Midterm 2 Flashcards
(231 cards)
fundamental basis of attraction
a matter of rewards
two types of rewards influence attraction
direct rewards, indirect rewards
direct rewards
obviously receive from our interaction with others
indirect rewards
not always aware of and that are merely associated with someone else
instrumentality
the extent to which someone can help us get what we currently want
proximity
- often determines whether or not we ever meet them in the first place
- more often than not, friendships and romances grow out of interactions with those who are nearby
mere exposure
usually increases our liking for someone
disadvantages regarding proximity
- when people who have come to know each other online meet in person for the first time
- when partners in long-distance relationships are reunited after some time apart
when first encountered, physically attractive people are presumed to be…
interesting, sociable people who are likely to encounter personal and professional success in love and life
- assume that attractive people have desirable traits such as agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness
women are more attractive if
- they have “baby-faced” features such as large eyes, a small nose, a small chin, and full lips
- appear feminine and youthful
- combine those baby-faced features with signs of maturity such as prominent cheekbones, narrow cheeks, and a broad smile
- long eyelashes
men are thought to be handsome when
they have strong jaws and broad foreheads and look strong and dominant
good-looking faces in both sexes
- have features that are neither too large nor too small
- average
- symmetrical
men find women’s shapes most alluring when
waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is 0.7 in which the waist is 30 percent smaller than the hips
ideal waist-to-bust ratio
0.75
ideal waist-to-hip ratio for men
0.9
women and smell
prefer the smells of guys who’ve been eating a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables
men and smell
prefer the natural scents of pretty women than those of women who are less attractive
evolutionary perspective on physical attractiveness
- people all over the world still tend to agree who is and who is not attractive
- symmetric people of both sexes are smarter and get sick less often
- babies are born with preferences for the same faces that adults find attractive
- women with WHRs near 0.7 are usually young and are not already pregnant, so they look like they’d be good mates
- men with WHR of 0.9 is likely to be in better health
- attractiveness matters most to people in equatorial regions of the world where there are many parasites and pathogens that can endanger good health
changes in women’s desires that accompany their monthly menstrual cycles
- generally find men’s bodies to be more attractive and they are better able to judge whether a guy is gay or straight
- men think women smell better when they’re about to ovulate than at other times of the month
- when women are fertile, their voices and bodies are more attractive to men
standards of attractiveness are also affected by…
changing economic and cultural conditions
mens looks correlated with
the number and length of the interactions they have with women (no correlation for women)
attractive people tend to be
less lonely, more socially skilled, and a little happier
disadvantages of being attractive
- divorce more often
- others lie to pretty people more often
matching
partners in established romantic relationships tend to have similar levels of physical attractiveness