Factors Affceting Attraction In Romantic Relationships - Physical Attraction Flashcards
What is physical attractiveness?
The physical attributes of a person that one would fine appealing
What are the 2 factors of the physical attractiveness theory?
The halo effect and the matching hypothesis
What is the halo effect?
One distinguishing feature that tends to have a disproportionate influence on our judgement of a persons other attributes - physical appearance over their personality
What did Dion 1972 find?
Dion said that “what is beautiful is good” - attractive people are kind, sociable and successful compared to those who aren’t - self-fulfilling prophecy
What is the supporting evidence for physical attractiveness?
Eastwick and Finkel 2008 - they used a speed dating study and abc,ed the evidence up with a longitudinal study 30 days later, prior to the study participants showed traditional sex differences when stating whether the importance or physical attractiveness and earning prospects in an ideal partner
What are the evaluation points for physical attractiveness?
+ Supporting evidence - Eastwick and Finkel 2008
+ Supporting evidence - Meltzer - 2014
+ Supporting evidence for evolutionary processes - Cunningham et al 1995
What is the matching hypothesis?
Refer to when people look for a romantic partner they tend to look for someone whose level of physical attractiveness matches their own
Why do people tend to go for similar rated people?
To maximize the chance of success so they can reproduce and pass on their genes
What is the supporting evidence for the matching hypothesis?
Murstein 1972 - asked judges to rate people and match them to someone (all were in couples but they didn’t know who was with who), the real life couples received very similar ratings compared to the random partners
What are the evaluation points for the matching hypothesis?
+ Supporting evidence - Murstein 1972
- Doesn’t establish cause and effect - Murstein 1972
- Cultural bias - based on individualistic culture
