Types of attraction - meaning and definition
Alsoaesthetic attractionsensual attractionromantic attractionsexual attractionkinds of attractionforms of attractionphysical attractionplatonic attraction
Definition
Types of attraction is a way of describing the different pulls people can feel toward others, such as sexual, romantic, aesthetic, sensual, emotional or intellectual attraction.
At a glance
- Commonly named types include sexual, romantic, aesthetic, sensual, emotional and intellectual attraction.
- The framework was developed largely within asexual and aromantic communities.
- A person can feel one type of attraction toward someone without feeling the others.
- It underpins the split attraction model, which describes sexual and romantic orientation separately.
- These categories are descriptive tools, not clinical diagnoses.
In detail
The idea that attraction comes in several distinct forms was developed largely within asexual and aromantic communities, where people found that a single word did not describe their experience. Someone might admire how a person looks (aesthetic attraction), want to cuddle them (sensual attraction), or long for a romantic partnership with them, without necessarily wanting sex.
Separating these strands can help anyone make sense of feelings that do not line up neatly. It also underpins the split attraction model, which describes sexual and romantic orientation separately. None of the categories are clinical diagnoses; they are descriptive tools people use as far as they find them helpful.
In a sentence
- Learning about the types of attraction helped me realise I felt aesthetic attraction to her, not romantic.
- We talked about types of attraction in our ace meet-up and everyone described it a little differently.
Where the word comes from
The vocabulary for separate types of attraction grew in online asexual and aromantic communities in the 2000s and 2010s, as people looked for words for experiences that a single idea of attraction did not capture.
Common questions
What is the difference between sexual and romantic attraction?
Sexual attraction is a wish for sexual contact with a particular person. Romantic attraction is a wish for a romantic relationship with them, such as dating or partnership. Many people feel both toward the same person, but some feel one without the other.
What is aesthetic attraction?
Aesthetic attraction is appreciating how someone looks, in the way one might admire a painting or a landscape, without necessarily wanting a romantic or sexual connection with them.