Factors affecting attraction; physical attractiveness

Physicl attractiveness assumption

We seek to form relationships with the most attractive person available

Shackelford and Larsen (1997)

Symmetrical faces are more attractive as its a sign of genetic fitness. People are also attracted to neotenous features (baby faces) - they trigger a protective instinct

Physical attracticeness stereotype

Preconceived ideas of positive personality traits attractive people have

Dion et al (1972)

“What is beautiful is good” - physically attractive people rated more kind, sociable and successful that unattractive people

The halo effect

We behave more positively to attractive people due to the physical attractiveness stereotype

The matching hypothesis

Walster et al (1966) suggested we choose romantic partners who are roughly similar level of attractive to ourselves

Research support for the halo effect

Palmer and Palmer (2012) found physically attractive people were voted as more politically knowledgeable even if the participants knew they have no expertise

Individual differences

Towkey (1979) asked male and female pps how much they liked an individual based on a photo and also completed the MACHO scale (measures sexist behaviour), found pps who scored highly also were more influenced by physical attractiveness

Research support for matching hypothesis

Original research by Walster et al was proven unreliable as raters of physical attractiveness only has a few seconds. However, Feingold (1988) did a meta-analysis of 17 studies and found correlation of attractiveness between partners

Contradicting matching hypothesis

Taylor et al (2011) studied dating sights activity logs and found online daters wanted people more attractive than them

Consistent between cultures

Cunningham et al (1955) found female features of large eyes, prominent cheekbones, small noses and high eyebrows were rated attractive by white, hispanic and asain males. Wheeler and Kin (1997) found Korean and American students judged attractive people more trustworthy