Animal Magnetism: Metaphoric Cues Alter Perceptions of Romantic Partners and Relationships.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27227965.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0155943 and PMC identifier 4881897.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The psychological state of love is difficult to define, and we often rely on metaphors to communicate about this state and its constituent experiences. Commonly, these metaphors liken love to a physical force-it sweeps us off our feet, causes sparks to fly, and ignites flames of passion. Even the use of "attraction" to refer to romantic interest, commonplace in both popular and scholarly discourse, implies a force propelling two objects together. The present research examined the effects of exposing participants to a physical force (magnetism) on subsequent judgments of romantic outcomes. Across two studies, participants exposed to magnets reported greater levels of satisfaction, attraction, intimacy, and commitment.
Medical subject headings
- Cues
- Interpersonal Relations
- Metaphor
- Sexual Behavior
- Sexual Partners