Blood, Sweat, Tears, and Attraction

             A few years ago, I read The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and with all of the hype about the first movie and now the making of the second movie, I realized that the Hunger Games creates a perfect recipe for misattribution of arousal. In Panem, there is a Capitol and twelve districts. Essentially, the Capitol is the home of the authorities and wealthy individuals who rule over the twelve districts. Every year, the Hunger Games occur in which one girl and one boy from each district, called tributes, are selected from a lottery and must compete to their death. In the end, 23 individuals are killed and one is the victor. The Capitol creates a hostile arena in which these individuals must compete, all the while televising the Games in the Capitol and all of the districts. This is the Capitol’s way of punishing the districts for rebelling many years ago and to maintain their power.

            The Hunger Games thus produces an environment that is wildly fear inducing. Not only does a tribute have to watch out for all of the other tributes trying to kill him or her, but there are also countless death traps in the arena of which one has to be aware. At the start of  the Games, tributes try to either ally with others or go off on their own, hoping to be invisible from the other competitors. In an environment like this, it would not be surprising if the tributes were constantly physiologically aroused in response to the fear. And if they ally with other tributes, it would not be surprising if they start becoming attracted to these allies.

            The misattribution of arousal theory proposes that since the physiological response to fear and attraction are very similar (such as a faster heartbeat and heavier breathing), it is easy to confuse the source of the arousal. In the arena, not only are the tributes always on guard and ready for a flight-or-fight response, they also must be very active. Living off of the land, running from predators and disasters concocted by the Capital, and fighting and fleeing from other tributes requires extensive physical activity. This sort of activity also produces the same physiological response as attraction. Considering the constant state of fear and physical activity that the tributes are in, it would be understandable for two allying tributes to become attracted to one another and start developing feelings for one another. This would, obviously, complicate the fact that only one tribute can win the Hunger Games.

            In the case of Katniss and Peeta, the tributes from District 12, there is a progression of their relationship throughout the Games. Starting out as mere acquaintances when they were home in their district, they end up getting married in the epilogue of the third book. As a social psychology student, I have speculated as to how much of the initial foundation for their relationship—the attraction—was due to the fact that they were both in the Hunger Games. Would they have ended up falling in love if their names had never been chosen? While misattribution of arousal cannot account for the deeper feelings in any relationship, it can add to the initial attraction we feel for someone. Considering the fearful situation of the Hunger Games, it would not be far-fetched to speculate that the initial feelings of attraction between Katniss and Peeta could have developed or been enhanced by this phenomenon.

            Another aspect of Katniss and Peeta’s relationship may stem from the social influence principle of commitment and consistency. The wealthy folk of the Capitol develop favorites in the Games and are able to sponsor the tributes, sending them items that they desperately need in the arena so that they have a better chance of survival. In order to win the favor of the viewers in the Capitol, Katniss’ behavior towards Peeta gradually becomes more intimate and affectionate to perpetuate a “star-crossed lovers” theme, which the audience eats up. From a social psychological point of view, it is possible that by acting towards Peeta in this way to get sponsors, Katniss actually starts to feel have feelings for him. Since people tend to be consistent in their behavior and attitudes, whenever Katniss kisses Peeta, she may start to like him more, since, psychologically, the way we feel and the way we act should be consistent. It seems as though misattribution of arousal and the principle of commitment and consistency may play a role in the relationship of Katniss and Peeta. While it doesn’t delegitimize their relationship, it certainly calls into question the role and extent of these phenomena in developing their relationship.

Image:

Still from “The Hunger Games” movie

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