Biological Basis of Beauty

Question 1

What is the rival hypothesis of attractiveness?

Answer 1

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
• Beauty is determined by culture
• Beauty reflects natural selection
• Beauty reflects sexual selection

Question 2

What preferences do infants have for faces?

Slater et al (1998)

Answer 2

• Week old babies have similar preferences to adults

- No time for cultural reflections of beauties

Question 3

Why is symmetry attractive?

Answer 3

• Related to genetic stability –> deviations a cue to developmental insults
• Symmetry linked to male sperm speed and count, and womens breast symmetry is linked to fertility

Question 4

Limitations of symmetry predicting attractiveness

Answer 4

• Smallest predictor of attractiveness (Rhodes, 2006)
• Poor experimental methodology (Penton-Voak, 2011)
• Many results cannot be replicated (Peters et al., 2008)
• Overall evidence suggests a very weak effect of symmetry