Physical Attraction And The Matching Hypothesis

Question 1

What did Cunningham (1986) find to be Attractive in Females?

Answer 1

• features associated with young children i.e. big eyes, small noses and chins.
• prominent cheekbones and narrow cheeks were also found attractive.

Question 2

What did Waynforth (1995) find to be attractive in Males?

Answer 2

• masculine features i.e. square jaw, small eyes, thin lips and a symmetrical face.

Question 3

What did Eastwick (2011) find about the Importance of Attraction?

Answer 3

• could be just as important to women as it is to men but only in casual relationships.

Question 4

Why might Physical Attractiveness have a Powerful Role in Attraction?

Answer 4

• Dion et al (1972) found that physically attractive people are consistently rated as kind, strong and successful.
• so these stereotypes may make physically attractive people seem better that other potential partners.

Question 5

Who Created the Matching Hypothesis?

Answer 5

Walster and Walster (1969).

Question 6

What does the Matching Hypothesis suggest?

Answer 6

Individuals asses their own attractive “value” and select potential partners who they deem of a similar attractive “value.”

Question 7

Why is the Matching Hypothesis Good?

Answer 7

It means people make realistic decisions which increases likelihood of successful outcomes and decreases the risk of rejection.

Question 8

Evaluating: What did Murstein (1972) find about the Matching Hypothesis?

Answer 8

• dating couples were consistently rated similar in terms of attractiveness which support the matching hypothesis.

Question 9

Evaluating: What did Feingold (1988) find out about the Matching Hypothesis?

Answer 9

• meta analysis of 17 studies.

- found significant correlation in ratings of attractiveness between romantic partners.

Question 10

Evaluating: What did Taylor et al (2011) find about the Matching Hypothesis?

Answer 10

• online daters sought meetings with potential partners who were physically more attractive than themselves, contradicting the results of the Matching Hypothesis.

Question 11

Evaluating: What did Towhey (1979) find about the Matching Hypothesis?

Answer 11

• found that participant who had scored highly on the MACHO score were more influenced by physical attractiveness than people who scored low.
• contradicts results as it challenges the idea that attraction is important to everyone.

Question 12

Walster et al (1966) did what?

Answer 12

• tested the matching hypothesis by conducting a ‘computer dance.’
• when participants picked up their tickets, their physical attractiveness was rated.
• participants completed a questionnaire to ‘allocate the its their ideal partner.’
• participants responded positively to more physically attractive dates, regardless of their own attractiveness.
• RESULTS DID NOT SUPPORT MATCHING HYPOTHESIS