The 6 Types of Human Attraction

Did you know there is more than one type of attraction? We often use the word attraction as a blanket term. There are different types of attraction. Once you understand more about them it might help you when it comes to dating or even forming a friendship.

Attraction is something we feel in our lifetimes, and we often feel it more than we realize. It is at the heart of dating, relationships and friendships.

I’m going to be sharing the six types of human attraction. These are the main types that people experience and you might realize that you have felt some of them previously.

Types of attraction

Types of Attraction 

I am going to cover the six main types of attraction. It is important to note that while these can all be experienced in a romantic sense, we also experience them in different ways every day.

Attraction is not limited to the attraction you feel to a possible partner or someone you are dating. It can also be towards a friend, family member or co-worker.

Attraction is a very human emotion and is important because without it, we wouldn’t feel as though we were living a full life.

We need attraction to feel complete and it plays a huge role in our lives. 

Physical Attraction 

I am sure you have experienced this type of attraction before. It is rooted in the need to touch someone and be touched.

It is often centered around wanting to be around other people and be loved and touched by them. Physical attraction normally develops when we first meet someone, and we like how they look physically.

It might be their body we are attracted to, their face or even just the way they are dressed. 

Although they do have similarities, sexual attraction and physical attraction are different.

Sexual attraction focuses on being with someone sexually whereas physical attraction is not necessarily focused on being sexual. It might be more focused on holding hands, hugging, kissing and being close to someone. 

Emotional Attraction

This is when you feel attracted to someone based on their personality and their inner characteristics.

This is often the most common type of attraction felt and one of the earliest. When you are emotionally attracted to someone, you want to learn more about them and ask them a lot of questions.

You are very interested in them, and you are not just physically attracted to them although you might be feeling that as well. 

Research has shown that emotional attraction can play a huge role in the success of a relationship.

One study proved that being emotionally accessible is more important than being sexually accessible.

Couples who lacked emotional connection were more likely to not last very long and break up. 

Being emotionally attracted to someone can help you create and maintain a relationship. It is not only something that romantic couples feel.

You need to feel an emotional attraction if you want to create lasting friendships and relationships with family, co-workers, and neighbors.

The more energy you invest in a relationship and getting to know someone on an emotional level, the more likely you are to develop deeper intimacy.

This will create a long-lasting connection between you and that person.  

Romantic Attraction 

When we feel romantic attraction, we normally want to start a romantic relationship with the other person. It is not the same thing as sexual attraction but the two can occur at the same time.

You can also have romantic attraction without having physical or sexual attraction. Often, we feel romantic attraction when we think we could get into a relationship with that person. It might develop after a few dates or prolonged contact. 

There are also different terms for the way different people feel romantic attraction.

For example, aromantic is when someone has little or no romantic feelings towards others.

Alloromantic is the term used to describe someone who feels romantic attraction.

Demiromantic is the final term which is used to describe someone who only experiences romantic attraction under certain circumstances. 

You might be thinking who knew there was so much to learn about romantic attraction. It’s true that it is not as straightforward as you might have thought but it is interesting.

When you experience romantic attraction, you will know exactly what it is. 

Sexual Attraction 

You have probably experienced this type of attraction before. Sexual attraction is when you would like to have sex with another person. You probably find them physically attractive.

If it is a woman who is experiencing sexual attraction, they normally also need an emotional attraction because they are more emotional. 

Sexual attraction can bring up feelings of desire or lust. Often it is that type of attraction you get when you flirt a lot with someone, and you consider taking them home with you. 

Sexual attraction does not always need to be something that happens in real life, it can also be something that occurs in fantasies or happens towards someone you may never meet like a celebrity.  

Physical and romantic attraction often overlap with sexual attraction, but they are both still different.

For example, an a-sexual person does not feel the need to have sex with somebody else. They can still be physically attracted to someone and romantically attracted but just might not feel sexually attracted to them.

A great way to differentiate between romantic and sexual attraction is that the genders of the people a person is romantically attracted to may not necessarily be the same as the genders of the people they are attracted to sexually. This is called the split attraction model (SAM). 

Aesthetic Attraction 

This is when you think someone is really good looking, beautiful even, but it does not go beyond that.

You do not feel the need to pursue them physically or sexually but you just like how they look. This type of attraction might apply to a celebrity that you like the look of or a sports star.

You never get the chance to take it beyond an aesthetic attraction but that does not stop you from liking the way they look. 

Surprisingly, this type of attraction does not only apply to people.

You can also find objects aesthetically attractive like plates, vases, and other things you get in your house. This is how you develop your taste and your interior design style.

I bet you didn’t realize that how you style your home is to do with how you experience aesthetic attraction. 

Intellectual Attraction 

This type of attraction is to do with finding someone’s feelings and thoughts attractive. When you are intellectually attracted to someone you might want to get to know their thoughts and feelings better.

You might try and learn new things from them or get their opinion on different topics. Intellectual attraction is normally non-physical and non-sexual.

You find that you are attracted to their mind as opposed to how they look, and you normally don’t feel the need to rip their clothes off. That is not to say that physical and sexual attraction will not develop. 

Sometimes we fall in love with someone’s mind and then with them physically. This can happen a lot when we meet people who are very clever.

Sometimes it never goes past intellectual attraction which normally means it does not turn into a relationship.

When it does though, it can lead to a fruitful relationship that goes the distance. Why? Because you know someone for more than just their physical appearance. You know their thoughts and feelings.

This can lead to a much deeper understanding of them and lead to better communication within the relationship. If you form an intellectual attraction and you think something else could develop, it is worth waiting around to see what develops.