Physical Attractiveness Content Flashcards
What did Cunningham 1986 say about what physical features males find attractive?
Attraction was linked to women with a youthful and healthy look (baby face) e.g small nose and widely separated eyes
- this possibly links in to the idea of sexual selection and males looking for features of fertility in women
What is the ‘halo effect’ in physical attraction?
Humans judge people based on surface characteristics e.g physical appearance. Just by looking at someone, you prejudge and determine what they will be like as a person
- this shows the importance of physical attraction in forming romantic relationships but also how they can dissolve, as someone might look good but be a prick underneath
Which study from the evolutionary explanation for partner preferences links to physical attraction?
Buss’s 1989 study across different cultures emphasis the great importance particularly men place on physical attractiveness when choosing a mate
Which study refuted stereotypes about men in terms of need for physically attractive mate?
Eastwick et al, 2011 suggested that women find physical attractiveness just as important as men when finding a mate.
Which gender is more likely to rely on physical attractiveness in the different kinds of relationships?
‘Short-term relationship’ - both genders rely on attractiveness
‘Long-term/serious’ - men rely on it more as women have higher investment in long term relationships so need someone who can look after the offspring over someone physically attractive
What does Walster and Walster’s matching hypothesis suggest and why does it happen?
When people look for a partner in a romantic relationship, we tend to look for individuals who we deem to have equal social desirability, specifically in terms of physical appearance (not so much wealth etc.)
- this is out of a fear of rejection
How did Walster et al refer to mates that followed the matching hypothesis?
‘Realistic choices’, as each individual is likely to have their affection reciprocated which could then influence more open self-disclosure etc to strengthen a relationship
What must be considered when deciding on a ‘realistic choice’ according to the matching hypothesis?
. What the person desires in terms of attractiveness (ideal choice)
. Whether the person would find them equally as attractive
. Whether other attractive people are available for either of them
This means people should really have to mate ‘within their league’ (this isn’t really the case always though)
What was the aim of Walster et al (1966)?
Test the matching hypothesis through an advertised ‘computer dance’ for freshers in their first week at the uni of Minnesota
What was the sample size and sampling method Walster et al (1966)?
Volunteer sampling first: 376 males and 376 females volunteered
Random sampling: 177.males and 170 females from the sample were randomly selected and had to pay $1 to get into the dance
What was the procedure of Walster et al (1966)?
. Four independent judges secretly rated the students in terms of attractive when they got their tickets (subjective opinion on attractiveness)
. Lengthy questionnaire filled in on personality, intelligence etc and told the data would determine similarities between males and females, so a partner could be found for the dance
. Pairing was actually done randomly
. During intervals at the dance, and 4-6 months later students were asked whether they found their partner attractive and whether they would like to go on a date with them/had been on a date with them
Did the findings of Walster et al support the matching hypothesis?
No
What were the findings of Walster et al (1966)?
. Regardless of own physical attractiveness, a date responded more positively to physically attractive dates and were more likely to engage in a date if their pair was physically attractive
. . Especially true in the case of males, where males often went way out of their league
. Factors such as personality and intelligence didn’t affect liking the dates
Conclusion: physical attractiveness is very important in short-term relationship plans, but is this true in the long-term?
