Physical attractiveness Flashcards
Halo effect
Dion: ‘What is beautiful is good’
- good traits for good look
- self fulfilling prophecy
Matching hypothesis
Walster and Walster
- partners similar to ourselves in terms of physicality
Matching hypothesis study
- male and females invited to dance
- attractiveness rated by observer
- questionnaire about selves
- computer decided partner
- hypothesis was not supported - wanted people more attractive
- study replicated each partner selected form varying attractiveness level
- found we choose similar to ourselves
Research support
Palmer and Peterson
- physically attractive people rated as more politically knowledgeable even when they knew there was no expertise
Evolutionary explanation
Cunningham
- women with neotenous features features preferred by White, Hispanic and Asian men
- different culture = same preference so evolutionary
Research challenge
Taylor
- studied activity logs of dating site actual choices
- people preferred partners are more physical attractive
- undermines validity of MH
Challenge counterpoint
Feingold
- meta-analysis of 17 studies, significant correlation in physical attractive between partners
- dating selection may be fantasy may not lead to actual relationship
Individual difference
Touhey
- measured sexist attitudes using MACHO scale
- low scorers unaffected by physical attractiveness when judging potential partners