Formation - Physical attractiveness

Question 1

A01 - We aim to match with the most physically attractive person

Answer 1

• Physical attractiveness is an important factor in the formation of romantic relationships.
  -The term usually applies specifically to how appealing we find a person facially and
  physically.
  -There is general agreement within and across cultures about what is considered physically attractive.

Question 2

A01 - 2. We aim to match with someone similar in attractiveness levels to ourselves

Answer 2

• Walster and Walster (1969) proposed The Matching hypothesis.
• It is the belief
  that we do not select the most attractive person as a prospective partner but,
  instead, are attracted to people who approximately ‘match ‘us in physical attractiveness.
  -This is to maximise a successful outcome

Question 3

A01 - 3.The Halo Effect: by Thorndike

Answer 3

The Halo Effect is a cognitive bias where people believe that someone who is physically attractive attributes other positive characteristics to them as well.
-These perceived qualities draw us to be even
more attached to the physically attractive person.

Question 4

A03 - Support for the idea that we aim to match with the most
physically person

Answer 4

-Comes from the findings of Taylor et al
- physically attractive
person possible comes from the findings of Taylor et al. (2011).

-Taylor studied the activity logs of an online dating site. This study measured actual date choices and not merely preferences.
-Online daters sought meetings with potential partners who
were more physically attractive than them.
-It seems they did not consider their own level of attractiveness when making decisions about who to date.
-This supports the notion that we aim to find the most attractive person possible for a romantic relationship, rather than match with someone who is similar to ourselves.

Question 5

A03 - Matching Hypothesis isn’t true

Answer 5

• Walster et al. advertised a ‘computer dance’ for new students at the University
  of Minnesota.
  -177 males and 170 females were randomly selected to take part in the study.
• When they came to pick up their tickets, four student
  accomplices surreptitiously rated each of them for physical attractiveness.
• The
  participants were then asked to complete a questionnaire to assess personality,
  intelligence and told that the data gathered would be used to allocate their ideal
  partner for the dance. In fact, the pairing was done randomly.

-During the intermission part of the dance, participants were asked to complete a
questionnaire about their dates, with a follow up questionnaire distributed six
months after the dance.

-The findings from this study did not support the matching hypothesis.
-Once participants had met their dates, and regardless of their own physical
attractiveness, they responded more positively to physically attractive dates and
were more likely to subsequently try to arrange dates with them.

-This supports the notion that we aim to find the most attractive person possible for
a romantic relationship,

Question 6

A03 - Halo Effect

Answer 6

Findings from a study
by Landy and Sigall (1974) support the role of the Halo effect on judgements of
attractiveness in educational settings. Landy and Sigall compared the essay grades
given to attractive and unattractive students (the essays having a photograph
attached); the same essay supposedly written by an attractive student was rated
higher. Students also rate attractive teachers as nicer, happier and less vindictive
than unattractive ones (Hunsberger and Cavanagh, 1988).) These findings have
been repeated in the world of business, politics and entertainment, Supporting the
notion that physical attraction can lead to cognitive biases.