Christmas Films: There Might Be Some Truth to Stories About Hometown Romances, According to Research

When the Main Character Returns to Their Hometown

The festive season seems to be a good time for love, or so many Christmas films would have us believe. One incredibly popular trope is the return – where the main character, usually with a successful career in the city, returns to their hometown for the festive period. In their rustic homely surroundings, they come to realise that their life as a singleton in the city has been a sham, fall in love with some kind-hearted local hero or an old flame, and voilà – we have the magic of Christmas!

While certainly clichéd, the trope of the return may actually be based on a kernel of truth. Psychologists have long known that a powerful spark of attraction and romance is familiarity. In contrast to the commonsense idea that familiarity breeds contempt, familiarity actually breeds liking.

The Allure of the Familiar

In one classic American study, researchers had four women attend university classes in different frequencies. One never went to class, another attended five classes, the third attended ten, and the fourth attended class 15 times over a semester. At the end of the semester, it was found that the more classes the women attended, the more other students liked them and wanted to spend time with them. Familiar faces are not only liked more, they are also more likely to make us smile.

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One reason why familiar stimuli tend to be liked is because our brains process them more easily – or “fluently”, in the parlance of neuroscientists – and this fluency is experienced more positively. Evolutionary factors may also play a hand in shaping our reactions to familiar people. In general, novel stimuli tend to breed feelings of uncertainty and result in wary reactions. But greater familiarity usually means we know the stimulus to be harmless and we’re more likely to respond favourably as a result.

Beauty Maps

Familiarity may also work its magic in a more global sense. To show this, I attempted to put together an empirical “beauty map” of London. Over 400 participants in each of London’s 33 boroughs were asked to rate how attractive they thought people in each of the boroughs were, as well as how familiar they were with each borough. Our data showed that people in richer boroughs tended to be rated as more attractive than those from poorer boroughs. But more interesting was the fact that attractiveness ratings were also strongly associated with ratings of familiarity. When participants were more familiar with a borough, they rated its residents as more physically attractive.

In another study conducted in the Netherlands, researchers interviewed residents in the village of Vriezenveen about the effects of geography on partner choice. Residents preferred partners from their own village, who were more familiar and had similar knowledge that comes from sharing an upbringing in the same neighbourhood. In contrast, residents of villages further away were perceived as being less trustworthy, “a different sort of people”. Even the littlest things – like washing windows on a Sunday – were taken as evidence of that difference.

Might It Be a Good Idea to Head Back to Your Hometown This Christmas?

So if you’re single this Christmas, might it be a good idea to head back to your hometown? The people there will be more familiar, but bear in mind that real life is not a Christmas movie. Just because the trope of the return may have a kernel of truth, doesn’t mean that it’s a principle by which to organise your life.

Conclusion

While the idea of “the return” may be a beloved trope in Christmas films, it’s intriguing to consider whether there might be some scientific basis for the notion that familiarity breeds love. Whether or not you’re considering a trip back to your hometown this Christmas, it’s worth considering the role of familiarity in our romantic lives.

FAQs

Q: Is the trope of “the return” supported by scientific research?
A: Yes, psychological research suggests that familiarity can play a significant role in attraction and romance.

Q: Why are familiar faces more liked?
A: Because our brains process familiar stimuli more easily, resulting in a positive emotional response.

Q: Can familiarity affect our perception of attractiveness?
A: Yes, our data showed that participants rated the residents of more familiar boroughs as more attractive.

Q: Is the “beauty map” of London limited to London?
A: Yes, while the study was conducted in London, its findings may not be generalizable to other cities or regions.

Q: Is the idea of “the return” a reliable principle for finding love?
A: No, while familiarity may play a role in attraction, it’s not a foolproof principle for finding love or relationship success.