Physical Attractiveness Flashcards
Why do men place importance on physical attractiveness?
- It’s an important cue to women’s health and hence her fertility and reproductive value
Briefly explain what is meant by the term ‘matching hypothesis’
Claims that when people look for a partner for a romantic relationship, they tend to look for someone whose social desirability approximately equals their own
Why do men and women differ on their perspective on physical attractiveness?
Men = physical attractiveness Women = physical attractiveness for short term relationships - but less important in long term ‘serious relationships’
What is the process of the matching hypothesis?
- individuals must first assess their own value in the eyes of a potential romantic partner & select who’d best be attracted to them
Why is the matching hypothesis good?
Allows individuals to maximise their chances of a successful outcome to those ‘in their league’
What is the role of physical attractiveness in the matching hypothesis?
- People tens to pair up with those who are similar in terms of physical attractiveness
- Walster et al = realistic choices as individuals affection will be reciprocated
Describe the type of ‘realistic’ choices that Walster et al proposed
Realistic choices are:
- what the person desires ( I.e. their idea choice)
- whether the other person wants him or her in return
- whether other desirable alternatives are available for one or both of them
Outline the procedure of Walster et al’s study (1966) on testing the matching hypothesis
- Walster advertised a computer dance at the university of Minesotta
- 177 males and 170 females were randomly selected
- When they came to pick up tickets - four student accomplices rated them for physical attractiveness
- Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire for personality etc told it would allocate their ideal partner
- During dance, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their dates, with a follow up 6 months after
Outline the findings of Walster et al study on the matching hypothesis
- Didn’t support matching hypothesis
- regardless of ones own physical attractiveness- responded more positively to attractive dates and were more likely to subsequently try to arrange dates dates if partner was physically attractive
- other factors like personality didn’t matter
AO3
Does ideal partner preferences link to real life choices?
P: Speed dating challenges the traditional views of attraction - Eastwick and Finkel (2008) - ideal partner preference doesn’t predict real life choices
E: Evidence - speed dating then longitudinal follow up 30 days later. Initially traditional sex differences for attractiveness (men) and earning prospects (women)
E: However, no sea differences emerged in the degree to which judgments of targets physical attractiveness or earning prospects influenced speed daters romantic interest in those targets
AO3
Why does research often fail to find evidence of matching in terms of physical attractiveness?
P: Sprecher and Hatfield (2009) - because people come to relationships offering many desirable characteristics, of which physical attractiveness is only one
E: may compensate - with personality, kindness, status, money = the offering of desirable traits = ‘complex matching’
E: suggests people are able to attract partners far more physically attractive than themselves by offering compensatory assets, for example an older, wealthy man may pair with a younger, attractive woman
AO3
Is there research support for sex differences in the importance of physical attractiveness?
P: Research shows that males with physically more attractive partners are more satisfied with their relationship
E: Meltzer (2014) - found objective ratings of wives’ attractiveness were positively related to levels of husbands satisfaction at the beginning of the marriage and remained that way over at least the first four years of marriage
E: In contrast, objective ratings of husbands physical attractiveness were not related to wives marital satisfaction either initially or over time = supporting this view
AO3
Is matching important in initial attraction?
P: Taylor et al (2011) - matching may not be that important in attraction = matching hypothesis = No
E: In a study of online dating patterns - no evidence that daters decisions were driven by a similarity between their own and potential partners physical attractiveness. Instead they found an overall preference for attractive partners
E: this suggests that people do not take their own physical attractiveness into account at initial stages and aim for someone more desirable
AO3
What are the implications of sex differences in the importance of physical attractiveness?
P: Meltzer (2014) - men = satisfied with physical attractiveness in long term - so women have pressure to maintain their appear to have a long term relationship
E: However men want a partner who is trust worthy and warm and supportive = more satisfied with these qualities (Pasch and Bradbury 1988)
E: As a result, less physically attractive women who possess these other qualities tend to have partners who are every bit satisfied as those with more physically attractive mates
