Factors affecting attraction: Physical attractiveness

Question 1

Outline physical attractiveness as FAA
- physical attractiveness

Answer 1

Buss (1989) : men place great importance on physical attractiveness bc it is an important cue to a woman’s health and fertility

Other signals important to both sexes:
• greater face symmetry = honest signal of genetic fitness (can’t be faked)
• neotenous (baby-face) features (large eyes, small nose, delicate chin) = trigger a protective and caring instinct

Question 2

Outline physical attractiveness as FAA
- matching hypothesis

Answer 2

Walster

MH: people tend to look for romantic partners who are roughly of similar physical attractiveness to themselves (i.e. a match).

Individuals assess own level of physical attractiveness, then focus attention on potential partners of perceived similar physical attractiveness

Seen as being less chance of being rejected.

Feel more secure due to fears that a more attractive partner may be tempted to end the relationship if a more physically attractive partner became available.

Initially proposed that people pair up with someone as ‘socially desirable’ as themselves in terms of a wide range of ‘assets’ eg personality

Over time associated specifically with matching in terms of physical attractiveness alone.

Question 3

Outline physical attractiveness as FAA
STRENGTHS

Answer 3

P) support from Walster & Walster (1969)
E) told students they were assigned an ideal partner for dance event, but selections had been made at random
E) those paired with partners of similar PA to themselves expressed greater liking of their partners, than those with dissimilar levels
L) supports the matching hypothesis greater preference for similar levels of attractiveness

P) support from Murstein (1972)
E) asked ppts to assess from photos the PA levels of genuine couples and non-genuine couples
E) real couples more likely to be judged as similar levels of attractiveness than non-genuine couples.
L) supports MH: demonstrates that couples often have similar levels of attractiveness

Question 4

Outline physical attractiveness as FAA
LIMITATIONS

Answer 4

P) research into FAA largely based on correlational data
E) only establishes a link but cannot say that one co-variable ‘caused’ the change in the other.
E) eg. assumed that higher levels of PA causes more satisfaction - may not be the case
L) misleading

P) research into FAA lacks temporal validity.
E) rise of online dating (e.g. dating apps like Tinder) in recent years dramatically changed the process of beginning a romantic relationship, compared to 30 years ago.
E) eg. issues w PA (eg beauty standards) changed in nature as people present themselves in different ways online as opposed to face-to-face (eg appear diff online)
L) less likely to be limited when looking for a romantic relationship online, new theories required

P) research into FAA suffer from cultural bias
E) most theories have been proposed by Western researchers in individualist cultures eg US (needs of individual) rather than collectivist cultures eg India or China (needs of gc) -> only explain romantic relationships in this type of culture.
E) eg, how the individual views PA = less important in collectivist cultures (more focused on the needs of others than their own satisfaction) or diff beauty standards
L) explanations of attraction are limited as not universal