Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure: The Psychology of Allure

Incorporating interviews, research findings, and excerpts from romantic and erotic literature, lyrics, and film, Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure explores a subject that is central to the human experience and highly relevant not only in personal, intimate interactions but also other relationships as well. Although the causes and effects of sexual attraction have been studied, sexual attraction itself—how we experience others in terms of their sexual attractiveness—remains a neglected, rarely researched topic.

Scholar James Giles presents jargon-free information that is accessible and fascinating to the general reader as well as highly useful and informative to students and researchers in social psychology, sexology, sex and marital therapy, and relationship counseling. The book explores subjects such as how sexual attraction is fundamentally different from other forms of interpersonal attraction and how at the heart of sexual attraction lies the experience of allure—something that makes one feel helplessly drawn towards an intimate physical joining with the sexually attractive person. The allure of strangers, cross-sex friends, sexual friends ("friends with benefits"), and romantic partners are all addressed, revealing the often subtle heterosexual attraction that typically exists between males and females in all their relationships, including between those who are ostensibly "just friends."

1116879405
Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure: The Psychology of Allure

Incorporating interviews, research findings, and excerpts from romantic and erotic literature, lyrics, and film, Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure explores a subject that is central to the human experience and highly relevant not only in personal, intimate interactions but also other relationships as well. Although the causes and effects of sexual attraction have been studied, sexual attraction itself—how we experience others in terms of their sexual attractiveness—remains a neglected, rarely researched topic.

Scholar James Giles presents jargon-free information that is accessible and fascinating to the general reader as well as highly useful and informative to students and researchers in social psychology, sexology, sex and marital therapy, and relationship counseling. The book explores subjects such as how sexual attraction is fundamentally different from other forms of interpersonal attraction and how at the heart of sexual attraction lies the experience of allure—something that makes one feel helplessly drawn towards an intimate physical joining with the sexually attractive person. The allure of strangers, cross-sex friends, sexual friends ("friends with benefits"), and romantic partners are all addressed, revealing the often subtle heterosexual attraction that typically exists between males and females in all their relationships, including between those who are ostensibly "just friends."

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Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure: The Psychology of Allure

Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure: The Psychology of Allure

by James Giles
Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure: The Psychology of Allure

Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure: The Psychology of Allure

by James Giles

eBook

$65.00 

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Overview

Incorporating interviews, research findings, and excerpts from romantic and erotic literature, lyrics, and film, Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure explores a subject that is central to the human experience and highly relevant not only in personal, intimate interactions but also other relationships as well. Although the causes and effects of sexual attraction have been studied, sexual attraction itself—how we experience others in terms of their sexual attractiveness—remains a neglected, rarely researched topic.

Scholar James Giles presents jargon-free information that is accessible and fascinating to the general reader as well as highly useful and informative to students and researchers in social psychology, sexology, sex and marital therapy, and relationship counseling. The book explores subjects such as how sexual attraction is fundamentally different from other forms of interpersonal attraction and how at the heart of sexual attraction lies the experience of allure—something that makes one feel helplessly drawn towards an intimate physical joining with the sexually attractive person. The allure of strangers, cross-sex friends, sexual friends ("friends with benefits"), and romantic partners are all addressed, revealing the often subtle heterosexual attraction that typically exists between males and females in all their relationships, including between those who are ostensibly "just friends."


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781440830020
Publisher: ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date: 06/30/2015
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 237
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

James Giles, PhD, is adjunct professor of psychology at Roskilde University, Denmark, and lecturer at the University of Cambridge Institute for Continuing Education.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 Interpersonal Attraction and Sexual Attraction 1

Ways of Being Attracted to Other People 1

Sexual Attraction and Physical Appearance 6

Allure 25

The Origins of Allure 33

2 Exchanging Glances 45

Types of Strangers 45

The Allure of Strangers 53

Strangers in Dreams 71

3 Just Friends 83

Friendship 83

Cross-sex Friendship 99

The Allure of Cross-sex Friends 118

4 More than Just Friends 127

Sexual Friendship 127

The Place of Sex in Sexual Friendship 141

The Allure of Sexual Friends 153

5 It Turned Out So Right 165

Romantic Attraction 165

Lovers and Friends 180

The Allure of Romantic Partners 189

6 With the Help of Helplessness 201

Notes 207

References 213

Index 225

What People are Saying About This

Heidi Reeder


"Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure provides an in-depth, comprehensive, and nuanced analysis of this distinct form of attraction. With thought-provoking insights on every page, James Giles answers questions about sexual attraction you didn't know you had. Highly recommended reading for those who want a smart, articulate, and engaging investigation of the diverse body of sexual attraction research."

Elaine Hatfield


"This book is charming. Its author writes in a comfortable style that reminds you of a grand uncle, sitting in a leather chair, chatting about things that he has thought about for some time. The observations are laced with the latest social psychological evidence. The text is also one of a kind—very few scholars, surprisingly, have written so engagingly on the nature and varieties of sexual attraction."

Marty Klein


"At a time when the internet and mixed-gender workplaces put us in daily contact with more people than any other generation in human history, we need to understand attraction far more than we do. Giles' book is a welcome step in that direction. Part psychology, part philosophy, and part anthropology, the book refers to a wide range of research and is a thought-provoking, enjoyable read. Many books discuss desire or arousal, but this book discusses both—and in the context of attraction, a terrific approach."

Robert Scott Stewart


"Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure is a wonderful follow-up to his previous, The Nature of Sexual Desire. Employing an engaging mix of philosophical, psychological, and literary analysis, James Giles will make you think deeply about this rarely explored phenomenon."

Terri L. Orbuch


"Ever wonder about sexual attraction and how it differs from other forms of attraction and sexual desire? Well, look no further. Sexual Attraction: The Psychology of Allure, by James Giles (PhD), takes the reader on a fascinating journey to understand the personal, yet complex and multifaceted nature and experience of sexual attraction. The book is educational, illuminating, and colored with vivid quotes from interviews, as well as numerous examples from literature, music, internet videos, poetry, comics, relevant research citations, and historical data."

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