Factors affecting attraction: Physical attractiveness Flashcards
What did Shackelford and Larsen find about the importance of physical attractiveness?
People with symmetrical faces are more attractive and people are also attracted to baby faces- large eyes, small nose…
What is the physical attractive stereotype?
We have preconceived ideas about the personality traits attractive people must have. (They are mostly positive)
What did Karen Dion sum up about the physical attractiveness stereotype?
“What is beautiful is good”
She found that physically attractive people are consistently rates as kind, strong, sociable compared to unattractive people.
What is the term halo effect?
Psychologists use it to describe how one distinguishing feature tends to have a disproportionate influence on our judgement of a person’s other attributes.
Describe research into the matching hypothesis.
Walster and walster (1969) Designed a study to test the matching hypothesis called the ‘computer dance’.
Male and female students were invited to a dance. They were rates for physical attractiveness by objective observers and also completed a questionnaire about themselves.
Findings: The hypothesis was not supported. The most liked partners were also the most physically attractive rather than taking their own level of attractiveness into account.
What is the matching hypothesis?
The belief that we do not select the most attractive person as a prospective partner, but instead are attracted to a person who approximately ‘matches’ us in physical attractiveness.
What were the findings of Ellen Berscheid’s replicated study on the matching hypothesis?
She made sure that each partner was able to select their partner from people of varying degrees of attractiveness.
This time ppts tended to choose partners who matched them in physical attractiveness.
Evaluation: Research support for the halo effect
Carl Plamer and Rolfe Peterson (2012) found that physical attractive people were rates as more politically knowledgable and competent than unattractive people.
This process suggests there are dangers for democracy if politicians are judged as suitable for office just because they are considered physically attractive by enough voters.
Evaluation: evolutionary explanation
Michael Cunningham found that women who had features of large eyes, prominent cheekbones, small nose and high eyebrows were rated as highly attractive by white, Hispanic and Asian men.
Therefore the importance of physical attractiveness makes senes on an evolutionary level.
Evaluation: Research challenging the matching hypothesis.
Taylor (2011) studied the activity logs of a popular online dating site. This was a real-world test of the matching hypothesis because it measured actual date choices and not preferences.
The researchers found that online daters sought meetings with potential partners who were more physically attractive than them.
This undermines the validity of the matching hypothesis.
