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and hobbies, despite having different social influence). Arguably, Winch’s study
personalities. Matchmaking in India was based on American culture in the
reiterates the concept of similar coupling; 1950’s assuming that most couples married
choosing identical caste, community, for love.
religion, traditions, tick mark the priority Close on the heels of Winch’s research,
requirements before taking a further step another US-based social psychology
to shortlist prospects. researcher, Donn Byrne, challenged this
Opposites repel – particularly “opposites attract” hypothesis. In his own
around views and values – that’s what paper. Byrne hypothesised that “a stranger
scientific evidence has proved. And, in who is known to have attitudes similar to
an increasingly polarised social, political those of the subject is better liked than a
and cultural climate in countries across stranger with attitudes dissimilar to those
the world, it’s possible that we’re even less of the subject [and] is judged to be more
likely to fall for, or be seriously committed intelligent, better informed, more moral,
to, and oftentimes befriend someone who and better adjusted.”
thinks very differently to us. In her latest study, Angel Bahns, associate
Factors like social media and dating psychology professor at Wellesley College,
apps indicate it’s becoming significantly US who has spent years studying and
easier for daters to jump into ‘boxes’ of identifying the factors that influence
like-minded others, leaving the idea of friendship and relationship choices
‘opposites attract’ more outdated than ever. indicates —“There’s been really strong,
widespread evidence for similarity
attraction.”
She observed that similarity in couples
was statistically very significant on
“86% of variables measured”, including
attitudes, values, recreational activities
and substance use. More specifically, pairs
of friends and romantic partners matched
How did “opposites attract” originate in closely on daily living attitudes regarding
our relationships? LBGQT rights marriage, the government’s
It’s difficult to exactly pinpoint the origin diktat over citizens’ lives and the
of the saying ‘opposites attract’, but importance of religion, to name just a few.
American sociologist Robert F Winch Bahn’s study could lead to a fundamental
suggested it back in 1954, in his thesis change in understanding relationship
published by the American Sociological
Review. His research, “The Theory Of
Complementary Needs In Mate Selection”
– was rooted in the idea that people sought
out partners who had certain qualities
they lacked (like the introvert choosing
the extrovert, perhaps as a way for the
introvert to benefit from the extrovert’s
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #56 | FEBRUARY 2024 13
