Relationships: topic 3 ‘factors affecting attraction - physical attractiveness’

Question 1

why is physical attractiveness important factor effect in attraction for men?

Answer 1

• buss argued that men in particular place great importance on physical attractiveness when choosing a mate because it’s an important cue to a woman’s health and fertility

Question 2

what factors of physical attractiveness and importance to both sexes?

Answer 2

• Face symmetry (greater symmetry means greater attractiveness) because it may be an honest signal of genetic fitness that can’t be faked
• neotenous features (baby face) including large eyes, small nose and delicate chin, because they trigger a protective and caring instinct

Question 3

What is the matching hypothesis?

Answer 3

• The matching hypothesis claims that people tend to look for romantic partners who are roughly of similar physical attractive to them

Question 4

how does the matching hypothesis work?

Answer 4

• It involves individuals assessing their own level of physical attractiveness and then focusing attention upon potential partners of perceived similar physical attractiveness, as there is seen as being less chance of being rejected

Question 5

Why is the matching hypothesis important in a healthy relationship?

Answer 5

• individuals will feel more secure in a relationship with someone of equal physical attractiveness, due to phases that a more attractive partner might be tempted to end the relationship if a more physical attractive partner became available

Question 6

strengths of physical attractiveness as a factor affecting attraction

Answer 6

P - research to support the role of attractiveness and the matching hypothesis from walster
E - told individuals that they had been assigned an ideal partner for a forthcoming dance event, though selections had actually been made at random
E - the students met up before the dance and those who had been paired up with partners of similar physical attractiveness to themselves expressed greater liking of their partners, than those who had been paired up with partners of dissimilar levels of physical attractiveness
L - this supports the matching hypothesis as it shows that those were similar levels of attractiveness preferred each other more

P - research to support attractiveness as an important factor comes from murstein
E - asked participants to assess from photographs the physical attractiveness levels of genuine couples and non-genuine couples (who had been put together for the study)
E - found that the real couples were more likely to be judged as having similar levels of attractiveness to each other than the non-genuine couples
L - supports the matching hypothesis as it demonstrates that couples do have similar levels of attractiveness (compared to non-genuine couples)