the social world is what keeps people together in one way or another or, at least, makes them interact.
Interpersonal relationships can be influenced by several different types of attraction and, in fact, these different modalities can contribute to the creation of new social relationships.
Next we are going to explore a little more in depth what the main types of attraction are according to social psychology.
Types of attraction according to Social Psychology
Although the idea of ​​attraction is a concept specific to physics, this word is also often used in the field of interpersonal relationships, one of the objects of study of social psychology.
Within this branch of psychology, along with anthropology and sexology, different types of attraction have been proposed to explain the relationship that two or more people can feel, both sexually and romantically, as well as in friendship and intellectually.
We can define interpersonal attraction as a force that other people awaken in us, that is, it is the desire that others awaken in us We say that we are attracted to someone when that person makes us want to interact with them, get to know them, have a conversation, become their friends, or even maintain more intense relationships such as sexual ones.
According to Claire Hart, professor of psychology at the University of Southampton, there are a number of factors that influence the emergence of attraction between two or more people. These factors are mainly proximity and familiarity, which means that, in some way, We tend to experience a certain fascination, interest, and greater attraction toward those people we see often or interact with frequently
It is normal for us to feel attracted to people with whom we interact every day, such as a co-worker, a friend or even the saleswoman at the bakery we usually visit. As it is popularly said, friction makes love, and if two people interact frequently over time it is inevitable that some type of connection will arise, an attraction that does not necessarily have to be of a loving nature.
This does not mean that we cannot feel attraction towards a total stranger Surely it has happened to us on more than one occasion that, while walking down the street, we have crossed paths with a very attractive person or that, while watching television, we have seen an interview with someone whose way of thinking, speaking and topics that resonate with you. interest have caught our attention. We may feel attracted to someone we have only met once, but usually that attraction does not last and ends up fading over time.
There are different types of attraction, which vary depending on the type of desire that appears and the type of relationship we maintain with the person who arouses interest in us. Each type of attraction has its particularities, which we will see below.
The 6 types of attraction between people
We can say that, mainly, there are up to 6 different types of attraction, one of them subdivided into two subtypes. Each one has its particularities, with some that are more related to friendship and curiosity and others in which more intense interests and desires are mobilized, such as love and sex.
1. Romantic attraction
Romantic attraction is a type of attraction that, despite what many may think at first, does not have much to do with sexuality itself. It is not about sexual attraction towards someone, but rather the desire to establish a romantic relationship with another person Thus, it is a type of emotional and deeper type of attraction.
This type of attraction can arise when, after having had a very good friendship with someone for quite some time, we suddenly feel that we want to go deeper, establish a romantic relationship with that person. We want to stop being friends and become your partner
For this reason we can say that love is based on romantic attraction, although other types of attractions also come into play that we will see in the following points.
2. Friendship attraction
The attraction of friendship, or simple friendship, is one of the most common in our society. It consists of the desire to share moments with a person whom we consider a friend and It arises when a person offers us their trust, gives us emotional well-being and we feel satisfied staying with them With or without sexual and romantic interest, this attraction has to do with the need and desire to enjoy and spend time with a person.
Physical or sexual attraction is, as its name suggests, a more carnal type of attraction. It is normal that when we say that we are attracted to someone we think of this type of attraction, which consists of feeling an intense desire towards another person in the most physical and sexual sense.
In this typology of attraction, desire, sexuality, the need for closeness and, especially, physical contact can be seen mixed There are also a series of neurochemical and hormonal ingredients that modulate it, such as oxytocin, adrenaline and dopamine…
We can subdivide this type of attraction into two types: subjective sexual attraction and objective sexual attraction.
3.1. Subjective sexual attraction
Subjective sexual attraction is about the situation in which we are attracted to someone physically but because we attribute a certain power or sexual fantasy to them. That is, it is the attraction we feel towards someone who She doesn’t necessarily have to be pretty or physically attractive, but she awakens a certain chemistry in us because of her way of being
We can be sexually attracted to both known people, such as friends or our own partner, and also unknown people, such as any random person we meet on the street. The intensity of this attraction will vary from one case to another and, also, depending on whether we feed such force with sexual fantasies.
3.2. Objective sexual attraction
Objective sexual attraction is about that force we feel toward someone who is undeniably physically attractive. That is to say, It is the type of attraction that is manifested towards someone who is objectively attractive regardless of our tastes and the possible chemistry there may be with her.
4. Sentimental attraction
Sentimental attraction is similar to romantic attraction, since it is related to the most sentimental and emotional aspect of an interpersonal relationship. However, in this case The feelings do not have to be romantic or loving, and you can maintain a romantic relationship with a friend, a sexual partner or a family member This type of attraction consists of someone awakening intense feelings in us, without having to establish a relationship with them.
5. Sensual or sensory attraction
Sensual or sensory attraction has to do with physical contact, but does not necessarily imply a sexual relationship, but rather a relationship of closeness and proximity
We say that a relationship is sensual when caresses, hugs, pampering and closeness take center stage. We are sensory attracted to a person when we want to experience the other person with our senses, we want to feel them close to them, whether it is our partner, a friend, our children.
6. Intellectual attraction
Finally we find intellectual attraction, which It consists of the desire to know someone in their most intellectual aspect, as its name suggests. That is, it is the attraction we feel towards someone who interests us, who offers opinions, thoughts, knowledge and other aspects of the area of ​​​​knowledge that attract our attention, that fascinate us.
This type of attraction is often related to sapiosexuality, that is, the supposed sexual attraction to intelligent people. This idea, more than a sexual orientation, is a taste, as is the fact that we prefer blonde women, men with beards or people of a certain race. Intellectual attraction is an aspect that does not imply sexual interests, but rather cultural ones, while sapiosexuality is merely a term that certain people use to be noticed.
Conclusions
As we can see, There are many types of attractions that go beyond the popularized idea that all attraction is necessarily sexual and carnal We can be attracted to someone because of their way of thinking, others because of their way of being on an emotional level and we are also attracted to people in a way that we want to be their friends, without the need for sexual interests or a partner.
As happens in physics with the material world, attraction is what keeps people cohesive and united, makes them feel interested in each other and want to contribute to their well-being or, at least, give each other pleasure. As social animals that we are, it is inevitable that throughout our lives we feel some type of attraction towards someone and, in fact, it is this force that has ensured that our closest environment is constituted in one way or another.
