Physical attractivness

• Importance of physical attractiveness

  • shackleford + Larsen found that people with symmetrical faces are rated as more attractive = sign of genetic fitness ( can’t be faked)
  • Neotenous features trigger protective + caring instincts- evolutionary explanation as features strengthen attachment are adaptive
  • Atrractiveness important after formation stage - found innate attractiveness continued to be important feature after marriage
• Halo effect

  Hold preconceived idea about attributes of attractive ppl and believe all their other attributes are pos

  • Dion et al found that physically attractive ppl are consistently rated as kind , strong and successful compared to unattractive ppl
• Matching hypothesis : Walster 


  • states we choose our partner that’s on the same level of attractiveness to ourselves - have to make realistic judgment of our own value
  • Evolutionist theories suggested seek most attractive mates
  • Need to balance the potential for being rejected if partner more attractive
  • Compromise by matching attractiveness
• Strength of physical attractiveness: cultural consistency

  • Cunningham et al found large eyes , small nose + prominent cheekbones in females rated highly attractive by white , Asian + Hispanic males
  • found that Korean + US students judged physically attractive people to be more trustworthy + mature
  • Consistency in findings suggests physic attractiveness is culturally independent + may have evolutionary roots
• Strength of physical attractiveness: research support for halo effect 


  • Palmer + Peterson found that physically attractive ppl were rated more politically knowledgeable than unattractive ppl
  • Suggests politicians may be elected as they are considered to be attractive by enough voters
  • This shows the halo effect can be observed in real- life situations
• Limitation of physical attractiveness: individual differences 


  • Researcer found ppl for scored highly on MACHO scale = more influenced by physical attractiveness then ppl who scored low
  • some ppl are less sensitive to physical attractiveness when making judgments of personality and likeability
  • Suggests the effects of physical attractiveness can be moderated by other factors and is not significant in regard to relationship formation
• Grenade

  Nature

  • Cunningham et al - universality of findings suggests that using attractiveness as a decisive factor in choosing a partner might be a genetically reproduced mechanism, aiding sexual selection
  • supports nature side of nature-nurture debate as it shows that human behaviour is mainly a result of biological rather than environmental influences