L3 - Physical Attractiveness Flashcards
is PHYSICAL ATTRACTION IMPORTANT to RELATIONSHIPS?
PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS AFFECTS ATTRACTION in ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. MEN place a GREAT DEAL of IMPORTANCE on PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS when CHOOSING A FEMALE PARTNER in the SHORT-TERM and the LONG-TERM
RESEARCH has shown that PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS is also VERY IMPORTANT FOR FEMALES when choosing a MALE PARTNER, ESPECIALLY in the SHORT TERM (LESS IMPORTANT IN THE LONG TERM)
What is CONSIDERED to be PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE VARIES ACROSS CULTURE and TIME
what is the HALO EFFECT?
The HALO EFFECT is when the GENERAL IMPRESSION of a person is INCORRECTLY FORMED from ONE CHARACTERISTIC ALONE (e.g PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS)
PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE are OFTEN SEEN as MORE SOCIABLE, OPTIMISTIC, SUCCESSFUL and TRUSTWORTHY.
People tend to BEHAVE POSITIVELY TOWARDS PEOPLE who are PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE and this CREATES a SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY where the physically ATTRACTIVE PERSON BEHAVES EVEN MORE POSITIVELY because of the POSITIVE ATTENTION THEY RECEIVE
+ PALMER AND PETERSON (EVALUATION OF THE HALO EFFECT)
+ PALMER AND PETERSON found that PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE were RATED AS MORE POLITICALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE than UNATTRACTIVE PEOPLE
The HALO EFFECT was SO POWERFUL that it PERSISTED even when PPS FOUND THAT the PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE PERSON had NO EXPERTISE IN POLITICS
- TOWHEY (EVALUATION OF THE HALO EFFECT)
- TOWHEY asked MALE AND FEMALE PPS to RATE HOW MUCH THEY LIKED AN INDIVIDUAL BASED ON A PHOTOGRAPH. PPS also COMPLETED A MACHO SCALE which MEASURED SEXIST ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR
It was found that pps who SCORED HIGHLY on the MACHO SCALE were MORE INFLUENCED BY PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS. Those who SCORED LOW on the QUESTIONNAIRE DID NOT VALUE PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS.
Therefore, the INFLUENCE of PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS on ROMANTIC ATTRACTION is MODERATED by OTHER FACTORS (e.g PERSONALITY)
what is the MATCHING HYPOTHESIS?
When INITIATING ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS, individuals SEEK PARTNERS that have the SAME SOCIAL DESIRABILITY AS THEMSELVES
PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS becomes the MAJOR DETERMINING FACTOR as it is an ACCESSIBLE WAY for each person to RATE THE OTHER PERSON as a POTENTIAL PARTNER BEFORE FORMING A RELATIONSHIP
MOST PEOPLE would PREFER TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP with SOMEONE WHO IS PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE but iN ORDER TO NOT BE REJECTED, MANY PEOPLE will approach others who are of a SIMILAR LEVEL OF ATTRACTIVENESS TO THEMSELVES
+ FANGOLD (EVALUATION OF THE MATCHING HYPOTHESIS)
+ FANGOLD found SUPPORTING EVIDENCE for the MATCHING HYPOTHESIS by carrying out a META ANALYSIS OF 17 STUDIES using REAL LIFE COUPLES
He established a STRONG POSITIVE CORRELATION between the PARTNERS’ RATINGS of PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS, just as PREDICTED BY THE MATCHING HYPOTHESIS
- WALSTER (EVALUATION OF THE MATCHING HYPOTHESIS)
- WALSTER INVITED 752 FIRST YEAR STUDENTS from the UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA to ATTEND A DANCE PARTY. They were RANDOMLY MATCHED TO A PARTNER; however, when students were PICKING UP THEIR TICKETS, they were SECRETLY JUDGED BY A PANEL in terms of THEIR PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS
AT THE PARTY, and 4 to 6 MONTHS LATER, students were ASKED WHETHER THEY FOUND THEIR PARTNER ATTRACTIVE ABD WOULD LIKE TO GO ON A SECOND DATE WITH THEM.
CONTRARY TO THE MATCHING HYPOTHESIS, students EXPRESSED HIGHER APPRECIATION OF THEIR PARTNER IF THE PARTNER WAS ATTRACTIVE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR OWN LEVEL OF ATTRACTIVENESS
- COMPLEX MATCHING (EVALUATION OF THE MATCHING HYPOTHESIS)
- Sometimes a VERY PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE PERSON FORMS A RELATIONSHIP with an UNATTRACTIVE PESON.
Often a REBALANCE OF TRAITS WILL OCCUR, whereby the LESS PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE PERSON has some OTHER TRAITS to MAKE UP FOR THEIR LACK OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS (e.g being rich, high status, funny)
This is called COMPLEX MATCHING whereby a VERY ATTRACTIVE PERSON FORMS A RELATIONSHIP with an UNATTRACTIVE PERSON and it GOES AGAINST THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE MATCHING HYPOTHESIS
