Physical Attractiveness

• • Practical Applications → Palmer + Peterson found that physically attractive people were rated as more politically knowledgeable and competent than unattractive people. Landy + Aronson found that when victims of crime were perceived to be attractive, a simulated jury gave defendants longer prison sentences. If the defendants were unattractive, they were more likely to be sentenced by the jury. Supports halo effect – economy as wrongful convictions and able to enforce new laws and policies.  
• • Support → Same across all cultures. Cunningham found that white, Asian and Hispanic heterosexual men rated females with prominent cheekbones, small noses and large eyes as highly attractive. / Meltzer found only men rate their long-term relationships more satisfying if their partner is physically attractive, attractiveness didn’t affect relationship satisfaction for women. Physical attractiveness – creating a relationship rather than maintaining a relationship – beta gender bias. 
• • Validity → Taylor found that when using online dating apps like Tinder, participants would seek potential partners who were more attractive than they were and in society, we repeatedly see examples of older, less attractive men marrying attractive younger women – anisogamy. / Sexuality bias so cannot be generalised to all people.