Lesson 4 - factors affecting physical attractiveness - The Halo Effect + The Matching Hypothesis

Question 1

physical attractiveness

Answer 1

• immediate + accessible way for partners to rate each other
• important for males in the short + long term
• important for females in the short term

Question 2

the halo effect

Answer 2

• when the general impression of a person is incorrectly formed from one characteristic alone (physical attractiveness)
• people tend to behave more positively towards more physically attractive people
• create preconceived ideas about their personality
  = favourable impression
  = often seen as trustworthy, optimistic, successful

Question 3

ads of the halo effect

Answer 3

• research support
• other relationships
• range of cultures

Question 4

disads of the halo effect

Answer 4

• other factors

Question 5

research support - ads of the halo effect

Answer 5

• research support conducted by Palmer + Peterson (2012)
• physically attractive people were rated as more politically knowledgeable + competent compared to unattractive people
• halo effect was so powerful that it persisted when parts found out that the attractive people had no expertise in politics
• can be applied to explain the dangers of democracy = politicians judged for office based on physical attractiveness

Question 6

other relationships - ads of the halo effect

Answer 6

• support for the halo effect as it can be applied to other areas of life e.g. friendships, job interviews + meeting people for the first time
  = other relationships
  = shows how its a key factor in how people are judged by others

Question 7

range of cultures - ads of the halo effect

Answer 7

• research support for the halo effect was found to be consistent across a range of cultures
• psych found that female features e.g. large eyes, small nose etc.. were rated as physically attractive by white, asian + hispanic males
  = USA + Korean students judged physically attractive people as trustworthy, mature + friendly compared to unattractive people
  = shows that stereotypes for attractiveness is strong in individualist + collectivist cultures, supporting the halo effect

Question 8

other factors - disads of the halo effect

Answer 8

• evidence to suggest that some people don’t think physical attractiveness is the most important factor
• asked parts to rate how much they liked an individual based on a photo + some bio info
• then asked to complete a MACHO scale (measure sexist attitudes + behaviour)
  = found that parts who scored highly on MACHO scale were more influenced by physical attractiveness
  = shows that the influence of physical attractiveness can be moderated by other factors e.g. personality + attitudes

Question 9

the matching hypothesis

Answer 9

need to write this up

Preferences: Most people would prefer to form a relationship with someone who is physically attractive (if rejection or competition was not a problem). If a person is physically attractive themselves, then they most probably can form a relationship with an attractive partner

Realistic choices: In order to not be rejected, many people will approach others who are similar in levels of attraction to themselves; otherwise if the person they approach is more attractive than them, there is a risk of rejection and insecurit

Reality: Most people must settle for attainable relationships with people who have the same level of physical attractiveness as themselves, “in their league.

Question 10

ads of the matching hypothesis

Answer 10

• data from correlational studies
• long term couples

Question 11

disads of the matching hypothesis

Answer 11

• complex matching
• online dating

Question 12

data from correlational studies - ads of the matching hypothesis

Answer 12

data from correlational studies found support for the matching hypothesis
= studies relied on psychs judging each person (within a couple) in terms of their physical attractiveness
= findings suggested that the matching hypothesis is a very strong factor when forming relationships

Question 13

long term couples - ads of the matching hypothesis

Answer 13

psych found strong evidence supporting the matching hypothesis amongst long term committed couples rather than short term couples
= couples who were engaged, married or in a long term relationship seemed to follow the matching hypothesis more than casual daters

Question 14

complex matching - disads of the matching hypothesis

Answer 14

• complex matching is is when a very attractive person forms a relationship with an unattractive person
  = but the unattractive person has other qualities that make up for it e.g. funny, rich, good status, kind etc..

Question 15

online dating - disads of the matching hypothesis

Answer 15

• evidence found to contradict the matching hypothesis
• found that online daters wanted to meet up with partners who were more physically attractive than themselves
• this shows that the matching hypothesis doesn’t operate in the real world
  = many people aim to date people who are more physically attractive than themselves