physical attraction

• symmetry; Shackelford and Larsen (1997): symmetrical faces are considered more attractive as they show signs of genetic fitness and good health
• noetenous features: big eyes, small noses and delicate chins.

  • baby face features can be active and maternal and biological instincts for wanting to care for that person
• halo effect; Dion (1972): when psychical appearance leads to biased attitudes about that persons personality - someone who is attractive is rated positively out of kindness and success
• Palmer and peterson (2012): found that physically attractive people were rated as more politically knowledgable than unattractive

  LIMITATION:

  • negative implications on society, undermines democracy
  • parties could manipulate the system by putting attractive individuals on their party
• matching hypothesis: Walster (1969): people choose romantic partners who are roughly of similar attractiveness to each other - realistic judgement about our own value to a potential partner

  • allows us to avoid rejection and insecurities
  • going for MORE attractiveness will make you known as the LESS attractive partner
• Walster: male and female students invited to dance, rated for physical attractiveness by objective observers, then completed a questionnaire about themselves

  They were then told data about themselves which was used by a computer to decide their partner based on random association.

  • partners rated higher satisfaction with most physically attractive when paired up

  LIMITATION:

  • artificial study, 'computer dance' - doesnt show real-world application, no realistic approach to choosing their own partner
• Feingold (1988): meta-analysis of 17 studies, found significance between attractiveness and romantic partners

  • high ecological validity as it is a true example of choosing people
• online dating; no matching based on attractiveness as you go for those who are the most attractive - you put the most attractive photo but meeting in real life they could be a lower rating that reflects your own attractiveness
• evaluation:

  strengths;

  • supporting evidence from peterson and palmer, berscheid
  • Cunningham: looked at noetenous features and looked at large eyes, found attractiveness was universal

  weakness;

  • Walter - didnt match the hypothesis
  • peterson and palmer, implication on society
  • beta bias; assumes it is equally important for both genders however Meltzer (2014) found that men rate long-term relationships more satisfactory if they have an attractive partner