You may not realize it, but when you stare at your partner's eyes, there's a good chance that you’re looking at a modified reflection of yourself. Researchers have found that people choose partners who tend to be of similar size, shape, and race as themselves ... and they may even have facial features in common.
Take Lot Geels from Amsterdam and her American husband, Brock Mosovsky, for example. “We have similar blonde hair and blue eyes,” says Lot. “Neither of us is very tall. We're both built athletically and we’re both mainly of European origin.
Even if you don't look like your partner, you likely share nonphysical characteristics, according to a growing field of research, like education level, socioeconomic status, religion, personality features, and even core values.
Lot and Brock fall into this type as well. “We both have PhDs and work in research,” she says. “We both live an active lifestyle, mainly rock climbing and skiing. Our world views are pretty simi-lar, and we're both hard-working, social and friendly people.”
Researchers have been studying the phenomenon of people with similarities pairing up—known as positive assortative coupling—for decades. If you’re sure that “opposites attract”, you may be surprised by research findings, which prove that like attracts like. However, if you believe that “likes attract”, you probably understand why people surprisingly seek life partners who remind them, on some comforting level, of themselves.
“There's an element of predictability when you date somebody of a similar background,” says Ty Tashiro, the author of The Science of Happily Ever After. “They’re less threatening, less scary. They'll be more of a familiar person from the start. Familiarity is something we find attractive.”
12. What can we infer about Lot and Brock?
A.They have the same hair and eyes. | B.They both come from wealthy families. |
C.They are attracted by each other’s similarities. | D.They both have the same cultural background. |
13. Which of the following is close to the underlined expression “positive assortative”?
A.Of the preferred type. | B.Of the different type. |
C.Of the similar type. | D.Of the original type. |
14. Why do people try to find similar people as partners according to Ty Tashiro?
A.They are comfortable to stay with. | B.They are more threatening and scarier. |
C.They can develop the same hobbies and interests. | D.They have the same status and back ground. |
15. What message does the author try to convey?
A.Love me, love my dog. | B.Birds of a feather flock together. |
C.A good wife makes a good husband. | D.Absence makes the heart grow fonder. |