the glossary · cognitive bias
what is misattribution of arousal?
misattribution of arousal · also called the shaky-bridge effect
Misattribution of arousal is when we mislabel where a bodily feeling came from, and read adrenaline, nerves or fear as attraction to whoever happens to be standing there. Dutton and Aron ran the famous version in 1974. Men who had just crossed a high, swaying suspension bridge were far more likely to find the woman waiting at the other end attractive than men who crossed a low sturdy one. The body did the same thing in both cases. The mind just needed a reason for it, and she was the nearest one available.
where it comes from: Dutton & Aron, 1974 ↗
this one has a whole chapter under it. read: why you like who you like →
what to read on this
- How Emotions Are Made Lisa Feldman Barrett a feeling is constructed, not detected, and your body is half the raw material. this is where the body budget idea lives.
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also asked
why do stressful situations make people feel attracted to each other?
Because a racing heart is ambiguous. Your body produces the same signal for fear, exertion and attraction, and your mind resolves the ambiguity using whatever is in the room. That is the entire mechanism behind thrilling first dates, and behind why crisis throws people together so reliably.
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