Final answer:
Knowing someone likes you generally increases the likelihood that you will be attracted to them, as this aligns with principles like reciprocity, increases intimacy, and indicates potential similarities between both parties.
Step-by-step explanation:
Knowing that another person likes you and thinks you are special in some way increases the likelihood that you will feel attracted to them too. This phenomenon can be partly explained by social psychology principles such as reciprocity and our inherent desire for social bonding and positive feedback. When someone expresses a liking for us, it can lead to mutual attraction because of the affirmation it provides.
It also aligns with Robert Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love, where intimacy is one of the components that contribute to feelings of love, and knowing someone likes us builds towards that intimacy. Additionally, the similarity attraction theory states that we tend to be attracted to those who have similar views, backgrounds, or attitudes, suggesting that if someone likes us, they may share commonalities, which also promotes attraction.