Physical attractiveness (attraction) Flashcards
Why is physical attractiveness important?
There is consistent evidence to highlight how important attraction is in the formation of relationships
What did Shackelford and Larsen (1997) suggest?
Evolutionary theory suggests asymmetrical faces are an indicator of genetic fitness
Physical attraction is likely to lead to reproductive success
People are also attracted to faces with neotenous (baby face) features as it triggers a protective or caring instinct
What is the matching hypothesis?
Belief that it would be a waste of time and resources to put in effort with someone who is more attractive than us
What was Walster and Walsters’ hypothesis?
That we will look for a partner who is on a similar level to ourselves
Needs to be balanced between wanting the most physically attractive partner and avoiding rejection
What was Walster and Walsters’ procedure?
Males and females were observed while buying tickets to dance to assess each one’s physical attractiveness
Pps filled in a questionnaire supposedly used to ideally pair them but it was done randomly
What were Walster and Walsters’ findings?
The most likely partners were also the most physically attractive rather than accounting for their own
Attractive people can match with less attractive and still have a good relationship
Therefore the hypothesis wasn’t supported
What is the Halo effect?
People who are deemed to be more physically attractive are often viewed in a more positive light
What did Dion (1972) find?
That ‘attractive’ people are typically rated as more successful, kind and have greater social skills
Those who are PA are also seen to have desirable characteristics which makes them more attractive
Makes us behave more positively towards then which can lead to the formation of a relationship
What was Berscheid’s (1971) procedure?
When pps bought a ticket thier PA was assessed by 4 independent judges
They had to complete a questionnaire about themselves and factors they deemed important in a relationship as well
Pps were able to choose their own partners from a line-up of people varying in attractiveness
