Relationships : Physical Attractiveness As A Factor Affecting Attraction Flashcards
What is universally attractive?
• One aspect of physical appearance that seems to play a universal role as a factor affecting attraction is facial symmetry. Researchers believe this is because facial symmetry indicates a partner has ‘good genes’ that could be passed on to children. In contrast, asymmetrical features may be judged less attractive as they may be caused by disease, indicating an impaired immune system and ‘weaker genes’.
• Another universal way in which physical appearance is linked to attraction is the
halo effect. This refers to an apparently universally shared bias to view people judged as physically attractive as attractive in other unrelated domains too (e.g., being kinder and
more intelligent). Because of the halo effect, physical attractiveness may play a disproportionately large role as a factor affecting attraction.
Why do men care more about physical attractiveness than women?
- Research has shown that when choosing long-term partners, men place greater
importance on physical attractiveness than women. - This can be accounted for by women’s greater parental investment, which leads them to consider a range of characteristics (e.g., financial resources) when making judgements about attraction.
What features do men find physically attractive?
- Research has shown that men find a youthful physical appearance attractive in women.
This is probably due to the association between youth and fertility.
o Since women have a shorter window of fertility, then men may be attracted to
women who look physically younger, as this would indicate they be a more
reproductively successful partner. - Research has also shown that men find a low waist to hip ratio attractive in women. This
is an indicator of good physical health and fertility.
o Men, like women, are likely to be interested in physically healthy partners, but
they also give greater consideration to a partner’s fertility (as women have a
relatively shorter fertile window than men). - Research also indicates that men find neotenous (baby-like) features (e.g., big eyes)
attractive as they elicit a nurturing impulse from the male (just as actual children do).
o This feature is likely to be sexually selected as women with more neotenous features will attract more caring mates, meaning their offspring are more likely
to survive.
What features do women find physically attractive?
• A common finding is that women find tall men physically attractive. This may be
attractive as it indicates an ability to provide physical protection.
o Given women’s greater investment in parenting, the desire for height may have
been sexually selected in women.
What is the matching hypothesis?
• Walster’s (1966) matching hypothesis proposes that when initiating romantic
relationships, individuals seek out partners whose social desirability (this includes physical attractiveness) matches their own.
• According to this view, when choosing a partner, individuals must first assess their own attractiveness and then seek partners who would be attracted to them.
• The matching hypothesis makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Although we may want a physically desirable partner, we also want to avoid potential rejection (so
that we avoid wasting energy courting someone ‘out of our league’) and the future
possibility of our partner cheating on us with a more desirable mate (which again would lead to a waste of energy).
What research support is there for the matching hypothesis as an explanation of how physical attractiveness is a factor affecting attraction?
Feingold (1988) carried out a meta-analysis of 17 studies and found a significant correlation in ratings of physical attractiveness between romantic partners. This research suggests that people tend to find other people attractive when they match their own level of physical attractiveness. This shows not only shows how physical attractiveness is a factor affecting attraction, but it also provides support for the predictions of the matching hypothesis (I.e., we are likely to be
attracted to people who we perceive to have a similar level of physical attractiveness to our own). This finding is especially strong as it comes from a meta-analysis. Because meta-analyses combine the results of
multiple studies, they have large sample sizes. As a result, their samples are highly representative, meaning
we can have confidence in this research’s support for the matching hypothesis as an explanation for the role of physical attractiveness as a factor affecting attraction.
How is the research into the role of physical attractiveness as a factor affecting attraction socially sensitive?
Sieber and Stanley have argued that research which could lead to harmful social consequences for
participants in the research and/or people connected to the research is socially sensitive and needs to be approached very cautiously. Research into physical attractiveness as a factor affecting attraction is socially sensitive as it inevitably
involves judgments about who is and isn’t attractive. This could certainly cause distress to participants in the
research but might also be used to justify discrimination against people not judged as attractive in society. On
the other hand, research into why we find some characteristics attractive can help people understand the
reasons why they find certain features physically attractive. This may help them re-evaluate whether their
perceptions of what is and isn’t attractive are appropriate, meaning they may decide to downgrade their
focus on the role of physical appearance as a factor affecting attraction.
Why is the research into the role of physical attractiveness in attraction overly simplistic?
Explaining attraction only in terms of a single factor, like physical attractiveness, may mean ignoring other
aspects of romantic attraction, such as… [insert name of one of the other factors affecting attraction e.g.,
type and levels of self-disclosure OR factors outlined by filter theory, such as complimentarity of needs]. This suggests that research into romantic relationships could benefit from the use of a more holistic
account, that seeks to account for the way multiple factors work together to explain what we find attractive,
rather than reducing attraction to a small set of variables, like physical attractiveness. Moreover, since
people are individuals, there is enormous variation in what people find attractive. It is therefore questionable
whether taking a nomothetic approach that seeks to establish general laws about how features of physical
appearance affect attraction is a valid approach. This again highlights the value of an idiographic approach, that could describe the unique ways individuals perceive attractiveness (including physical attractiveness),
rather than seeking to develop general laws about the factors affecting attraction.
