Physical Attractiveness

• Physical attractiveness

  How appealing we find a person‘s face and body shape
• Why do men place value on women’s physical attractiveness?

  It is seen as an indicator of fertility and health
• Meltzer et al. (2014)

  found that men find long term relationships more satisfying if their partner is attractive. this was not seen in women
• neotenous faces 


  faces with baby-like features such as big eyes and small nose
• Cunningham et al (1995)

  found that men from white, Asian and Hispanic cultures prefer neotenous faces, suggesting universality
• eastwick et al (2011)

  suggested that physical attractiveness is equally important to women but only in short term relationships
• who suggested the halo effect?

  Palmer & Peterson
• how did Palmer & Peterson investigate the halo effect?

  they asked ppts to rate how knowledgable people on images were - physically attractive people were rated more knowledgable
• the halo effect 


  physical attractiveness is important as it makes people think the person has other good qualities
• Dion et al 


  found that physically attractive people are rated as being kinder, stronger and more successful
• the matching hypothesis 


  people select partners with the same physical attractiveness as themselves
• realistic choices 


  by going for people of similar attractiveness, there is more chance of success
• who conducted the computer dance experiments?

  Walster et al
• walster et al - method

  university students were asked to go to a dance and were told a computer would match them to their ideal partner - they are actually matched randomly
• walster et al - findings

  both men and women who were considered attractive were liked more, refuting the matching hypothesis
• murstein (1972)

  analysed physical attractiveness of 99 real couples and found they were rated similarly
• attraction 


  qualities about a person that we are drawn to and look for in a partner