Factors Affecting Attraction

Question 1

Physical attractiveness

Answer 1

• symmetrical faces are considered attractive by many people
• neotenous (baby like) features are also rated attractive perhaps because they trigger a caring instinct
• research found that man in particular place great importance on physical attractiveness when choosing a mate, important cue to woman’s health and fertility value
• physical attractiveness is important for short term relationships, but less short for long term relationships

Question 2

Halo effect

Answer 2

• people who are considered physically attractive are usually assumed to have other desirable characteristics too, such as honesty and friendliness
• physical attractiveness may also matter because we have preconceived ideas about the personality traits attractive people must have
• stereotype
• “Halo Effect” describes how one distinguishing feature tends to have a disproportionate influence on our judgments of a persons other attributes

Question 3

Dion et al

Answer 3

• found that physically attractive people are considerably rated as kind, strong, sociable and successful compared to unattractive people
• the belief that good looking people probably do have these characteristics makes them even more attractive to us, so we behave positively towards them
  -> like a self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 4

Practical application

Answer 4

• job applications ??
• if we know our appearance influences what people think, we can know what to change or what not to do to get a certain position

Question 5

Support for the Halo Effect

Answer 5

• Palmer and Peterson
• physically attractive people were rated as more politically knowledgeable and competent than unattractive people
• Halo effect was powerful it persisted even when pts knew that these knowledgeable people had no particular expertise
• applied in other ways of everyday life
• confirming that physical attractiveness is an important factor in the initial formation of relationships

Question 6

The Matching Hypothesis

Answer 6

• we tend to choose partners who are of a similar level of physical attractiveness to ourselves rather than go for the most attractive option possible

Question 7

Walster et al

Answer 7

• randomly paired over 752 1st year Minnesota students into “blind-date” couples for a university dance
• interested in testing the matching hypothesis
• people would match themselves as the same level of attractiveness as someone else

FINISH THIS ILARIA.

Question 8

Limitation

Answer 8

• physical attractiveness is a very obvious quality
• can be spotted immediately, other qualities such as intelligence, sense of humor and social skills may take longer to uncover
• deterministic and reductionist

Question 9

Research support: Murstein

Answer 9

• photos of 197 couples in various statuses of relationships, and were rated in terms of attractiveness by 8 judges
• each person was photographed separately, judges didnt know which photographs went together within romantic partnerships
• ratings from the judges support the matching hypothesis -> there was a definite tendency for enhanced or married couples to be rated similarly