Relationships-Physical Attraction;Including Matching Hypothesis

Question 1

Why are symmetrical faces more attractive?

Answer 1

Sign of good genes showing physical attractiveness does matter (Shackelford and Larsen)

Question 2

Who created the matching hypothesis?

Answer 2

Elaine Hatfield

Question 3

What is the matching hypothesis?

Answer 3

If we are 5/10 in our minds we would look for 5/10 elsewhere and would not look for a 10/10 as we feel inferior and feel relationship has no chance of success

Question 4

What are the negatives of the matching hypothesis approach?

Answer 4

• Matching hypothesis itself may lack temporal validity as no longer based on simple attractiveness but also more things now
• Lacking cultural validity also as only really looks at western cultures and not ‘arranged relationships’

Question 5

What is a study against the matching hypothesis?

Answer 5

Walster et al (1966)

Question 6

What is Walster et al (1966)?

Answer 6

Advertised computer dance; males and females randomly selected and accomplices rated each of them for attractiveness; pairing done completely randomly even though they were told questionairre would matter- participants then did follow-up questionairre 6 months after dance

Question 7

What are the findings from Walster et al’s study?

Answer 7

Did not support matching hypothesis as once participants met dates, regardless of own physical attractiveness, responded more positively to physically attractive dates and more likely to arrange dates if they were physically attractive

Question 8

What is a study for the Matching Hypothesis?

Answer 8

Taylor et al (2011)

Question 9

What did Taylor et al (2011) look at?

Answer 9

-Carried using internet dating site- heterosexual men and women chosen at random and referred to as ‘initiators’- they contacted ‘targets’- collected photos of initiators and independent raters asked to rate all photos on 7 point scale from -3 to +3

Question 10

What were the findings of Taylor et al?

Answer 10

• If targets more similar level of attractiveness to initiator more likely to respond and start chatting with them
• Targets who more attractive than initiator less likely to respond

Question 11

What are the positives of Taylor et al?

Answer 11

• Reflects real-life dating behaviour

- High temporal validity

Question 12

What are the negatives of Taylor et al?

Answer 12

• Lacks cultural validity
• Correlation evidence so does not establish cause and effect
• Lacks population validity as only same-sex couples

Question 13

What are the negatives of Walster et al?

Answer 13

• Lacks temporal validity

- Lacks cultural validity