concepts
creating and maintaining closeness
dating, courtship, and marriage
interpersonal relationships
A quick glance at couples in public settings will likely lead to the observation that people in a variety of cultures tend to pair up with those who are similar in physical attractiveness. The handsome man and the gorgeous woman date and marry each other, and their more homely counterparts pair up with their plainer counterparts. [Source: Encyclopedia of Human Relationships; Matching Hypothesis]
matching hypothesis
social cognition
theoretical approaches to studying relationships